Classic Cycle, 740 Winslow Way East
Article by Jon Quitslund
(Contact: jon at SustinableBainbridge dot net)
I spoke recently with Els Heyne, who is a co-owner with her husband, Jeff Groman, of the Classic Cycle bike shop, one of the ground floor businesses in the Harbor Square development. I wanted to hear, from one of the Island’s most experienced advocates, how the ideal of sustainability informs her business practices and personal values.
In a business that caters to cyclists, some aspects of sustainability are obvious even to the uninitiated. As Els observed early in our conversation, anything that gets people out of their cars makes a contribution. This is true whether you commute by bicycle, do your shopping and other local business, or ride for pleasure and physical fitness. Reducing your dependence on gasoline isn’t the only benefit of biking; moving at a different pace and getting a full-body workout are also sustainable practices.
Classic Cycle carries bicycles and cycling gear to suit all ages, tastes, and needs; they also offer tune-ups and repairs – not limited to bicycles purchased there. The shop is large and well-organized, with no space wasted. Jeff Groman is deeply interested in the history of cycling, and in addition to a world of goods for sale, relics of a bygone era are on display: classic bikes, sprockets and other parts, and paraphernalia from the heroic days of velodrome races.
I got my first up-close look at one of the new bicycles that’s equipped with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery – very helpful if your regular travels involve hills and long, not-so-gradual slopes. The motor is not designed for passive cruising, but to augment the power in your legs and back. Together, battery and motor add about 20 lbs. to the bike’s weight. You pay for what you get, but over time you could save a lot over the costs of driving.
A strong commitment to recycling is an important aspect of Classic Cycle’s sustainable practices. Packaging materials and other trash are carefully sorted and recycled. As an activist in the Sustainable Business Network, Els is promoting recycling efforts in other businesses and working with Bainbridge Disposal to expand the services they provide. In her own shop, when she sees wasteful and environmentally unsound practices on the part of suppliers, she suggests improvements or takes her business elsewhere. Worn out tires, inner tubes, and metal bike parts go to local businesses that re-purpose them.
The shop’s commitment to recycling extends to carrying many products that use recycled materials. One of these is a courier bag, made in Seattle, stitched out of recycled rubber rather than canvas: it costs a little more than a standard canvas bag, but it has more style, and looks like it will last forever without turning ratty. (I think I’ve spotted a Christmas present for our son in Portland, who’s now planning on getting around the spread-out city without a car.)
In February of 2007, Classic Cycle earned recognition as an EnviroStar business from the Kitsap County Health Department. The 5-star rating was awarded on the basis of economical energy use and minimizing the use of hazardous chemicals, together with a program for hazardous waste disposal. (For more information on this program, and to see other Bainbridge businesses with EnviroStar ratings, browse “EnviroStar Kitsap.”) With high ceilings and a bank of south-facing windows, the shop enjoys the benefits of natural light and heat from the sun; for their electicity use, they have opted to pay extra for 100% of their power from renewable sources.
All Classic Cycle employees (including Jeff and Els, there are six full-time, plus a fluctuating number part-time) bike to work when possible. Health insurance is available through a group policy: this isn’t common enough among small businesses in the U. S. today, but considering Els’s Dutch background along with her experience in business, it’s not surprising.
With a strong commitment to social justice and involvement in community affairs, Els Heyne is true to her background, as Jeff Groman is to his own cosmopolitan experience. The expression “walk the talk” came up in our conversation: I don’t think there’s an equivalent Dutch slogan, perhaps because none is needed. I first got acquainted with Els in connection with the affordable housing task force. She was a founding board member of Sustainable Bainbridge, where she serves as Treasurer; she is also the board’s liaison with the Sustainable Business Network.
Classic Cycle offers fine products and services to its customers and sets a good example for other retailers.