Photo by Trey Clark
Christmas is over now, and your children are likely eager to ride those new shiny bikes they received from Santa Claus.One place where they can have some fun is at Bikesmith.
The bicycle retail and repair shop at Hollywood Street and Summer Avenue has a kid-friendly bicycle course, called a pump track, right in its backyard. And it was the first of its kind to open in Memphis.
“The reason it’s called a pump track is because you pump the bike with your body, rather than with the pedals,” says Jim Steffens, founder of Bikesmith. “It is also safe for kids. Even if a kid were to fall, it would be a soft landing because it’s just dirt.”
The pump track, which opened in 2016, is a small 4,500-square-foot looping track made of mounds of dirt and grass, with three 90-degree turns and three 180-degree turns. These berms and hills give bicycles speed and momentum, meaning bicyclists don’t really need to use the pedals.
Another thing that makes this track kid-friendly is the fact that the track is fenced in, which means kids can’t wander off, and adults can remain on the sidelines while having grown-up conversation with other parents.
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Photo by Averell Mondie
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Photo by Averell Mondie
Bikesmith does not rent out bicycles yet, but they do sell them. For beginners, Steffens recommends the Pure Cycles Balance Bike ($119). Perfect for children 2 to 6 years old, balance bikes are small bikes with no pedals that are meant for children who are learning to ride. Unlike tricycles or training wheels, balance bikes will quickly teach children how to balance, because children start out by walking the bike on the track and then eventually rolling and balancing.
For older children and adults, Steffens says the track is good for BMX, mountain, and road bikes. One bike he recommends is the Haro Shredder ($209.99), a 20-inch kids’ bike that is modeled after BMX bikes. For teenagers and adults, a good all-around bike Steffens recommends is the Pure Cycles Urban Commuter ($449). Other bikes Bikesmith sells include road bikes, mountain bikes, BMX, cyclocross, and fixed-gear.
Bicycles aren’t the only set of wheels that can go around a pump track. Steffens says he has also seen people use remote-controlled cars. And the track can even be rented out for private parties. In the past, Bikesmith has hosted baby showers, birthday parties, and rock shows. One of the latest rock shows (a going-away party) was thrown in honor of Kyle Wagenschutz, Memphis’ first bike/pedestrian coordinator and one of the main pioneers in the movement for bike lanes in our city.
First-timers must sign a waiver (parents and legal guardians must sign for children under the age of 18) and everyone must wear a helmet. Steffens also recommends that everyone wear gloves (in case riders need to brace their fall with their hands), but they are not required.
In addition to the pump track, Bikesmith has hosted a number of cyclocross races around the corner from their shop at East Parkway and Sam Cooper Boulevard. Steffens says he plans to host more cyclocross races in February.
Bikesmith will also repair your bicycle. Customers can either bring their bikes in and watch the employees repair them, or Bikesmith can come to them. Once their Bicycle Truck comes to you, they can either take your bicycle back to the shop or fix it on-site.
Bikesmith initially began its business with just the Bicycle Truck. Four years ago, Steffens and his wife wanted to make bicycle repairs available to neighborhoods that did not have repair shops. Thus, they came up with the idea of a mobile repair shop. After two years, the business grew, and they built a home base at 509 N. Hollywood Street, where they remain to this day.
Steffens has ridden his entire life and loves sharing his passion for zooming around on two wheels with others, including the next generation of bikers as Memphis becomes a more bike-friendly city.
Bikesmith
509 N. Hollywood St.
Photo by Nathan Berry
Open year round
Tuesday and Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost to ride is $5 on weekdays,
$10 weekends