This semester, the Ball Bearings Magazine brought the theme closer to home: Muncie, Indiana.
We opened the new decade by centering our latest pod stories and print issue around Muncie: its past and history, its present, its developments, and its future. There have been so many wonderful articles published for the first series. I had the honor of writing about a business that has been around since 1865: Kirk’s Bike Shop. My new article, also titled Kirk’s Bike Shop, was recently published and I am so excited about it!
Kirk’s Bike Shop, located in downtown Muncie, was established in 1865 in the same block as their current location. Kirk’s Bike Shop would transform over the decades, merging with the B&B Campus Bike Shop in 1999 to be called B&B Kirk’s Bike Shop. In 2003, the bike shop was renamed for the last time, returning to its original name — Kirk’s Bike Shop.
Kirk’s Bike Shop changed ownership, and now works together with Trek Bikes, a well-known bicycle and cycling product manufacturer and distributor. Kirk’s Bike Shop has adapted over the years — going digital, aligning with Trek Bikes, and expanding its niche in the Muncie community.
Jason Allardt is the present owner and manager of Kirk’s Bike Shop.
It was a pleasure learning more about the history of Kirk’s Bike Shop and how it intends to continue growing with the city of Muncie in the future. For further research, I delved into the history of the bicycle and cycling itself.
Did you know the first bikes sold were the “high-wheel” bikes, which predate the automobile? A high-wheel bicycle (also known as a “penny farthing”) is an antique type of bicycle that was widely popular in the 1880s. It had a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel.
Read my article to find out more about the history of cycling, when the bicycle came to Indiana, and how a famous cycling club is related to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!