Charleston Bicycle Center

02/25/2026

Due to an unexpected sickness, we are going to have to close the shop today February 25. We are sorry for inconvenience caused, and should see you tomorrow at noon.

02/01/2026

Hey everybody, Andrew here.

Today marks a milestone in the history of Charleston Bicycle Center. It has been five years since I took ownership of the shop. Thinking about this day has given me a chance to remember the highs and lows, the miles ridden, the friendships made, and the lessons learned along the way. Looking back fills me with gratitude for all the times you have believed in me and trusted me with your bikes. I’m constantly overwhelmed to be surrounded by such good people.

Today is also a great opportunity to look into the future and set the course ahead of us. There are some goals we have not yet realized, as well as some things we can let go of. My wish is to see thriving communities of cyclists of all varieties in our city. We have the terrain to make Charleston a destination for cyclists, whether on road or mountain bikes. I long for the days when our city is home to people using bikes for transportation, for exercise, for pleasure, and doing so in such numbers and with such frequency that it becomes the norm.

The last five years have shown me more about myself than I ever thought possible. They have challenged me in unexpected ways, and rewarded me more than I could have imagined. The last five years have been difficult for everyone as we have come through a pandemic with a new and seemingly always changing set of rules and standards to live up to.

The one thing that has not changed is my desire to be the greatest advocate I can be for living life on a bike. The physical and mental health benefits are endless, the camaraderie and sense of belonging are profound, and the drawbacks are minimal.

I hope the next five years will be even better than the last. I hope they include more time spent riding with all kinds of different cyclists, on different terrain, but always with the same sense of joy and freedom that comes from being on two wheels. I hope you will join me, the ride is calling.

Beginning this season, look for CBC to host some group rides, about once a month, from various places in or near Charleston. That ride might be in support of an organized event in the area - Paint Creek/Pratt Fall Festival, for example - or it may be just a shop thing. It might be for road bikes, it might be for gravel bikes, it might be for mountain bikes, it might be for hybrid bikes. Stay tuned to our Facebook feed and come join us.

To wrap this up, let me just say thank you for the last five years (eleven and a half really), and thank you for joining with us in the future. The ride is calling, and we want to help you answer that call.

02/01/2026

Hey everybody, Andrew here.

Today marks a milestone in the history of Charleston Bicycle Center. It has been five years since I took ownership of the shop. Thinking about this day has given me a chance to remember the highs and lows, the miles ridden, the friendships made, and the lessons learned along the way. Looking back fills me with gratitude for all the times you have believed in me and trusted me with your bikes. I’m constantly overwhelmed to be surrounded by such good people.

Today is also a great opportunity to look into the future and set the course ahead of us. There are some goals we have not yet realized, as well as some things we can let go of. My wish is to see thriving communities of cyclists of all varieties in our city. We have the terrain to make Charleston a destination for cyclists, whether on road or mountain bikes. I long for the days when our city is home to people using bikes for transportation, for exercise, for pleasure, and doing so in such numbers and with such frequency that it becomes the norm.

The last five years have shown me more about myself than I ever thought possible. They have challenged me in unexpected ways, and rewarded me more than I could have imagined. The last five years have been difficult for everyone as we have come through a pandemic with a new and seemingly always changing set of rules and standards to live up to.

The one thing that has not changed is my desire to be the greatest advocate I can be for living life on a bike. The physical and mental health benefits are endless, the camaraderie and sense of belonging are profound, and the drawbacks are minimal.

I hope the next five years will be even better than the last. I hope they include more time spent riding with all kinds of different cyclists, on different terrain, but always with the same sense of joy and freedom that comes from being on two wheels. I hope you will join me, the ride is calling.

Beginning this season, look for CBC to host some group rides, about once a month, from various places in or near Charleston. That ride might be in support of an organized event in the area - Paint Creek/Pratt Fall Festival, for example - or it may be just a shop thing. It might be for road bikes, it might be for gravel bikes, it might be for mountain bikes, it might be for hybrid bikes. Stay tuned to our Facebook feed and come join us.

To wrap this up, let me just say thank you for the last five years (eleven and a half really), and thank you for joining with us in the future. The ride is calling, and we want to help you answer that call.

01/27/2026

Due to the extreme cold and road conditions, Charleston Bicycle Center will be closed Tuesday January 27. We will return on Wednesday after giving the road some extra time to clear. Be safe, be warm. Feel free to message us here if you have any questions. See you tomorrow!

01/10/2026

This might be the greatest bike related story ever. It never ceases to amaze what some people do with their bikes…

The Race for Life ❤️

Italy, 1943. The N***s had occupied the country. They were hunting down Jewish families and deporting them to concentration camps. The roads were blocked by military checkpoints. No one could travel without being searched.

