Norris Bike Shop
By David Mason
The bicycle – a simple device with two wheels and support, providing its rider transportation from point A to point B. Living anywhere in Appalachia, there is no shortage of outdoor lovers who take advantage of the area by traveling on that very vehicle. From the Creeper Trail in southwest Virginia or the campus of ETSU, people in this area love biking, and people who love biking have likely heard of Norris Bike.
Having repairs or customization work done is a trade you can only find at a small business like Norris Bikes. David Norris, the owner of Norris Bikes, which also is known as Norris Schwinn Bicycles, specializes in not only selling brand new bikes through major manufacturers like Schwinn or GT, but also repairing and restoring bikes to conditions that are like brand new.
“We do work on all brands of bikes, regardless of whether it’s a $50 department store bike or a $5,000 high end bike – we will gladly work on all brands and price points for bikes,” said Norris.
Walking into the small shop, located at 1412 Knob Creek Road in Johnson City, Tenn., you immediately see rows and rows of bikes, either being repaired or restored – or even completed projects waiting on their owner to come pick up the finished product. Rusted frames run from wheel to wheel on bikes in a sitting in the lower level of the shop, seeming almost like a tidy garage. Colorful handlebars and fresh coats of paint decorate the bodies of bikes hanging from the ceiling, on display for purchase. Everywhere you look, you see not only inventory, but owned products that bicyclists in the area have brought because they trust the work of this small shop.
Upon first opening, Norris Bike specialized in Schwinn, a prominent dealer in the bicycle industry, but has since grown to carry other brands.
“As for sales, we are a dealer for Schwinn, Giant, and GT brand bikes, but we’ve been a Schwinn dealer since 1983,” said Norris. “Schwinn is a great company and they have a wide variety of bikes. When we became a Schwinn dealer, it was requirement that you be a certified service technician, or just a qualified bike mechanic.”
The level of quality that Schwinn put into their bikes, as well as their regulations on becoming a dealer is something that Norris appreciates.
“They did ask you to attend a Scwhinn service school, and that’s one of the things that put Schwinn different from some brands.”
-David Norris
“Other brands did not have the process or formality of trying to make sure their dealers that worked on their bikes were certified,” said Norris.
Norris Schwinn Bicycles was started about 30 years ago when David Norris was a young man just out of his first year of college. Norris wanted to turn his hobby of biking into a profession somehow. Although he knew continuing college was an option, the 19-year-old requested to his parents to help him start a bike shop.
“Being 19-years-old after attending one year at East Tennessee State University, I had plans in being a small business man and living the dream, working for myself,” said Norris. “My father advised me that it would be a tough road and wanted me to stay in school, but my parents supported me, and they gave me an opportunity.”
Norris had no credit to his name at the time, and had a hard time finding a loan being just 19-years-old. His father took a loan out from a local bank to help get the business started.
“The plan was once I paid back the loan then at that point I would actually be a partner in the business, because it was his responsibility – his name on the loan,” said Norris. “If I did not succeed and I failed, that was his way of giving me the opportunity to have a business. He taught me a lot about running the business and customer service and dealing with the public, so it was a partnership.”
As years passed, the shop proved to be a success in the area, even growing into multiple locations throughout the Tri-Cities for a time. In recent years, the focus has moved back on the original Johnson City location – the only remaining store, although judging from customer feedback, the store is most definitely a place they want to keep coming back to.
“Anytime I need some sort of maintenance for my bike, I always go to Norris Bikes,” said Brandilyn Hamm, a cyclist and customer of Norris Bikes. “The owner, David Norris, is always friendly and always helpful. He always offers to take a look at whatever problem I have. I definitely recommend for anyone who rides or needs parts or has questions about their bike to go to Norris Bikes because David is just a fabulous help.”
All repair work is done on-site at the store. Any customer who enters into the shop will immediately see the appeal of the business and the unique atmosphere, according to customers like Hamm.
Even some customers who aren't as interested in cycling find the customization and repair work Norris Bikes does to be appealing enough.
“His enthusiasm and knowledge for bikes is really clear in the work that he puts out,” said Ruta Stallard, an ETSU student who is fan of some of the repaired bikes Norris has in shop. “They seem to often go from looking like a hopeless cause to a brand new piece of art. Anyone who rides in general should look into his services if they want just a unique and beautiful bike.”
