ABOVE: Larry Vogel works on a Trek Electra bike whereas his canine, Mr. B, sniffs round contained in the Bicycle Shoppe in Fairmont. Vogel has occupied the house since 1981.
FAIRMONT– On the few good days we’ve had thus far this spring, walkers and bikers have been a typical sight round city as individuals are desirous to get out after a protracted winter indoors. Chances are most of the bikes you’ve seen have been bought or serviced on the Bicycle Shoppe in Fairmont. Owner Larry Vogel has offered or serviced bikes to a whole bunch of individuals, each native and never, over his 50 years of enterprise.
The Bicycle Shoppe, one in every of Fairmont’s distinctive companies, has been situated at 505 Lake Ave. since 1981. However, Vogel’s curiosity in bikes started lengthy earlier than that.
Originally from the world, Vogel began his profession as a music instructor in Redwood Falls. He would experience his bike to high school on daily basis.
“After school, kids would come up to me and say, ‘Mr. Vogel, can you help me fix my bike?’ And I said, no, I take my bikes to the Twin Cities for that,” Vogel mentioned.
When spring arrived, Vogel mentioned he started happening bike rides on Sunday afternoons. What began as a small group of youngsters becoming a member of him grew to 25 and some mother and father after which to a big group of about 60 college students and 10 mother and father. They would experience 15 to twenty miles on Sundays.
Students continued to ask Vogel for assist with their bikes so he began to do what he might and realized extra alongside the best way.
However, a instructor pal of Vogel’s persuaded him to depart his instructing job in 1972 to embark on a cross nation bike journey with the intention of driving to British Colombia. While they by no means made it to British Columbia, Vogel ended up touring to Italy round that point. While there, he acquired a motorcycle in order that he might simply get round.
“I asked if maybe I could buy nine more bikes to take home and sell them. I didn’t at that point envision opening a bike shop,” Vogel mentioned.
Ten bikes came to visit on a gradual ship from Italy. Vogel was in an Army Reserve band on the time, so his dad, who was a farmer, drove a truck over to Chicago to get them off the ship.
When Vogel was again in Fairmont, he started promoting the international bikes out of a pal’s storage. He didn’t must promote as a result of he mentioned individuals knew he rode bike round city and had information of bikes.
“The next spring I found a place to sell the bikes downtown, which was the old Gamble Store,” Vogel mentioned.
After the second or third 12 months there, Vogel mentioned the constructing subsequent door skilled a hearth so in the midst of the night time he needed to transfer all of his bicycles into an outdated church that he owned on the nook of 4th Street and Prairie Street in Fairmont.
He offered bikes out of there a couple of extra years earlier than bike firm Schwinn approached him and requested if he would carry their bikes. At that point Vogel had solely offered imported bikes. However, Schwinn wished Vogel to maneuver into one other constructing.
He purchased the present constructing and started promoting bikes out of it in 1981. Over all of these years, Vogel mentioned there have been excessive moments and low moments– however there was two booms. The first was within the early 70s when he acquired into the bike enterprise as a result of there was an embargo on oil so many individuals opted to bike round quite than wait to get fuel.
“The second big bike boom was Covid-19,” Vogel mentioned.
In March of 2020, everybody was staying inside, however as companies have been closed and children have been doing on-line studying, individuals began spending extra time exterior when the climate acquired good.
As the demand for bikes went up, the producers couldn’t sustain.
“Within a month or so, all of the bikes everyone could afford were gone, and within two or three months, the bikes no one could afford were gone,” Vogel mentioned.
Now, Vogel sells nearly strictly Trek bikes and Trek’s electrical bike line, Electra, which he started carrying about six years in the past.
“Initially when Trek approached me, I said I wasn’t interested (in electric bikes). I said bikes were for exercise and getting here and there,” Vogel mentioned.
However, he took one for a experience and over time has turn into a giant fan of electrical bikes, together with everybody else.
“If I had 1,000 electric bikes right now, I’d sell every one of them,” Vogel mentioned.
While he doesn’t have 1,000, he has extra stock now than ever earlier than. In the winter, Vogel acquired a cargo of 150 bikes from Trek, together with 45 electrical bikes. He had been ready for the bikes for nearly two years however it took this lengthy for the producer to supply and ship the bikes.
The many giant packing containers fill a big portion of the Bicycle Shoppe. While the shop has an incredible view of Lake Sisseton, it’s simply 900 sq. ft. and Vogel mentioned that Trek recommends 4,000 sq. ft. minimal for a retailer.
Now, Vogel mentioned the Trek warehouse is empty.
Over the final 50 years, Vogel has operated as principally a one-man shop, with part-time assist on occasion. Now, he’s retiring, however is confronted with a dilemma He’s had a number of affords from bike outlets within the cities to purchase his whole stock as a result of there’s a requirement for it and restricted bikes out there.
“I want to keep the shop in Fairmont, but if I sell my inventory, what do I sell? Trek doesn’t have enough bikes to fill a shop and they won’t have any until late next year. I would like to see a shop remain in Fairmont, and so would Trek,” Vogel mentioned.
When Vogel acquired began, there have been no bike outlets round. Even now, the closest Trek dealership is 120 miles away in Sioux Falls. The solely different Trek bike outlets within the space are in Mankato and Marshall.
Bikes are offered at shops like Walmart, however it may be troublesome to search out somebody with information to service them. Vogel pressured that if he have been to promote the enterprise, the particular person must know quite a bit about bicycles and never be somebody simply trying to personal a enterprise.
The native shop right here has constructed up popularity. Vogel has individuals from elements of Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin and different elements of the state come to him to purchase a motorcycle or have him work on a motorcycle.
“I probably make equal between selling and repairing bikes,” Vogel mentioned.
He mentioned he thinks phrase of mouth between bike lovers has led to the visitors he will get at his bike shop.
“I’ve sold enough bikes in the area that it would be nice to have someone repair all of the bikes I’ve sold here,” Vogel mentioned.
This could possibly be a case of ‘you don’t know what you have got till it’s gone,’ although Vogel hopes not. Anyone with a critical curiosity within the shop is welcome to contact Vogel at 507-238-1092.