Except one man. Gino Bartali. He was a national hero. The winner of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. He was the most famous face in Italy. The soldiers at the checkpoints didn't search him—they cheered for him. They asked for photos.

Gino knew this. And he decided to use it.

The Cardinal of Florence approached him with a secret mission: We need to get fake identity papers to Jewish families hiding in convents across the country. But we can't get past the guards.

Gino said: "I will take them."

His cover story was perfect. He told the soldiers he was "training for the next big race." He wore his racing jersey with his name on it. He rode incredible distances—sometimes 250 miles in a single day.

But he wasn't training for speed. Before every ride, he would unscrew the seat of his bicycle. He would roll up photos and forged documents and stuff them inside the hollow metal tubes of the frame.

He rode past machine guns. He rode past tanks. When soldiers stopped him, he would distract them. He would say: "Don't touch the bike! It is perfectly calibrated for racing. If you touch it, you ruin the balance!" The soldiers, starstruck, would back away.

He didn't just courier papers. He hid a Jewish family—the Goldenbergs—in his own basement. He risked his life, his fame, and his family every single day. If the N***s had found one piece of paper, he would have been executed on the side of the road.

He saved 800 lives.

The war ended. Gino Bartali went back to racing. In 1948, at age 34, he shocked the world by winning the Tour de France again. The press asked him about his life. They asked about his training during the war. He never said a word.

He didn't want credit. He didn't want to be a "hero." He famously told his son: "Good is something you do, not something you talk about. Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket."

Gino died in 2000. Only after his death did the diaries surface. Only then did the 800 children and grandchildren of the people he saved come forward.

He is now recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. He proved that you can be a champion on the podium, but it's what you do when the cameras are off that makes you a legend. He pedaled not for a trophy, but for humanity.❤️

11/25/2025

We will be closed Thursday Nov 27 through Monday Dec 1 to celebrate Thanksgiving. We will reopen at 12 pm Dec 2 for normal hours.

We wish you all a time of friends, family, and gratitude, and even a few miles on the bike to burn off the calories we’re all going to intake…

11/06/2025

They’re like twins separated at birth, two BMC URS Two gravel bikes with very different custom features leaving here today. This just shows you what’s possible the very versatile BMC URS - literally whatever you want to do. Two different customers, two different ideas for what they wanted their new bike to be. One wanted a dropper post and pops of color, the other wanted a suspension fork and a smoother tire choice. Both feature a Shimano GRX 1x drivetrain and brakes to handle pedaling and stopping. Color-soaked bits from Wolf Tooth Components and dropper post from PNW. Suspension fork is a Fox 32 Taper-Cast factory and tires by Maxxis. Lots to drool over here…

10/23/2025

Our neighbors at Kanawha City Piggly Wiggly get it. Let’s help Charleston!

It is time for those of us in West Virginia to attack hunger. 1 in 5 children go to bed hu… Jamason Sparks needs your support for Fed Before Bed West Virginia

09/16/2025

Charleston Bicycle Center is now the Mountain State’s exclusive retailer of BMC Bikes!! Known for their racing pedigree (yellow jersey and white jersey at Le Tour de France, Olympic Road Race gold medal, Paris-Roubaix, World Cup Cross Country, etc) and marked by Swiss precision engineering, you need to experience one of these bikes in your life! We had the chance (along with a few select customers) to preview their offerings a couple weeks ago, and our first order was taken home this weekend (photos below, and did we mention it’s soooo fast?). Come in today and let’s talk about your next dream bike! (and the price might just surprise you in a good way…)

06/19/2025

Just in and available and ON SALE, Aventon Sinch 2 folding ebike in Sapphire! Normally $1699, it is marked down to $1399. This bike will fit riders of practically any size and shape and ability level, and still fold up to fit in your trunk. Powered by a 500W rear hub motor, and equipped with a throttle (that is removable if that’s not your thing), the Sinch will carry you anywhere you want to go!

03/04/2025

From our friends in Ohio, the Dirty Water Route is back and better than ever! Over 300 miles of undulating gravel seem too much for you? It’s ok, bring a couple friends and tackle the DWR as a team!

We are back for 2025 with paid registration, swag, some route support, and an all new RELAY option. Teams of up to 4 in Men, Women, and Co-ed. 13 different segments. Solo riders can still take on the event with their own start time and extra time allowed on course. Finally, if you want to do it for free, sign up for the Tour and ride at your own speed.

We want everyone to have a chance to participate in this epic route, and the relay option makes that possible.