You are here

San Francisco's The New Wheel opens Marin County store

Published July 7, 2016

LARKSPUR, Calif. (BRAIN) — The New Wheel, a small but influential San Francisco e-bike retailer, is opening a second location in Marin County.

Owners Brett Thurber and Karen Weiner are hosting a grand opening from 12-6 p.m. Saturday at the new store, at 14 East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Larkspur Landing. The free event will include food, beer, music, test rides and product raffles.

"Marin County is so perfect for electric bikes," Thurber said, pointing to the number of protected bike lanes and off-street lanes. "Infrastructure-wise it's pretty phenomenal."

The location is also appealing. The 2,000-square-foot store is located in a growing transit hub, close to the Larkspur Ferry terminal, a new bike and pedestrian bridge, and the planned terminus of SMART, a new light-rail system that eventually will connect Larkspur Landing with Cloverdale, Calif., in Sonoma County.

Although The New Wheel has added Haibike, the e-mountain bike brand, to its lineup, Thurber said the Larkspur store would focus primarily on commuting and cargo bikes. He said mountain bikes — electric or not — continue to be controversial in Marin County.

But Thurber and Weiner do have mountain bike pioneer Gary Fisher in their corner. Fisher was a featured guest at a New Wheel reception earlier this year, when the two announced plans for the new store. "These guys are the pioneers," Fisher said.

Thurber said The New Wheel will carry folding-bike brand Brompton at the Larkspur Landing location. It will be the first non-electric bike brand sold by The New Wheel (although Brompton is planning an electric version soon.) It's also picking up Benno Bikes, a line of conventional and electric bikes started by Benno Baenziger, who was the co-founder of Electra.

Thurber said he will manage the Larkspur Landing store while Weiner will oversee the San Francisco store.

To RSVP for the grand opening celebration, visit The New Wheel's website.

Join the Conversation