🚲 One On One: The last bike shop in the neighborhood

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For a neighborhood that seems to have three of every amenity, situated in one of the bike-friendliest areas of one of the bike-friendliest cities, it’s a little odd to note that as of last month, Longfellow is down to just one bike shop. 

That’s the case since The Hub closed for good on September 30 after a short-lived second run on Lake and Minnehaha. Hollywood Cycles closed a few years before that; a neighborhood over, Freewheel just left the West Bank. 

What remains is One On One Bicycle Studio on 45th and Minnehaha. Run by longtime neighborhood residents Jennifer and Gene Oberpriller, the shop is facing the same pressures that have thinned out bike shops across the country the past few years, but is still rolling along thanks to a specialty niche and a longstanding role in local bike culture. 

Background 

The Oberprillers met as competitive mountain bike racers in the 90s. They moved in together above a "massage parlor" in a seedy corner of downtown that would later come to be known as the North Loop, and hatched a plan of opening their own shop. In 2003, when the parlor was forced to close after a series of raids, they opened a shop in its place called One on One, a reference to their focus on hands-on customer service. It also doubled as a coffee shop, something that's commonplace now but was a novel idea at the time. Eventually, they cobbled together the funds to buy it.

The shop played a central role in the burgeoning Minneapolis bike scene of the 2000’s, synonymous with the punk-rock-inflected cultural ethos it took on. It became the center of gravity for Minneapolis' ascension to one of the country's most bike-centric cities and played a key role in long-running events like the Stupor Bowl, Homie Fall Fest, and the Art Crank poster show. The Star Tribune described it as "a venerable pioneer in both the bike shop business and the grittier history of the city's North Loop."

But as the character of the North Loop neighborhood changed around them, so did the cost of doing business. After their property taxes skyrocketed, and necessary repairs to the shop snowballed in scope due to the building’s historical designation, they began looking for a place to relocate. 

In 2018 they got word that the owners of Minnehaha Falls Nursery were considering retiring and selling their business, and snapped it up before it hit the open market. The building offered a number of advantages. For one, it was only a few blocks from their home of 23 years. The sunny greenhouse made for a pleasant showroom, and the expansive concrete space held a lot of potential for various ways to goof around on bikes.  They envisioned opening a coffee and cocktail bar with a skills course on the patio.

Some of what they hoped for in the new location has panned out. They're able to walk the few blocks to work in a pack with their cat and two Bernese Mountain Dogs. It’s been nice to have more space to work with and they’ve tapped in to a new segment of customers in the neighborhood. Because of their specialty work, they're a destination for many customers anyway and those customers have followed them to their new location. It’s a lot easier to park. 

But there have been new challenges, too. The spike in crime around 46th and Hiawatha has made it to their doorstep, with eight break-ins in the past few years. Property tax has gone up 80 percent in the last two years. The plans for the bar and patio have yet to materialize.

They’re also facing the broader industry pressures that ran the Hub out of business twice. A massive surge in demand during COVID, paired with supply chain failures, created first a shortage of inventory and then a glut of it. More riders are turning to e-bikes, which are more likely to be purchased online. People are buying more of their everyday accessories online, too. Some of the brands that used to only sell in bike shops are beginning to sell directly to consumers. 

"The bike shop business has been around for 135 years, but for some reason, it's rocket science for anyone to figure out how to keep it going," Gene says. "The motto right now in the industry is: Survive '25.'"

They’re still operating at full steam, but have begun putting out feelers for potential buyers to take over the building or share the space. They don’t know what will come of that, if anything, but plan to keep the shop alive in some form regardless. 

Offerings

One On One's bread and butter is mountain and gravel bikes — "a dirt shop," as they call it — and has become a destination for competitive riders throughout the region. They’re an official dealer for several high-end brands and have expertise in the finicky maintenance they require. 

But they’re a full-service shop that works on all kinds of bikes, and are not the snooty types who’ll be impatient with casual riders. They carry a small selection of inexpensive and used bikes, and, like many shops, will offer deals on service during the doldrums of winter. And while they're no longer a coffee bar, they did just get their espresso machine back, so soon customers can enjoy a craft coffee drink while they wait.

One On One Bicycle Studio (4461 Minnehaha Ave) is open Monday through Saturday, noon-7 on weekdays and 10-5 on weekends.

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