SALISBURY — A grand reopening event was held Jan. 25 to let people know there’s a new owner at Skinny Wheels Pedals & Pints. 

Porter Baker, who officially took on that role Dec. 3, said he “just wanted to let folks know I’m open and I’m here.” Held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event provided attendees the opportunity to enjoy fellowship with other members of the biking family, have a barbecue sandwich, some cake and cold beverages.

Baker said that one of the good customers, Dan Kennerly, prepared the meat.

Kennerly said he cooks for fun and provided the meat for this occasion, adding that he is also a cyclist, something he does for the exercise and fitness, but also the camaraderie.

Other biking family members were on hand for the special occasion chatting about the events offered through the bike shop. These included friends Nicole Knowles of Salisbury, Lynn Jacek of Stanfield and Gregg McCollister of Lexington.

Jacek said that Knowles was a bike rider and got her interested and she came there to get a bike a few years ago and loves it.

Knowles said she got started in biking because she was trying to find a good cardiovascular exercise that wasn’t boring. She now leads the women’s riding group.

McCollister said he met Knowles and Jacek through the bike shop and have gone on various rides together since.

Making the trip from elsewhere to Salisbury is “worth the drive coming out here to ride with the group,” said Jacek.

Knowles said the riding schedule had not been confirmed as of that time, but previously they were usually riding on Tuesdays and Thursdays around 6 p.m., to help those who work late be able to participate as well.

The rides are open to everyone, no matter the level, and Jacek said the women’s ride is “just a lot of fun. We go at a comfortable pace for everybody.”

“You find your group that you want to ride with,” said McCollister, noting that he rides on Monday mornings early because it’s a group of retired folks. 

“There are routine rides if you want to be part of any of these groups, you are more than welcome. Just find what your avenue is,” he said.

“It’s really community,” said Jacek. “It’s just a lot of fun, bikers getting together,” and then they return and support Baker and the shop.

Plans for rides are communicated through the Discord app, Knowles said, allowing everyone to see all the scheduled events.

Groups have taken longer riding trips as well, including one to the Keys, one to Virginia to ride on the Capital Trail, and McCollister said a trip had been planned to do some gravel riding in Florida and “that’s all through Skinny Wheels,” he said.

McCollister said they meet at Skinny Wheels all the time and have always tried to support the business, “but I think they’ve tried to support us. That’s probably one of the biggest things about it. We will come out and do group rides from here and come back, sit down and have a beer, go next door and get some tacos and bring in. It’s a community,” he said.

And that is one of the things that Baker said he wants people to know and why he would encourage them to just drop in the shop. He said he just wants people to “know there’s another place in town they can grab a cold beverage or just hang out and have a good time.”

Having a sense of community is one of the things that Ruth Kennerly said she enjoys about the place.

“I would say it is great that the shop has continued. It hasn’t left, that somebody else picked up the passion to continue the effort of cycling” along with that feeling of community. “It’s exciting to see that somebody continued with the torch,” she said. 

Baker said there had been a good turnout as people dropped by the bike shop for the event.

Candice Brown, Baker’s fiancee, echoed that as she said the turnout had been good and there had been “a lot of community support. That’s been really nice to see.”