New bike shop in Old Sac

Old Sacramento, the section of downtown restored to its 19th century appearance, just got a promising and vibrant new business.  The family owned Practical Cycle opened this month, bringing rows of shiny rental bikes and a spotless showroom of steel-framed beauties to the busy tourist spot.

If there's any justice in the world of commerce, this business will succeed wonderfully.  They rent easy-to-ride Worksman bicycles in a spot where thousands of tourists pass each day and within a few hundred yards of the American River Bike Trail.  They also sell a variety of Worksman bikes as well as Pedego electric bikes.

Owner Tim is joined by his son Cassidy in the new venture, and the family presents a happy, customer-friendly face to a section of town not previously known for stellar customer service.

As the name implies, Practical Cycles isn't the place to go for an upgrade to your carbon fiber racer.  Tim's cycling vision is more compatible with those of mikespokes -- bikes that will last forever, bikes you can ride in your normal clothes and, as Tim puts it, bikes that will go fast (when you're going downhill).

My office is in Old Sac, and every day I see families dragging kids around from one salt water taffy store to the next, or trying to get them enthused about the memorial marking the terminus of the Pony Express.  I've got to believe that a lot of these families will see the wisdom in renting a few of Tim's bikes (at only $5 for an hour!) and pedaling alongside the river for a spell.

Check out the beautiful Worksmans and Tim's other offerings here.