Lee's Cyclery, Fort Collins

Since its 1963 debut, Lee's Cyclery has aided athletes in their quests for comfortable bikes and high-quality cycling accessories. Before customers pick out a bike, employees conduct fittings that could affect the customer’s bicycle selection and help evaluate a person's ability to warn fellow cyclists of wormholes lurking ahead. Riders then choose from a variety of brand-name cycles from companies such as Trek, which created the two-wheeler that made Lance Armstrong a champion, and Electra, which crafts stylish and comfortable commuter bikes. Patrons can take roadsters for test drives before committing to a purchase, and all bike purchases include a free tune-up and a lifetime's worth of adjustments.

The shop also carries biking accessories and gear, including high-performance racing apparel from Pearl Izumi. Lee’s Cyclery lets customers practice wheelies in Riding 101, a two-part bike-safety class that combines classroom learning with on-the-road practice. Meanwhile, the service department happily performs 26-point inspections and routine tune-ups to keep axles spinning more smoothly than the spindles of Rumpelstiltskin's BMX bike.