Warming weather means it’s time to put rubber to the pavement again. Whether you’re looking to fix a tire or invest in a new pair of wheels to make the journey downtown a little easier, Launchpad Bikes is now in Easton for your cycling needs.
The bike shop opened in mid-April at 507 Northampton St. to Easton’s growing biking community.
“People in the neighborhood seem to enjoy having a bike shop,” said Jimmy Madden, shop owner and longtime biker.
Launchpad Bikes, alongside repair services, offers BMX bikes, kids bikes, electric bikes and some used bicycles.
“It’s just sales up front, service in the back,” Madden said. The building itself, formerly set to be demolished, was recently restored by a development project that began in 2019.
“They were able to keep some of the brick and foundation stone, which I thought was really neat,” Madden said. “We wanted to keep as much of that as open as possible and not cover that up.”
His sales philosophy is that “it’s more about a service rather than sales,” and he emphasized that profit is possible if you’re “willing to take care of people.”
The owner has worked in bicycle shops since 2001, when he got a job in a bike shop in high school. He said it “never really felt like work.”
Madden and his wife moved to Easton in 2010. He previously worked for local Genesis Bicycles, which closed in 2021 with the owner’s retirement. Trek Bicycle Easton, which purchased the business, still operates at 126 Bushkill St.
Now, “it was time to do something on my own,” Madden said.
Madden enjoys short bike rides with his kids, especially as he begins to get older. He said he seeks out “whatever just makes me smile.”
“It definitely teaches you to stay active and stay in shape,” said Madden, “We get in our cars, and it’s easy to go from point A to point B. We forget about exercise.”
He recommends his favorite biking trail in the area, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, to those looking to bike locally. Commonly referred to as the “D&L,” the trail extends 165 miles through Northeast Pennsylvania, including Easton. The Easton stretch of the trail runs between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal.
“I want to continue to grow my community,” he said about his goals. “I want to get more families out riding together.”