Since the announcement of its closure in March, the mountain biking and cycling community of the Snoqualmie Valley has been mourning the loss of the 30-year-old downtown North Bend staple: Singletrack Cycles.
But fear not, cyclists.
The former service manager at Singletrack, Nick Alston, recently announced the opening of a service-only bike shop on the Snoqualmie Ridge.
“From social media to customers coming in or just calling, they wanted to express the fact that they hated that we were leaving and they weren’t looking forward to finding a new shop,” Alston said. “I just kind of reignited the desire to keep going and find some way to keep doing service.”
Just weeks after the closure of the shop at 119 W. North Bend Way, Alston secured a small storage unit for the necessary tools to operate the Singletrack Service Center at 35503 SE Douglas St. in Snoqualmie.
Currently working independently, Alston, who is certified in bike repair from the United Bicycle Institute, offers all the services necessary to ensure customers’ rides stay in prime condition — from tune-ups to bike assembly and everything in between.
Alston accepts almost all bicycles, from department store bikes to high-end models, with the exception of non-bike shop brand e-bikes.
“Making money is cool and all that, but the biggest thing is that fact that I can make a substantial difference with customers when I get their bike fixed for cheaper or faster than they were expecting,” Alston said. “I’ve been into bikes since I was two, so I can’t imagine stopping now.”
Alston, who said he’s been kept busy by loyal customers’ requests for service, asks that all interested customers book appointments online through the Singletrack Service Center website.
“The end goal is hopefully to transition back into a slightly bigger space, so we have more room for storage,” said Alston. “But, that’s a later issue. Right now, I’m focused on finding my personal tools in all the boxes.”
The service center’s varying hours can be found at singletrackservicecenter.com.
The small but mighty Singletrack Service Center at 35503 SE Douglas Street in Snoqualmie. (Photo courtesy of Nick Alston)
