The Visit Westerville Ohio to Erie Trail Blog Series is presented by RWM Wealth Advisors

Imagine pedaling along on a sunny day, smiling as you soak up the scenery along the Ohio to Erie Trail. Your ride couldn’t get more blissful.

Then, suddenly, you hear a strange noise coming from your bike. Or maybe your brakes start to rub, or your shifters won’t shift. Perhaps you get a sinking feeling as a tire loses air. Or a chain snaps, bringing your good vibes to a halt.

What to do?

The mechanics at Westerville’s two full-service bike shops can get you rolling again. Trek Bicycle Westerville, 5985 Maxtown Road, is in a shopping center next to the trail on the north side of town. And Westerville Bicycle Shop, 29 W. Main Street, is less than a half-mile west of the trail, in the heart of Uptown.

“Yes, we get quite a few customers from the trail,” said Mason Morgan, owner of Westerville Bicycle Shop. “A lot of them have a flat, or had a flat and need to replace their spare tube. Some need small adjustments, or they have broken racks. Usually it’s nothing major.”

Ryan Blake, sales lead at the Trek store, says his shop sees a lot of flat tires, “especially if the bike is carrying a lot of weight” on a long-distance journey. The weight also can loosen spokes out of “true,” causing wheels to wobble. He said other common ailments are shifter cables or rim brakes that are out of adjustment.

Both shops try to expedite repairs for inter-city cyclists who walk in or call ahead. Usually the turnaround time for basic fixes is quick. The goal is to get the cyclist back on the trail in time to reach their destination before dark. Trek’s Blake said his shop might be able to pick up a stranded rider if there’s enough staff. Westerville Bike Shop doesn’t have a vehicle to use for rescues, although Morgan said an employee may be able to ride to the trail and make the repair on the spot — depending on how busy the shop is. He also noted that AAA and ride-share services can transport disabled bikes.

With so many types of bikes — recumbents, trikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, cargo bikes, e-bikes, etc. — cruising up and down the 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail, the parts necessary for major repairs might not be readily available for all of them. Blake said the Trek store stocks “most of the universal type stuff,” such as tires and brake pads, in a variety of sizes.

Westerville Bicycle Shop, which opened in 1973, prides itself on having a large inventory of parts.

“We’re a go-to shop for parts. It’s rare that we wouldn’t be able to get somebody out the door on their bike,” said Morgan, who is in his 20th year as owner and has drawers of hardware salvaged from bikes of various vintages and brands. “We’re more of a repair-focused shop.”

As for location, Trek Bicycle Westerville can tout its proximity to the trail — the store’s back door is about 100 yards off the trail along Northgate Way. The store also is the first shop for dozens of miles for southbound cyclists, and the last for northbound riders. Blake said riders from both directions often stop to replenish nutrition products, tubes and other essentials. And on a hot day, some come in the store just to cool off.

Both shops stock bottles, lights, bike computers, tools, clothing, chamois butter, mirrors, bells, bags and other items that multiday cyclists might have forgotten.

No cyclist wants to deal with a mechanical issue. But at least in Westerville, fast, friendly help is close at hand!

By Jeff Pierron

WHERE TO GET YOUR BIKE FIXED

WESTERVILLE BICYCLE SHOP: 29 W. Main Street, (614-891-5654) is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Website: https://westervillebikeshop.com/  Map from trail:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47741405

TREK BICYCLE WESTERVILLE: 5985 Maxtown Road, (614-901-8735) is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Website: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/retail/westerville_northgate/ Map from trail: ( https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47741298 )

SELF-SERVICE OPTIONS: When a fix is simple and the cyclist has the expertise — but not the tools — the self-service repair station at North High Brewing Co., 250 S. State Street, is an option. The station offers a variety of wrenches and other tools, a workstand to hang your bike and a pump to fill your tires. The station also has bike racks and is located on a short spur off the Westerville Bike & Walk Way (OTET) that runs along the south side of the brewery. Map from trail ( https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47741162 )

A little farther north on the OTET, the trail passes the Westerville Bike Depot at Hanby Park, 115 E. Park Street. The depot features air from a compressor; bike racks; and bike storage in one-day lockers.