Shopping in Colonial Heights

A Guild Commended Framer, Frame Nation employs certified framers who match existing frames and create special projects from scratch. Behind the shop's brick storefront, staffers help customers to make selections from more than 2,000 frame samples, including acrylic, steel-welded, and wood options. Combined with glass, museum-quality practices, and a tiny flux capacitor, these protective casings preserve everything from diplomas to wedding photos.

To find inspiration for their own creations, visitors need only view the artwork lining the walls. Frame Nation regularly displays the handiwork of local artists; one ever-present exhibit includes a collection of frames and three-dimensional collages crafted from recycled materials.

Keeping the business in the family for more than 50 years, the sons of Conte's Bicycle & Fitness’s founder Charles R. Conte run the collection of cycle-centric shops with attention to personal service and a constant stock of top-notch bikes and equipment. Conte's technicians specialize in Body Geometry fittings, in which they observe how skeletons work in tandem with cycling movements and demonstrate how to avoid typical discomforts. Holding true to an individualized focus, the team also understands how to fit bikes for women and provides detailed guides that help cyclists choose the right set of wheels. A full-service center, the shop also provides cardio and fitness equipment and executes services such as bike tune-ups, drivetrain overhauls, and brake adjustments that ensure riders can stop on a dime, pick it up, and buy a Chiclet without ever dismounting.