A couple weeks ago I mentioned Vic’s Classic Bikes in our New Local Business Roundup. Vic’s is currently located at 2016 South Preston Street near Eastern Parkway, but will soon be moving to 912 Baxter Avenue.
Here’s some info from Vic’s blog:
I have signed a lease and will take position of the ground floor of the building located at 912 Baxter Avenue. This move will give me over 3 times the space and a more visible and accessible location.The main showroom is 600 sq’ with 2, 4’x5′ display windows.
Based on that description, it sounds like there will be a few changes to the existing facade such as expanding the size of the windows. Vic’s Classic Bikes hopes to be open in their new location by mid- to late-June.
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Branden founded Broken Sidewalk in 2008 while practicing architecture in Louisville. He continued the site for seven years while living in New York City, returning to Louisville in 2016. Branden is a graduate of the College of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, and has covered architecture, design, and urbanism for The Architect's Newspaper, Designers & Books, Inhabitat, and the American Institute of Architects.
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Counting the antique shop by Great Escape, that will bring the total to 5.
The highlands is a bikin' neighborhood, to be sure. I'm NOT sure it's more bikin' than Old Louisville.
i don’t understand this. On Your Left is 3 blocks north, Bardstown Road Bicycle Co (not that I would recommend going there) is possibly 6 south, and Parkside another 3 passed that. i wish everyone the best, but this just doesn’t make sense.
I agree. It makes absolutely no sense to me, seeing as the highlands is completely saturated with bike shops. I talked to him the other day and recommended a move to Old Louisville (there is no bike shop in Old Louisville) but he said he needed foot traffic that the highlands can bring him. Whatever.
There’s a bike shop not too far from Old Louisville and the U of L campus though, on 4th north of Central.
We’re sorry to see them leave our neighborhood. This was just the kind of business that part of the Preston corridor needs, but I understand their considerations as far as display space, etc. Here’s hoping a similar local business can come in to fill that niche; that part of Preston is starting to develop a nice buzz about it with Sunergo’s, the Zanzabar, the bakery & Uncle Pleasants, along with more established businesses in that part of the neighborhood. One or 2 more homegrown businesses like Vic’s could really make that area the commercial center for our neighborhood, & maybe help to eventually revitalize the Preston/ Eastern Parkway corner a few blocks further south, too. We definitely have a lot of under-utilized (but small!) commercial space in the neighborhood. The retail future for us is not in the big chain stores but in smaller neighborhood shops like these.
Mike Zanone, Vice-President
Saint Joseph Area Association
Mike (and Vic),
As not even a nearby resident (though frequent visitor/passer-by), I too am sad to see a small business (especially a bike-related one!) leave the neighborhood under the auspices of “more foot traffic” and “visibility”.
Though of probably little solace to the fact that you are losing a business, rest assured, Mike, your neighborhood has very good bones and–I believe–a lot of potential.
As much as I would like bike-related businesses to “do their part” to further the cause of cycling, alternative transportation, and access thereof, my comprehension of capitalism informs me that business will go where people are willing to fork over dollars. This is not a criticism of Vic, per se, but I will be buying my tubes and such at Bike Couriers on Fourth Street (located on my commute, anyway).
Also the count of bike shopes surounding the Cherokee/Seneca park ares comes to 7 my count ( VicsClassicBikes, On your left, Cyclers Cafe, Bicycle Sport, Bardstown Rd Bicycle Co, Parkside, & the Antique shop) I think thats where the customers are. Just count the # of coffee shops in the area.
Hello all. The picture posted above and the address given is incorrect. Vic is moving to 921 Baxter Ave, not 912 and his new location is directly across from the Outlook In Again and a half block down from Quills. Regarding the new chosen location; I think Vic knows what’s best for his business. As for proximity to other bike shops; in my opininon, it won’t hurt the other businesses, it will only help them. Vic’s runs a *specilized* bike shop. He doesn’t sell new Jamis mountain bikes, modern Raleigh or Surly. I think he has one bike in the shop with a 1 1/8 headset and definitely doesn’t have anything with even so much as a carbon fork.
First I want to thank the folks in this neighborhood for the support they have given me over the last 8 months. I have met some nice folks and made some new friends. However 380 sq ft just wasn’t enough space. Also with the RR trax to the north and the 1 way section to the south this location is difficult to find for alot of folks. As far as “saturation” in the Highlands goes we will just have to see what happens.
921 Baxter Ave is the correct address for Vic’s Classic Bikes