Budget Bikes

 

I know, it sounds like a low-rent bike shop, something you'd find in a back alley off of a dark street.

In reality Budget Bikes is one of the largest stores in the nation, and it claims that it's used store is the largest. It encompasses five buildings over three blocks, with a building devoted to used bikes, one to new mountain bikes, one to new road and recumbent bikes, one to accessories and repair, etc. It's certainly bike nirvana if you ride at all, and should not be missed if you're running through Madison.

I took some shots of the used store and the mountain bike store. You cannot appreciate the vast number and variety of bikes from a photograph, but you get an idea.

In all of the stores, there are as many bikes hanging from the ceiling as there are on the floor. Bikes range in prices from FREE (ugly red bikes) to the thousands. I saw my first all-carbon Giant and it was the most beautiful bike I've ever seen. Also the lightest.

 

The mountain bike store.

I was mainly looking to ride a recumbent, but the selection didn't suit me. They had a few really nice trikes, and a variety of recumbents, but not what I'm looking for.

Looks like my plans to build my own long wheelbase, underseat steer, low rider recumbent this summer. If I actually do it I'll post pics of the process.