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New Bike Shop Coming to Downtown Cadillac

Just after Cadillac’s only bike shop, McLain’s, closed down, a new era is beginning. The announcement of McLain’s closure just over two weeks ago was a surprise to Cadillac’s cycling community, but now Einstein Cycles from Traverse City is stepping up to fill the void, much to the delight of biking enthusiasts like Kamie Wade.

“I never even thought that a different bike company from Traverse City would be expanding into our community. I am, like, thrilled and just tickled that that they saw the value and not in just our community and our biking but just the people of our community in Cadillac,” said Wade.

Allen Garrow, the former manager of McLain’s, said he was amazed by the support he got from everyone after the surprise announcement of McLain’s unexpected closure. The bike shop had been a staple of Cadillac since the 1970s.

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“When everything went down, when they closed our shop, there was a huge reach out from the city residents in our city. We’re reaching out to others. Myself and others, just like we need a bike shop. A lot of people had reached out to Einstein Cycles,” said Garrow.

David Hagan co-owns Traverse City’s Einstein Cycles. Hagan said customers and non-customers alike talked about McLain’s closure and encouraged them to expand to Cadillac.

“It’s the outreach, the community and people we didn’t even know were contacting us at our shop and Facebook messenger. And so, we really made our eyes open to like, wow, this is amazing,” said Hagan.

After looking into it, Hagan said it just made sense.

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“Started looking at the White Pine Trail and the Cadillac Pathway done. A lot of the races that they put on there. I’ve ridden a few times and just that core of volunteers and the groomers they have and just how much cycling is liked in this region,” said Hagan.

Einstein Cycles then reached out to a few of McLain’s former employees, like Allen Garrow, to see if they would run the new store. Garrow said the new bike shop will have some familiar faces, but other things might change.

“It’s not starting over. It’s going to be different. It would be the same thing is, you know, as far as the staff goes, but it’s going to be better because they’re giving us an open slate to make it,” said Garrow.

For longtime customers like Brian Elenbaas, this is the happy ending the Cadillac cycling community was looking for.

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“Oh, being an avid cyclist, I was dismayed when our local bike store left town. But as the old saying goes, as one door closes, another one opens. I was glad to see Einstein open that door and come to Cadillac,” said Elenbaas.

Einstein Cycles says their tentative opening date is April 1.

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