Old Bikes Belong: Re-Cycling Louisville, One Bike at a Time

Nestled between a computer repair store and a barber school, Old Bikes Belong is nothing flashy. Its storefront blends in with the others in the strip. The window decor is even simpler: the business name and a graphic of a bike. However, the sidewalk in front of it and the store itself are filled with far more than bicycles. They’re relics of the past, artful in their recreation and brought anew with the careful eye and craftsmanship of their restorer: Michael Carroll.

There’s little denying that Louisville has a budding bike scene. An increasingly diverse number of commuters have traded in their cars for the two-wheeled alternative, and many do so to reduce the impact driving has had on their wallets. However, that impact is difficult to measure when a reliable bike can cost $500 (or much more), a price many aren’t comfortable with for something to which they have not yet committed. And that is where Old Bikes Belong comes in.

Located near Schnitzelburg, Old Bikes Belong provides its customers with vintage bikes made fresh. The concept – “re-cycling,” as Carroll calls it – started in 2009, when Carroll was a sophomore at the University of Louisville. He needed transportation and couldn’t afford a new bike, so he bought a vintage one and taught himself to repair it. After riding his repurposed bike for a semester, he sold it.

Once Carroll sold his first bike, he bought another. Eventually, he started buying and restoring additional bikes. Before long, they filled his living room, his garage, and, eventually, his yard. Realizing the need to expand, he leased and refinished the spot in Schnitzelburg – a former Indian grocery store – and has re-cycled from there ever since.

Any bike shop can do repairs. Bringing an old bike back to life, however, requires much more. Carroll starts each re-cycle by stripping the bike of its age – rusty cables, chains, handlebar tape, tires, etc. – and removing everything that needs to go.

“I like to start with a blank canvas,” said Carroll.

From there, the process varies depending on the needs of the bike. Not every bike needs every repair. Some need bearings; some don’t. Some have rust; some don’t. Some have been taken care of; some haven’t. Regardless, each bike gets new tires, tape, and cables. Additionally, each is carefully hand-washed with a toothbrush by Carroll himself. Like an artist painting individual paintings, he addresses the individual needs of each bike that comes in. And, like a painting, each bike is given a life of its own.

“I know what each one is going to look like before I touch it,” said Carroll.

The attention Carroll devotes to his bikes isn’t limited to restoration. To ensure that each customer receives a bike that meets his or her individual needs, Carroll considers the customer’s size, gender, price range, and preferred style, as well as the bike’s purpose and shifters, when helping a customer make a selection. He’ll even personalize the bike further, swapping seats or recommending helmets. For Carroll, service lies in ensuring that each customer is matched with the best bike for him or her.

Providing customers with this type of attention isn’t easy, but Carroll sees the importance of it. Growing up in a small town where his parents owned a towing business and a used car dealership, Carroll was raised providing personable customer service and completing work that needed to be done, regardless of the hours. Because of this work ethic that he developed while working on his parents’ lot, every bike that comes into Old Bikes Belong is inspected and restored by Carroll himself.

Carroll is also no stranger to the various reasons to bicycle. While growing up, he enjoyed cycling, regularly riding his first bike – a mountain bike from Walmart. However, when he began college, he found himself overweight. Biking was not just an affordable means of transportation for the college student. His decision to bike was essential in his eventual loss of over 125 pounds. Years later, he still bikes regularly, for both commuting and pleasure.

Old Bikes Belong contributes to Louisville’s green, eco-friendly culture, not only by promoting cycling over gas-powered alternatives, but by reusing bikes that would otherwise be trash. Carroll’s bikes come from all over. While not every bike is repairable, Old Bikes Belong brings many to life that would otherwise be discarded.

Most importantly, Carroll understands his customers and is willing to do whatever is necessary to meet their needs. Despite specializing in restoring vintage bikes, he has begun to carry new bikes as well, in an effort to cater not only to those looking for an affordable, repurposed bike, but to those looking for the charm of a brand new bike. More than anything, Carroll embraces the enthusiasm of helping someone fall in love with a bike, whether for the first time or the 10th time.

Old Bikes Belong is located at 2020 South Preston Street and can be found online at
oldbikesbelong.com. The business hours are 1-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays.

-Adam Shaw

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