SOLON– One Saturday morning last summer, Brian Brandt hopped on his bike at 9 a.m. and headed from Solon to Ely on the Hoover Nature Trail.
He counted 54 bikes heading for Solon during his half-hour ride.
On Saturdays and Sundays, he saw lines of people waiting for Big Grove Brewery to open, many of them in cycling attire.
“We took bikes twice to Iowa City and once to Cedar Rapids for repairs, and asked the question, ‘Why doesn’t Solon have a bike shop?’” he said.
That was the beginning for Briar Ridge Bikes, offering professional sales and service at a no-barrier price point from its Main Street location since opening in February.
The need for a shop catering to Solon’s cycling population was a no-brainer for Brandt, who continued to talk about it at every graduation party and social interaction, eventually collecting co-founders Reid Wilson and Alex Ledger along the way.
All three are Solon residents.
Wilson, part of Big Grove’s operations and improvements team, was first on board. That led to a meeting with Doug Goettsch (also of Big Grove), who knew Ledger’s dad. Ledger joined as a managing partner of the business and the vision for a bike shop was launched. Goettsch and Mark Pattison joined as investing partners
By fall, the partners obtained a dealer agreement with the Alta Cycling Group to sell Diamondback, Raleigh, Redline, IZIP and Haibike bicycles.
The next six months were spent building out the storefront at 120 W. Main Street #2 to match the image the founders wanted to portray to the public.
“Especially to Solon residents, because how long have they waited for a bike shop?” Ledger said. “We wanted to make sure we delivered on that in every regard.”
The business name came from a lot of brainstorming, Wilson noted.
Ledger wanted a unique name to reflect not only the area but also the core values of the owners.
“You come in, you’re going to get the same experience if you’re buying a $5 item or you’re just asking for help as somebody who’s buying a $10,000 bike,” he said. “There’s going to be no difference of customer service.”
Briar Ridge Bikes will help anyone that walks in the door, he said.
The business logo depicts a rocky formation similar to what you’d find on the edge of Lake Macbride. If any place in Iowa could have a ridge with wild roses, it would be Solon, he added.
Brandt thinks the logo is reflective of a trail in Iowa and the Briar Ridge Bikes vibe of an approachable, upscale boutique.
The partners are proud to have Solon’s name on the logo
“It’s where we’re founded, it’s where all of us live, it’s the community we want to give back to,” Ledger noted.
Solon residents want to save their time and they want to support their local community, Wilson observed.
Instead of traveling to Iowa City or Cedar Rapids, they can take five minutes and drop off their bike in Solon and head to the soccer game.
When they pick the bike up, they can hop right on the trail “right from here which is really nice,” he said.
The business opened softly Saturday, Feb. 20.
The store wasn’t quite ready, but the three were interested to see what traffic could be generated, Ledger recalled.
“Much to Solon’s credit, there were a lot of people that came in that day,” he said.
Briar Ridge Bikes started with an inventory of 73 bicycles with a couple dozen more added over time.
“We wanted to make sure we had bikes that were trail-ready, whether that’s concrete or gravel, or take it to Sugar Bottom,” Brandt said, adding he was grateful to Diamondback. “They gave us a good supply to get started.”
Bicycles have been hard to find in the age of a global pandemic.
“It was much as you would expect, it was not easy to get bikes,” Ledger said. “It’d be like opening a toilet paper sales business.”
The key was to have bread and butter bikes, he continued, fitness hybrids so people could hop on the trail and go to Odie’s, in Ely, or up to Cedar Rapids.
“We know that’s going to be huge come summer time,” he noted.
Briar Ridge Bikes should have good supply for the spring and summer as shortages ease, Brandt added.
Ledger agreed.
Bike shops across the country are fixing up more bikes than ever and most people have the bikes they need for now. When the supply comes back, those people who have used an older bike will have more choices, he said.
“It’s just spreading out the time between when a person needs a new bike and when they want a new bike,” he explained.
Serving all parts of the community means serving all kinds of needs, which is why the store will always have pre-owned bikes for kids and adults starting at $200-$300.
“There is no part of cycling spectrum that we don’t cover,” Ledger said.
Briar Ridge Bikes won’t solely identify with the brands it currently carries, he stated.
More brands are lined up for summer to give customers diversity in bike choice unique to each person’s needs, he added.
In the interim, the business is busy, processing close to 200 repairs since opening.
It’s a sign of the times, Ledger explained, and representative of the partners’ commitment to the community by providing full-service bike repair for all brands, a full bike wash and an ultrasonic cleaner.
“We’re bringing their bikes back to life,” he said.
Solon has the watering holes in Red Vespa, Big Grove and the Legion, he added. It now has a trail link with Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
Now it has a bike shop.
Having a bike shop in town rubs off on people, he continued, and the staff and owners at Briar Ridge Bikes are able to experience it with a lot of residents.
It all comes down to service, he said. The business is building its brand on being inclusive.
“Come on in and we’ll help you,” Ledger said. “It’s not going to matter what you need, we’ll be able to help in some way.”
Briar Ridge Bikes is on the brink of a super-busy season, he said, and it’s a matter of delivering for Solon.
He thinks they are up to the task.
“Biking is growing right now nationwide. We’re seeing numbers that we could have never expected 10 years ago,” he observed. “That’s exciting to be part of that now.”
Briar Ridge Bikes
319-624-2552
briarridgebikes.com
120 W. Main St. #2, Solon
[email protected]
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Briar Ridge Bikes started with an inventory of 73 bicycles. The owners expect a good supply for the spring and summer as shortages ease.