Specialty bike shop expands into larger downtown Ann Arbor storefront

Instead of Belgian waffles at 217 S. Fourth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor, it'll be eye candy in the form of bikes from Italian, Swiss, and American companies on offer at the new Transition Rack bike shop. A previous deal to open a waffle shop in the space fell through, making room for the specialty bikes to move in. Majority owner Will Jurkowski, who has been running Transition Rack from a lower-level space below Afternoon Delight on E. Liberty St. since January, is more than doubling his shop size with the new location. The store specializes in triathlon, road, and cyclocross bikes made by BMC, Colnago, and Quintana Roo, as well as shoes, helmets, gloves, and other accessories. The shop also has a fitting studio and large repair area. It's open Monday through Saturday to start; Sunday hours may be added, Jurkowski will likely hire more staff, but is still determining needs. "We want it to be a welcoming atmosphere, [where] anyone can come and learn about bikes, whether they're a beginner or they're experienced … We all had help when we began doing triathlon and cycling, and that we'd like to pass that along to everyone else who is interested," Jurkowski says. Source: Will Jurkowski, owner, Transition Rack Writer: Tanya Muzumdar