There’s a new store gracing the revitalized retail spaces of Springfield Avenue, and with it, Maplewood residents will now be able to repair and purchase bikes, skateboards and more. Maplewood Bike Shed opened its doors at 1673 Springfield Avenue on Saturday, March 7, with an event and ribbon cutting by Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee.
Owned and operated by lifelong Maplewood resident Danny Ives, the shop sells both analog and motorized skateboards, BMX and other bikes (including styles for children) and gear. Ives even offers to repair motorbikes.
As a bicycle and motorcycle-obsessed kid, Ives says at age ten he began to rummage through people’s curbside junk on days when the Maplewood Department of Public Works told residents to put out their unwanted items. For him, the old bikes he found were not trash, but treasure. “Anything I could get my hands on, I would kind of tinker with it, take it apart, put it back together,” said Ives. “Then I started fixing other people’s bikes from my mobile van, and now I’ve got a shop that can support and house everything you need.”
A very resourceful, well-loved member of the community, Ives was clearly touched to see his grand opening yesterday crowded with energized and happy people — including friends, family, and residents who heard about the opening from Maplewood Bike Shed’s social media pages. Greeting arriving guests with hugs and thanks, Ives seemed particularly pleased when young kids with BMX bikes came by to look through his stock, leaving their bikes on the sidewalk outside — reminding him, no doubt, of his younger self.
Maplewood Bike Shed is open seven days a week for both bike and skateboard repair and purchase, and will be offering classes for kids to learn how to repair their own bike chains and tires — something Ives says he thinks are “things everybody should know.” The shop’s website promises that all bicycles purchased from Maplewood Bike Shed come fully assembled with a lifetime of free service, which includes basic brake and gear adjustments, lubrication of pivot points, and a safety check to the original owner. They promise reasonable service rates and quick turnaround: basic repairs are done while you wait, and more extensive repairs are usually completed within 72 hours.
Visit www.maplewoodbikeshed.com, stop by in person at 1673 Springfield Avenue, follow @mapelwoodbikeshed on Insta and Facebook, or call 973-996-2080 for more information. Hours of operation: Saturday and Sunday, 12 pm – 6 pm, Monday-Friday 10 am – 8 pm.
