Note: This Shop Small Mini-Spotlight is part of an ongoing series intended to promote local commerce over the 2018 holiday season.
Y-Not Cycling & Fitness brings a big city bicycle selection to Lexington and Mt. Vernon. The family-owned store sells comfortable and economical bicycles as well as accessories that make cycling just plain fun.
Bicycles are available for every age, interest level and terrain. Riders can also purchase exercise equipment to stay in shape all year round. Casual riders can rent comfort bicycles for the B & O Trail. The store even carries one of the largest selections of bicycle accessories in Ohio.
“Cycling is our passion and we do our best to ensure that our customers have a fun exciting time on their bicycles,” Owner Eric Petersen said.
Y-Not Cycling was opened by Tony Minardi and Bob Stieber in the late 1940s. They became the first bicycle dealer in Mansfield. The business is named after Tony (Y-Not spelled backwards). Petersen is the grandson of Bob Stieber, making Y-Not a third generation business. The store moved from its original location on Ashland Road to 64 E. Main Street, Lexington on the B & O Trail.
Y-Not’s second location was established in Mount Vernon in 1993. The Mount Vernon location at 206 Main Street is downtown – two blocks from the Kokosing Gap Trail and the Heart of Ohio Trail.
The store has evolved from an exclusive Schwinn dealer to carrying a wide variety of bicycles from Trek, Electra, DK, Verde, Sun Bicycles, and Cannondale. The fitness brands Schwinn Fitness, Nautilus, and Bodycraft are available as well.
“Riding a bike should be a life-long fun activity,” Petersen said. “We are here to help make that happen.”
Petersen encourages community members to shop small.
“Small businesses drive the local economy,” he said. “We do our best to spend our money, both business and personal, with other small businesses in our area.”
