A timely biz idea: Storage and showers for cyclists
Catering to the growing population of bike commuters is paying off for Minneapolis' Freewheel Midtown Bike Center.
(Fortune Small Business) -- Sweaty, hot, and gross after biking to work? Cyclists in Minneapolis now have a better option than sponge baths in the restroom: The Freewheel Midtown Bike Center, where riders can take a shower, access lockers, lock up their bikes, and enjoy discounts on tune-ups and rentals.
A shower costs $3 per day, or cyclists can shell out $110 to join the Commuter Club, which covers all costs and gives them priority access to lockers and showers, as well as 24-hour bike-storage benefits.
Freewheel, located right on the Midtown Greenway, was inspired by a city-run enterprise in Chicago. The Minneapolis effort was spearheaded by small-business owner Kevin Ishaug, who opened the center as the second outpost of his five-year-old Freewheel Bike Shop. His timing couldn't have been better: Traffic on the bike path spiked 30% in the first half of 2008.
"We are the first private company to provide these kinds of services for bikers," says Ishaug, who anticipates revenues of $400,000 for the center's first six months. "During the first week we opened, we had 67 people sign up in one day."
Even Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak regularly frequents the depot for his morning coffee and energy bar.
"We all love bikers, but we don't always love the way they smell," he says. "The new center has been extraordinarily successful, especially because it opened right as we came into the summer of soaring gas prices, causing the biking population to go off the charts." 
Electric motorcycles hit the road
Specialized Bikes' startup story
-
Detroit's churches are plowing millions into redeveloping local housing and businesses. More -
Winepod attracted a wait list of eager buyers and millions from investors. Then came the recession. More -
As other major banks withdrew, Wells Fargo stepped up its small business lending. More -
Designer Chuck Comeau set up his manufacturing in Plainville -- 240 miles away from a major airport. More -
As staffs shrink, business owners are taking on support duties they haven't had to handle in years. More
We've run a dinner theater for three decades. We've been operating at a loss for the last couple of years, and are unable to get a loan. We even closed for two months this summer to save money. We don't know what to do. More
Many of Bernie Madoff's victims would like to have a piece of the felonious financier. Now they can. This week hundreds of his and Ruth's possessions go up for auction. More
The real estate mogul's upgrading to a larger private jet, so his 1968 Boeing 727, estimated to cost between $4 million and $8 million, is on the market. More
Critics thought homeownership would never work in the South Bronx. They were wrong. Tour the one house currently for sale on Charlotte Street. More
More Small Business
