Mar 24, 2021 - News

West Des Moines' Rassy's moving to larger location as bike sales soar

Linh Ta

The storefront of Rassy's — Rassy's Bike Shop off Grand Avenue in West Des Moines. Photo courtesy of Erik's Bikes.

Bikes are still flying off of shelves after the pandemic inspired a two-wheeled renaissance last year.

Driving the news: Owner Erik Saltvold — who's also behind Erik's Bikes — is moving beloved West Des Moines bike shop Rassy's to a larger location by 63rd and Grand in May.

The 8,500 square-foot store will have a second-floor mezzanine for bike maintenance services.
The showroom will take-up 6,000 square feet and hold a larger inventory.
He is renaming it to Erik's Bikes and will sell ski and snowboarding equipment like at his other locations.

Driving the move: The City of West Des Moines purchased the current Rassy's location as part of its plans to widen Grand Avenue starting this spring.

Yes, but: You may still have to wait a little while before getting your dream ride.

The big picture: Last year, COVID-19 halted bike production in overseas factories — slowing the flow of inventory when consumer demand was at a fervent high.

This year, freight container shortages are spurring stiff competition globally for crates, including in the cycling industry, Saltvold said.

That's slowing the supply chain and driving up prices.

Even so, Saltvold doesn't expect bike demand to go down anytime soon, especially since RAGBRAI announced it's officially happening in July.

This story first appeared in the Axios Des Moines newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

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West Des Moines' Rassy's moving to larger location as bike sales soar

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