Contact David Mason at [email protected]
The bicycle – a simple device with two wheels and support, providing its rider transportation from point A to point B. Living anywhere in Appalachia, there is no shortage of outdoor lovers who take advantage of the area by traveling on that very vehicle. From the Creeper Trail in southwest Virginia or the campus of ETSU, people in this area love biking, and people who love biking have likely heard of Norris Bike.
Having repairs or customization work done is a trade you can only find at a small business like Norris Bikes. David Norris, the owner of Norris Bikes, which also is known as Norris Schwinn Bicycles, specializes in not only selling brand new bikes through major manufacturers like Schwinn or GT, but also repairing and restoring bikes to conditions that are like brand new.
“We do work on all brands of bikes, regardless of whether it’s a $50 department store bike or a $5,000 high end bike – we will gladly work on all brands and price points for bikes,” said Norris.
Walking into the small shop, located at 1412 Knob Creek Road in Johnson City, Tenn., you immediately see rows and rows of bikes, either being repaired or restored – or even completed projects waiting on their owner to come pick up the finished product. Rusted frames run from wheel to wheel on bikes in a sitting in the lower level of the shop, seeming almost like a tidy garage. Colorful handlebars and fresh coats of paint decorate the bodies of bikes hanging from the ceiling, on display for purchase. Everywhere you look, you see not only inventory, but owned products that bicyclists in the area have brought because they trust the work of this small shop.
Upon first opening, Norris Bike specialized in Schwinn, a prominent dealer in the bicycle industry, but has since grown to carry other brands.
“As for sales, we are a dealer for Schwinn, Giant, and GT brand bikes, but we’ve been a Schwinn dealer since 1983,” said Norris. “Schwinn is a great company and they have a wide variety of bikes. When we became a Schwinn dealer, it was requirement that you be a certified service technician, or just a qualified bike mechanic.”
The level of quality that Schwinn put into their bikes, as well as their regulations on becoming a dealer is something that Norris appreciates.
“They did ask you to attend a Scwhinn service school, and that’s one of the things that put Schwinn different from some brands.”
-David Norris
“Other brands did not have the process or formality of trying to make sure their dealers that worked on their bikes were certified,” said Norris.
Norris Schwinn Bicycles was started about 30 years ago when David Norris was a young man just out of his first year of college. Norris wanted to turn his hobby of biking into a profession somehow. Although he knew continuing college was an option, the 19-year-old requested to his parents to help him start a bike shop.
“Being 19-years-old after attending one year at East Tennessee State University, I had plans in being a small business man and living the dream, working for myself,” said Norris. “My father advised me that it would be a tough road and wanted me to stay in school, but my parents supported me, and they gave me an opportunity.”
Norris had no credit to his name at the time, and had a hard time finding a loan being just 19-years-old. His father took a loan out from a local bank to help get the business started.
“The plan was once I paid back the loan then at that point I would actually be a partner in the business, because it was his responsibility – his name on the loan,” said Norris. “If I did not succeed and I failed, that was his way of giving me the opportunity to have a business. He taught me a lot about running the business and customer service and dealing with the public, so it was a partnership.”
As years passed, the shop proved to be a success in the area, even growing into multiple locations throughout the Tri-Cities for a time. In recent years, the focus has moved back on the original Johnson City location – the only remaining store, although judging from customer feedback, the store is most definitely a place they want to keep coming back to.
“Anytime I need some sort of maintenance for my bike, I always go to Norris Bikes,” said Brandilyn Hamm, a cyclist and customer of Norris Bikes. “The owner, David Norris, is always friendly and always helpful. He always offers to take a look at whatever problem I have. I definitely recommend for anyone who rides or needs parts or has questions about their bike to go to Norris Bikes because David is just a fabulous help.”
All repair work is done on-site at the store. Any customer who enters into the shop will immediately see the appeal of the business and the unique atmosphere, according to customers like Hamm.
Even some customers who aren't as interested in cycling find the customization and repair work Norris Bikes does to be appealing enough.
“His enthusiasm and knowledge for bikes is really clear in the work that he puts out,” said Ruta Stallard, an ETSU student who is fan of some of the repaired bikes Norris has in shop. “They seem to often go from looking like a hopeless cause to a brand new piece of art. Anyone who rides in general should look into his services if they want just a unique and beautiful bike.”
Contact David Mason at [email protected]