RACC interviewed Nathan Miller, founder, and owner of Ridgway Wrench.
Why did you open Ridgway Wrench?
I’ve been working in bike shops since I was a kid, even my first memories were of me riding a bike. I became a lifelong cyclist at an early age and worked in several shops. After investing over 20 years of my life into bikes, I had the opportunity to open Ridgway Wrench in 2017 after relocating to the Town a year prior.
What separates Ridgway Wrench from the other bike shops?
Ridgway Wrench is a one-stop, hole in the wall bike shop offering mountain bikes, road bikes, e-bikes, rentals, and bike repairs. We sell a little bit of everything, ranging from high end bikes to recycled bikes. I want my customers to have the opportunity to get out and ride, whether it’s a new bike to invest in or a restored bike. We don’t want to only offer high-priced bikes if it may discourage people from riding.
What brands do you carry?
You can find boutique mountain bike brands such as Evil, a Pacific Northwest company, and Revel, which is a Carbondale company. New to Ridgway Wrench this year, but not new to the bike industry is Marin, a longtime brand. I worked on Cannondale bikes in bike shops when I was a kid and now sell their bikes in my shop, completing the full circle.
What kind of services does Ridgway Wrench offer?
I pride myself as a repair shop, so I do my best to offer a wide range of services such as tune-ups, suspension service, wheel trim and building, hand cycles and e-bikes repairs, electronic shifting, and more. After a long winter, spring tune-ups are huge right now.
Do you have any future goals for Ridgway Wrench?
I’d like to find a commercial space of my own to expand, but I also like the feel of my small, chaotic bike shop. Even if I ever got to the point of growing a bit more and hiring a good mechanic, I still like my slow time from November to March. My clients come from all over, from Cedaredge, West End, Silverton so another location is potential down the road.
What are your thoughts on the Ridgway Bike Park fundraising?
The Ridgway Bike Park would be a great asset to the Town of Ridgway, both locals and tourists. It would be a great bike pump track to get a quick exercise in before going into work, or to drop off kids before shopping around town. Ridgway Wrench may host clinics in the summer to help raise funds for the bike park.
Any events coming up for Ridgway Wrench?
We are hosting a bike ride on Saturday, May 6th in honor of my friend Jeff who helped construct the Ridgway Area Trail Systems (RAT). Meet up is outside Ridgway Wrench at 10:00am and we’ll cruise through town to RAT. It is encouraged that people ride older bikes, as Jeff would have done.
