The family-owned shop opened in the 1970s and offers a wide variety of new and used bicycles, bike parts, accessories and children’s bikes. It also has an on-site repair shop.
Owner Bill Adams purchased the shop in 1989. He retired from Weatherford International, an oil and natural gas service company, in the early 1980s but found that retirement was not for him.
The shop was originally located on Davis Street in Conroe but moved to Sunpark Center in 1992 since the location has more traffic, the space is more manageable and the rent is more affordable, he said.
“The other one was about three times the size, but I think this one is better,” Adams said. “My first month here was the first time I profited a dollar.”
Adams said the store was named Conroe Schwinn because when the shop was opened, Schwinn bicycles were prevalent in the marketplace.
“We tried to change the name to Conroe Cycling and Fitness,” Adams said. “But customers started calling and griping about it and told us we shouldn’t change it because the store is such an icon.”
Adams said he was not fond of cycling at first, but in time, he grew to enjoy the sport.
“I never rode a bicycle until I got this job,” Adams said. “Then my daughter told me I needed to get a life so I decided to do the MS 150 [fundraiser bike ride between Houston and Austin] and I loved it.”
The store features a repair shop, and Adams repairs works on more than bikes. Adams also work on fitness equipment, wheelchairs, walkers and just about any small craft with wheels. The shop accepts donations of used bikes and fitness equipment so that parts can be used for repairs.
“We will work on your bike from Wal-Mart. We might not like it, but we’ll work on it,” Adams said. “We don’t try to specialize in high-end bikes, we try to cater to just about everyone, and we try to be a family-[friendly] store.”
