It’s official, Sven and I own our very own bike shop. Through decades of dreaming, years of planning, and as many ups and downs as a premier Tour de France Mountain stage, we’ve finally done it. Billy Goat Bicycle Company is officially open. We’ve purchased what was previously known as A-1 Bicycle Sales and Service and have re-branded it as Billy Goat Bicycle Company.
Our dream of owning our own shop has been alive for at least 10-15 years, but we’d always been looking for the right time and the right opportunity. We feel that we found both of those and today have made it official. We both love A-1, both bought our first road bikes here, and we have always respected the place that A-1 has had in the St. Louis bicycle scene. In a wonderful stroke of luck, as we were searching for a shop location, Raymond Florman, A-1’s owner, was looking to retire. We could not have had a better experience working with Raymond on the purchase and transition from A-1 to Billy Goat. Raymond’s been such a key piece to this all working out that we are forever grateful for his honesty and integrity during this very long process. Now that it is our shop, we are excited to make it our own.
Why Billy Goat? The short answer is that it was a name that we both liked, but the longer answer is simply that from summers spent in Switzerland, and also in Door County Wisconsin, goats just always seemed to be nearby. So the inspiration for the name Billy Goat Bicycle Company is a little about our past, a little about or present, and certainly about our future.
We will certainly be very busy in the next few days, weeks, months, and years, but we are hitting it with complete enthusiasm and excitement. Collectively, Sven and I have spent nearly 35 years in the bike industry and we feel that we have the right approach that will make Billy Goat Bicycle Company one of the premier St. Louis bike shops. We look forward to joining the St. Louis cycling community and being an active part in its growth.