Bike Shop Girl Blazes a New Trail

It’s safe to say there hasn’t been anything in Colorado quite like Bike Shop Girl Family Cyclery. Open by appointment-only during the week and drop-in on the weekends, the business model is designed to make buying a bike a very personal and empowering experience.   

Mom and founder Arleigh Greenwald opened Bike Shop Girl in the Stanley Marketplace on the edge of Stapleton a few months ago, five years after moving to the northeast Denver community. The concept began in 2010, when she created Bike Shop Girl as a website and online community focused on supporting women and families. 

She brings nearly 20 years of experience to her shop, including working in a bike shop as a teenager and later becoming a mechanic, manager and brand marketer. She calls her latest endeavor “the hardest and most rewarding job of all.” 

Greenwald found her product niche just 90 days into business: cargo bikes, which start around $900; electric bikes starting at $2,500; and “well-designed kids bikes that are proven to get kids biking,” she says. 

While inventory is aimed at the family and city cyclist, Greenwald says, “I aim to be inclusive to all, no matter what type of biking you are interested in.” And with an official Aurora address, Bike Shop Girl Family Cyclery expects to attract an increasingly diverse clientele. “I hope between our excellent service on all bike types and lifestyle bike accessories everyone will feel welcomed,” she says. 

But above all, Greenwald wants her shop to feel comfortable and unpretentious. She’s focused on hassle-free service, but also events, bike rentals and documented bike routes to help remove barriers from cycling. “Just like a nonprofit, I hope we have a program that will help you ‘bike more and worry less,’” she says. 

Along with a staff mechanic, Greenwald will service bikes, deliver and pick up bikes, and provide consulting on a new bike purchase. 

“This design isn’t for everyone, but it allows us to provide the best customer experience,” she says. “Come in, have a coffee, let your kids play, and we will discuss your goals or help fit your child on their first bike.”