B1 Bicycles is celebrating its fifth year in business. [Columbus Underground]

B1 Bicycles is celebrating its fifth year in business.

The shop, at 124 E. Long St., opened its doors May 5, 2007.

“We started out primarily as a single-speed, fixed-gear, urban-focused cycle shop that also offered full service repairs,” said Casey Karnes, owner of B1 Bicycles. “I made sure to have every tool for every job from the beginning. As the business matured, we were able to use other companies’ lines of credit to stock merchandise and not pay cash for everything, which limited our selection.”

As time went on, B1 began carrying higher end road, mountain and cyclocross bikes, and trimming its selection of fixed-gear bikes as the trend shifted toward super low end products.

“We have focused more on the fitness side of cycling, as well as staying true to our urban/commuter roots,” Karnes said.

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