Glacier Cyclery opened in 1982 in downtown Whitefish, Montana when the town was the quintessential small sleepy community and the Flathead Valley an undiscovered summer paradise. Our customers were our neighbors, the local paper reported on lost dogs and moose in town, and we played frisbee on Central Avenue waiting for the occasional customer to stop by.
Glacier Cyclery sold so few bikes in those days. Each sale was so significant that years later we could see that bike parked in town and know who its owner was and when it was last tuned. Then along came the mountain bike, perfect for riding the local dirt roads and flying down the mountain trails, thus the term “mountain bike. These new wider tire bikes changed everything, and everyone wanted one. Glacier Cyclery grew with the demand and that still continues today!
Whitefish is now a busy summer resort area but the core of our business is still the local cyclist. A lot of our first customers who bought Miyata Ridge Runners and Diamond Back Ascents in the 80’s are still Glacier Cyclery customers, and some of them are now buying Glacier Cyclery bikes for their own children (and grandchildren!). It’s a great thing that makes being “in business” worth it!
As Whitefish’s longest running bike shop, Glacier Cyclery has also long been the resource for travelers to Northwestern Montana. These days a large portion of our summer customers are Glacier Park visitors and bikepackers/touring cyclists. Numerous touring companies operate out of Whitefish, and several Adventure Cycling Association touring routes come through town. We joke that we are the “chamber of commerce” for bicyclists because of how often we help folks plan the logistics of their adventures here.
Shameless Self-promotion
BEST OF WHITEFISH: Thanks for voting for us! Providing the best service, being the friendliest shop and being a great place to work has always been one of our goals. So whenever we win the Best Bike Shop in Whitefish, it motivates us to continue this winning streak into the next year, and the next. But truthfully, it is not the award that gives us such a sense of accomplishment. It is the longtime customers who stop by on the regular and the summer employees who keep coming back year after to year to be part of our team.
AMERICA’S BEST BIKE SHOPS AWARD: For 5 consecutive years, Glacier Cyclery was recognized by the National Bicycle Dealers Association as one of America’s best bike shops, and we are proud to hang the Best Bike Shop certificates in our window. Out of the 4000+ bike shops in the US, only a handful have had this prestigious honor bestowed upon them. Unlike other industry bike shop awards, this one was not based on money spent with bicycle companies or popularity. Our rating was based upon a strict set of criteria over six separate categories, plus feedback from a mystery caller, a mystery shopper and an in-store visit. We scored perfect marks in the categories of Marketing Excellence, Community Involvement, Local and National Advocacy and Knowledgeable Staff. We are quite proud of this acknowledgement and would like to take this opportunity to not only pledge to continue to keep up the good work, but to thank you, our customers, for making us continue to want to provide the best possible service we can. We won’t let you down!
