RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty’s Commercial Division is pleased to have assisted Roads and Trails in finding their new space at 417 Main Street in Bennington VT. Joe Cardamone worked with Dan and Faith Rhodes to find the perfect space for them to lease.
Bike Shop Riding Downtown
BENNINGTON — A longtime bike and winter gear shop on Benmont Avenue is heading to a downtown location later this month.
Dan Rhodes, who owns Roads & Trails with his wife, Faith, said the couple plans to open at 417 Main St., a site formerly occupied by Thyme Bee Mine gifts, on Feb. 23. They have owned and run their store for the past five years.
The Benmont Avenue site has hosted a bike and ski shop for much longer. Before the couple purchased the businesses, it was known as Eiger, and before that, as Up and Downhill.
But Rhodes said he sees a downtown location as a benefit to his business because it should attract more walk-in traffic. Rhodes said he ran a similar store in Connecticut that thrived in such an environment.
“Where I worked in Connecticut, we were on a Main Street, and I enjoyed the traffic flow,” Rhodes said Tuesday at the store’s current location. “Particularly, here, when I look on a Saturday what’s going on down here and then I look at the traffic flow downtown, it’s much busier. It’s more retail business.”
Rhodes said he has been in the business for about 20 years. His store offers road and mountain bikes, nordic skiing and snowboarding equipment, skateboards and apparel to accompany all of those sports.
The stock of skateboard equipment, shoes and clothing attracts children and families, he said, and has benefited from the construction of a skateboard park in North Bennington.
The new space affords a similar amount of retail space, according to Rhodes, but offers increased storage and repair space. The store will continue to do repairs, he said.
“We’re kind of like an old-fashioned bike shop. As long as it’s a bicycle we’ll work on it,” Rhodes said.
When the couple decided to search for a new location they focused the search on the downtown, Rhodes said. “I like the idea of being in more of the retail area. I like the way the town is trying to support downtown,” Rhodes said. “If there’s a section of town that they’re really working on, it’s the downtown area.”
They are holding a sale before the move, and will be stocking the new location with new 2010 products, according to Rhodes. The store should add to the downtown as much as it benefits, he said.
“We’re excited to be down there. We’re excited to be a part of downtown,” he said. “As much traffic as we get from downtown, I hope we add some, too.”
On the Web: www.roadsandtrailsvt.com
Contact Neal P. Goswami at ngoswami@benningtonbanner.com
Reprinted from The Bennington Banner with permission
