Randall Riddell is back behind The Bench.

The husband, father of two, musician, sound engineer and bike mechanic can now add entrepreneur to his CV. He opened up The Bench Bike Shop on June 8 in the 606 Patricia space where Freewheel Cycle turned its final wrenches. Like the outpouring of support shown for the outgoing owners, Riddell said the reception from the community for his new enterprise has been nothing short of amazing.

“It’s really heartwarming,” he said. “Lots of locals have been stopping in to say hi.”

Saying goodbye to Freewheel was hard for Jasper—and for Riddell, too. He had been one of Freewheel’s mechanics when the beloved shop closed its doors. That taste of being part of a community bike shop was one of the main reasons he wanted to make a go at a new business.

“I just wanted to keep doing it,” he said. “We crunched some numbers and said … ‘maybe?’”

When he learned he could purchase Freewheel’s former rental fleet and Community Futures West Yellowhead endorsed his business plan, that maybe turned into “I guess we’re doing this!” Riddell is hopeful he can find his niche as a boutique shop specializing in unique rides. Kona Bikes, founded in 1988 in Vancouver, has come on board as the main supplier for The Bench.

“They’re such a fun brand,” Riddell said. “They take cool risks with their bikes.”

The Bench had a somewhat spartan feel to it a week after opening day, but those bikes that were on the showroom floor were handpicked by Riddell for their idiosyncratic features. One model was made for cross-country touring. Another was a “road-plus” bike, “multi-purpose and multi-surface.”

“I’m a bit eccentric,” the year-round fat bike rider laughed. “Each of these bikes is quite unique.”

The same can be said for The Bench’s bench, a gorgeous slab of beetle-killed pine hand hewn by local builder Kris Beeby.

“He said ‘you better have a nice bench, considering that’s the name of your shop,’” Riddell said.

Riddell said all the community support has been gratifying, since that’s what his biggest takeaway was after working for Freewheel.

“I would have never been able to open this without having worked for them,” he said. “Chris and Wendy provided a wealth of knowledge and were so helpful to me as I learned more about being a mechanic.”

And now he’s ready to learn more about being a business owner.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com