There’s a lot of crazy going on in the world right now, but one thing I haven’t yet heard anyone say isn’t good for you is getting out and taking advantage of the summer days with a nice bike ride. And on the plus side, there are plenty of bike shops in the area to help you make sure your gear is up to snuff or to help you upgrade your equipment to the latest and greatest. Photo at left: Pixabay.
One of the top names in town is the Bike Smith, with a great location near where N. Carson meets E. William Street. They’ve been plying their trade for some two decades and have taken their fair share of Best Of awards. They recently readjusted their hours to accommodate the state’s loosening of pandemic restrictions with 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week and until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with common-sense precautions like wearing masks and social distancing. Photo at right: Pixabay, Susanne Jutzeler.
Not too far away on Hotsprings Road is a good spot to check out if your bike needs some TLC. You might also know the Bicycle Authority as Big Dan’s Bikes, but either way, he’s also been doing his thing for more than 20 years.
If you like your bike gear – but love your skateboard gear – the Wheelhouse might be the place for you, and perhaps you even saw them out and about at Mills Park over the Independence Day holiday. But make sure you’ve got the right address for them since they have moved to a new location on E. William Street and are no longer tucked in over at the base of the foothills on Rhodes Street.
A little farther south, the Bike Habitat on Topsy in the Carson Valley Plaza is open with curbside shopping and service drop-off at the rear door, Tuesday through Saturday. They are set up with a really convenient online shopping section, and if you’re in the market for a new bike, but aren’t quite sure what you want, be sure to ask about their demo fleet. Photo at left: Pixabay, Markus Spiske.
Also located on the south end of town is BlueZone Sports in the Clear Creek Plaza. An offshoot from the BlueZone family of stores with roots up at the lake, these guys have a wide footprint that includes all of the outdoor activities of the High Sierra. Deana, the manager at the Carson City location, leads a pair of weekly bike rides. On Wednesday mornings, it’s the road ride (for example, an out and back trek to Genoa), while on Thursday afternoons, they hit the mountain trails, maybe something like Spooner over to Flume Trail.
And finally, on into the valley is Big Daddy’s in Gardnerville. Jay at the shop notes that as an essential business in the Carson Valley (for servicing equipment such as wheelchairs and bikes for people who use them for commuting), Big Daddy’s has been chugging right along through the past few months. And talk about covering all the bases, they handle bikes, fitness gear and snow sports equipment, and if you catch them at the right time, you can even have dinner and a drink here via their food-truck lineup and lots of brews on tap. Photo at right: Pixabay, Thomas Rudesheim.
All in all, there are worse places than Carson to be during a year like the one we’ve been having. Sunshine, fresh air, plenty of elbow room and miles and miles (and miles and miles) of bikeable roads and trails can cure a lot of pandemic-induced cabin fever.
About the Author Keith Rugg
R. Keith Rugg has worked on staff for a number of local publications, including Lake Tahoe Action Magazine, the Tahoe Daily Tribune and the Reno Gazette-Journal.
