Cycle Fitters Relocates

Last week, , the Forks-based bicycle repair and retail store, reopened its doors after a move within the Sullivan Trail Plaza. The store, which was found next to Nicolosi’s Pizza, is now on the other side of the secondhand book store, .

The reason? Cycle Fitters simply needed more space.

“We started as a fitting studio,” explained owner John Strom, “but the retail side kind of exploded.”

Outwardly, Cycle Fitters seems like a store that sells bikes and bike accessories--which it is. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

True to its name and slogan “Get one that fits,” the staff at Cycle Fitters specializes in bike fitting, a process that measures aspects of each person to create a custom ride.

Each fitting measures specifications like biomechanics, physique, power output, pedal strokes and more. Adjustments are performed on every bike sold based on comfort, speed and type.

“We spend about two hours with each new person,” Strom explained. “That’s how we grew as a business.”

Cycle Fitters began as a fitting studio run from Strom’s garage, which he did for about three years before opening the store in the Sullivan Trail Plaza in 2009. Strom, who has been a cycling enthusiast for more than 15 years, is an certified bike-fit technician through the Serotta Cycling Institute, a renowned name in design in the cycling community.

The newest addition to Cycle Fitters is a machine called the Guru Dynamic Fit System, a stationary device used for making completely custom bikes to exact specifications, rather than adjusting an existing cycle.

Everything, right down to the angles of the frame, is custom-made for each person.

“We end up with a perfect bike for you, and three weeks later you’re riding it,” said Strom.

On the retail side, Cycle Fitters carries bikes in every type -- racing, cross-country, leisure and kids, to name a few. The store is known for its selection of the Italian bicycle line Colnago, as well as the American-handmade titanium bike Moots.

Cycle Fitters can also handle repairs and tuneups on any type of bike.

The business is family-owned by Strom and his wife, Kari. They, with their three young children, are residents of Palmer Township, which according to Strom isn’t too far for a cyclist to bike to work.

The new Cycle Fitters store is found in the Sullivan Trail Plaza at 1700 Sullivan Trail. The store is open Monday and Friday from 10am to 8pm; Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 6pm, and weekends, 11am to 5pm. It is closed Wednesday.