Earth Rider Bike Shop and Hotel

 

Store Name Earth Rider Bike Shop and Hotel
Packaging an Experience for Visitors

Business Type Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores

NAICS Code 4511

Location 929 W. Exchange Street, Brodhead, WI 53520

Nearby Businesses Local restaurants, taverns, and services such as hair, tax and insurance.

Owner/Manager Sharon Kaminecki

Special Store Activities Organizes bike tours of the back roads and trails of Green County, Wisconsin and nearby communities. Tours are designed for various cycling skill levels and have various theme such as farm tours and history tours..

Year Opened N/A

Website http://www.earthridercycling.com/

Phone 608-897-8300

E-mail info@earthridercycling.com

Community Profile Broadhead, Wisconsin (Population: 3,200, 10 mile radius population: 14,000) is a small community set in the rolling countryside of south central Wisconsin near the Illinois border. It was incorporated in 1891 and its downtown still maintains a large number of historic buildings. It is located two hours from Chicago, 40 minutes from Madison, and 90 minutes from Milwaukee. The Sugar River State Trail serves Broadhead with 23 miles of biking, hiking, cross country skiing and snowmobiling

         
Products Sold & Niche Developed

This business focuses on “enabling fitness, well-being, achievement, and quality of life through cycling.” It provides bicycle sales, professional mechanical services, rentals, bike trip planning and tours, and a eight unit boutique inn for visitors. They provide these products and services with a philosophy that respects the environment, preserves community heritage, and encourages an active and fit lifestyle of customers.

Market Segments Served

Earth Rider serves a range of customers from families to serious cyclists. Many are from Chicago where awareness of this Wisconsin experience (health and wellness, absent of stress) has spread among various bike clubs. The business is now “Travel Green Wisconsin” certified. This is a voluntary program that reviews, certifies and recognizes tourism businesses that have made a commitment to continuously improve their operations in order to reduce their environmental and social impact. Their green attitude appeals to large and growing base of consumers throughout the region who are interested in traveling and recreating, but want to minimize their environmental impact.

Contributions to the Business Community

Earth Rider was created through the preservation of one of the oldest and largest buildings in the registered historic district of Brodhead. The building was constructed between 1869 and 1871 and has housed a variety of commercial businesses. Its reuse as a bike shop and inn celebrates Brodhead’s past and draws non-residents to the community. Many cyclists, hungry from a long day of cycling, will patronize one of a number of nearby eateries. The business is also interested in attracting other businesses such as a coffee shop or deli to complement the customer experience.

 

Review by: Bill Ryan, UW Extension CCED