Bikes to You keeping area bicyclists on the road

​         Ryan McGaffey, owner of Bikes to You in Grinnell, is shown in his bicycle store at 921 Broad St.  McGaffey sells bicycles, accessories and offers service and repair on all brands. He also specializes in custom-built bicycles for BMX, gravel and mountain terrain. Having worked at Bikes to You for about a dozen years, McGaffey purchased the business in 2023 from then store owner and business founder Craig Cooper. 

By J.O. Parker
 
         With spring just around the corner, now is the time to tune up your bicycle or think about buying new.
         The area go to place is Bikes to You at 921 Broad St. in Grinnell.
       From new bicycles sales and accessories to repair and service, owner Ryan McGaffey has the tools and expertise to get you on the road in style.
         “I bring years of experience to the business and I am ready to serve area customers,” said McGaffey.
         McGaffey has owned the bike business since May 2023, purchasing it from long-time founder and owner, Craig Cooper.
           McGaffey is no stranger at the bike shop. He joined Cooper, former owner and company founder of the business in March 2005, where he worked in sales and service through February 2016.
         He spent the next few years working at Black Tire Bike Company in Marshalltown before returning to Bikes to You in 2023 to serve as the store manager. That led to McGaffey purchasing the business outright after Cooper opted to take his career in a different direction.
           Cooper founded Bikes to You in 1992.
When asked, McGaffey said he’s been riding bicycles since he was a kid. He loved riding BMX bikes and has owned a few through the years.
          When he started working at Bikes to You, McGaffey said he thought it was a cool job to have at a young age.
         Beside Cooper, McGaffey credits Sean Walker, who helped him learn how adjust drive trains and lace wheels (adjusting spokes) and for helping him learn the how-to’s of the bicycle trade.
         Bikes to You offers Cannondale and Salsa brand bicycles, S&M BMX bicycles, children’s bicycles and e-bikes (bikes with motors).
        He is joined in the business by Luke Hogeland, who works weekends during the spring and summer months and Chase Brant, a Grinnell High School student who works after school during the week.
          The business offers an assortment of accessories from helmets to clothing (shorts, jerseys, gloves, shoes and more), water bottles, fanny packs and more.
He sells kids’ bicycle trailers and can order trailers for dogs.
            He also specializes in building custom bicycles for BMX, gravel and mountain biking.
            “We can pretty much do about anything when it comes to custom-built bicycles,” he said.
            McGaffey also offers Oakley sunglasses, a full-line of skateboards and plans in the future to offer disc golf items.
            When asked, McGaffey said his favorite part of the job is finding the correct bicycle to fit his customer’s needs.
            “I enjoy being a problem solver,” said McGaffey. “I like finding a solution to a problem.”
            Bikes to You is open Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Bikes to you can be found on the Internet at https://www.bikestoyou.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bikestoyou/.
           McGaffey can be reached via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 641-236-8600.