“The problem, when you carry high-end merchandise, is people think you’re bike snobs. But you should see what our employees ride in on,” says Ron Schmid, general manager of Fraser Bicycle, which just opened an Ann Arbor shop on Packard. “Some of them ride Franken-bikes,” scavenged from spare parts.
The business has been in the Detroit suburb of Fraser since 1967, where it was once “one of biggest Schwinn dealers in the Midwest,” Schmid says, though it has long been out of the Schwinn business. Now they specialize in triathlon bikes, a weird-looking creation that Schmid calls “a job-specific tool, really only good for triathlons. It’s all about aerodynamics,” particularly important in triathlons because “you’re not allowed to draft.” The bikes look like they’ve been laid on their side and flattened by a steamroller.
Fraser gutted the space that used to be Two Wheel Tango. It’s now one open room with a new glassed-in front. It also took over Two Wheel Tango’s Specialized franchise. But Schmid insists that Fraser is itself the store’s real brand–not Specialized or Quintana Roo or any other bike they carry. “This shop will serve everybody from a student that needs to get a bike back into working shape to a professional cyclist. We have cycling apparel for men and women, kids’ bikes, helmets, shoes. We’ve got bikes for $12,000 sitting around here, but I don’t care what kind of bikes people have. We love the cycling lifestyle and love sharing it with others.”
Fraser Bicycle, 3162 Packard, 389-7900. Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Wed. & Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sun. fraserbicycle.com
