A Piece of Biking History is For Sale
Posted: September 21, 2021 by Inactive Robert Yazbeck
From Ski Town USA to Bike Town USA, Steamboat Springs, Colorado has seen the roots of cycling take hold and grow deep over the past 30 years. Biking is now one of the town’s biggest tourist attractions along with skiing and its history runs deep in the Yampa Valley. Whether talking about the rich heritage of bike building innovation or the progression of the sport through community trail building, Steamboat has influenced many parts of the sport to help evolve biking to where it is today.
Riders can literally take any road out of town and enjoy world-class cycling. Leave downtown on your road bike heading west on HWY 40 and enjoy the scenic ride up Elk river road on your way to Steamboat Lake and the Zirkel Wilderness. Into gravel riding? Continue on 40 and take 20 Mile Road to wrap around past the mine and through a maze of dirt roads that lead you into the backside of Oak Creek and the south end of the Valley. Looking for more adventure? Head north to Buffalo Pass where the local Routt County Riders have built a plethora of challenging backcountry trails that suit any level of mountain bike rider. Don’t want to go far? Choose from hundreds of miles of single-track trails within a 2-mile radius of the Downtown Hot Springs. Want the climb of your life? Head up Rabbit Ears or keep it on dirt and go for the Storm Peak Challenge on Mt. Werner. Looking to keep your tires on the ground? Stick to the Core Trail bike path. A paved, flat, no motorized trail that wanders slowly through town along the Yampa River. Steamboat has everything it needs to call itself, Bike Town USA.
The legacy of Steamboat’s cycling started back in the early 80s when a race on Mt. Tamalpais caught the attention of Kent Eriksen and Bruce Alston. The “Mt. Tam” race as it was called, had been held since the late 60s and featured modified vintage single-speed bikes from the 30s and 40s. By the time Kent and Bruce began the Mt. Tam, the scene had gotten very competitive. Being from the town that has produced the most winter Olympians in the world, Kent and Bruce were up to the challenge. They needed some space to bring their dreams to life. It must have been lucky that they decided to purchase a warehouse at the end of town. Nobody wanted it because of its lack of curb appeal but Kent saw the potential it had with a large space for manufacturing, offices, storefront options, and an array of various rooms, closets, and spaces that could help keep bike parts organized. Bruce remembers first walking into the shop and being taken back by the unique architecture. He recalls, “Although you might bump your head every once in a while, the space helped contribute to the creativity that we put into our business each day. I don’t think our ideas could have come out of anywhere else.” That funky building became the home of Moots Bicycles in 1981 and Bruce and Kent haven’t looked back since building the best titanium bikes that the world has ever seen.
Since then Moots has moved on to a different location but the cycling vibes have stayed with that special adobe building on the corner of 12th and Yampa Street. Sore Saddle Cyclery was the home of Moots bikes that first inhabited the cone. Sore Saddle Cyclery was started in 1979 and moved to the Yampa Ave location in '81 after the cone was built. Sore Saddle had 4 ownership changes over the years before finally closing its doors in 2007. This was a sad time for the biking community. The local shop was closing. Bike Town USA needed to have a Homebase. Somewhere to get support when they needed a professional. Enter a local legend.
Brock had worked for years out of the back of BAP wrenching on bikes for almost every cyclist in town. His knowledge of bike mechanics and reputation for being an amazing mountain biker himself gave him a large clientele to help take his business to the next level. With the famous Sore Saddle Cyclery going out of business, now was his chance to keep the legacy alive. He moved his thriving business into the sacred cycling structure that we now know as Orange Peel Bike Shop. His bike shop still thrives today as one of the best shops in Steamboat Springs.
With all the time and dedication that locals from the valley have put into making Steamboat a “bike town”, one would think that finding your niche in a community with such deep roots would be nearly impossible. You may be wrong. That historic little adobe building that the community has grown to love, has opened up its doors to welcome in a new owner. That's right! The Sore Saddle Building in downtown Steamboat Springs is for sale! This provides a special buyer with an opportunity to step into the well-established biking community. Not only is this an opportunity to own part of Steamboat’s biking history but it can help continue its heritage of service and development.
The building is currently home to a few influential businesses in the community. Bingham Built, with Brad Bingham as the owner, is known as one of the best titanium welders in the world. Ericksen Bike, where the legend himself, Kent Ericksen still congers up some of the most innovative bike designs on the planet. There are also 6 offices that are currently being rented out monthly and of course the famous Orange Peel Bike Shop.
Located on one of the best corners in downtown Steamboat Springs, there stands one of Steamboat's iconic landmarks. That historic little adobe building that the community has grown to love, has opened up its doors to welcome in a new owner. That's right! The Sore Saddle Building in downtown Steamboat Springs is for sale! This provides a special buyer with an opportunity to step into ownership of a property that is currently generating income or the opportunity to redevelopment this iconic corner of downtown. This is an 8 room 3 bath building that is zoned for commercial and residential use. The unique cone structure has 3 levels of custom architecture. Next door is a large 1200 sqft warehouse currently used for manufacturing bicycles. Head upstairs to 6 office spaces and great deck space. The building is currently fully occupied and generating income. Grab a piece of history or redevelop this prime location with 1136 Yampa St.
What better way to be part of the Steamboat biking community than an investment in its legacy that helped start it all. For more information about this property please contact Marc Bennett with Team Yazbeck at Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties at 970-734-5288.
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