Loblolly Bike Shop: Building Community, One Ride at a Time
On River Street sitting in the heart of Chattanooga’s Northshore is Loblolly Bike Shop. Loblolly is a quaint store bathed in the shadows cast by the adjacent Walnut Street Bridge—its humble exterior juxtaposed by the shiny hybrid bikes that line the front of the shop.
Inside I find Adam McAnulty, owner of Loblolly. McAnulty and his wife, who came to Chattanooga from Florida, were displaced from their home by Hurricane Michael in 2018: “we came up and visited Chattanooga… Everyone was so welcoming and nice, we fell in love with the area.” They moved to Chattanooga in September of 2019 and opened the store on January 4, 2020.
Towards the end of last year, McAnulty began transitioning the store into Loblolly Bike Shop. Formerly a Pedego Electric Bike store, McAnulty found a new opportunity branching out into an independent bike store: “[now] we have 7 or 8 different bike brands, we sell one-wheel skateboards, we sell scooters, we service anything and everything of the above. It’s opened the doors more to regular cyclists bringing their bikes in to us.” McAnulty’s decision to move away from the Pedego brand allowed him to gain visibility and continue building a brand unique to and in service of the Chattanooga cycling community.
Before leaving Florida, McAnulty worked as a bike mechanic and helped start a bike rental shop in the 30A area. While working at a Pedego shop in the panhandle, McAnulty fell in love with “the idea of helping those who otherwise wouldn't be biking.” This mission still guides McAnulty—whether it be through e-bikes or mountain bikes, McAnulty wants to give those who might be reluctant to cycle the chance to “get outside and adventure again.”
Bike rentals are important to Loblolly and its proximity to the Riverwalk and Walnut Street Bridge made choosing Northshore a no-brainer: “we wanted [customers] to have access to easy riding. We felt like we fit right in.”
Northshore was an easy choice, but now that Walnut Street Bridge is closed until at least September, the decrease in walking traffic has adversely impacted Loblolly’s bike rental business. McAnulty mentioned people’s reluctance to bike on Market Street Bridge and Veterans Bridge given the bridges’ close proximity to car traffic: “People who are visiting want to see [Walnut Street Bridge.] People get to rent bikes and see the city and see the bridge as well. Having it closed has definitely been hard.”
Despite the decrease in foot traffic near River Street, Northshore is still home to numerous biking trails and pathways, like those in Stringer’s Ridge. McAnulty’s decision to rebrand was out of service to the larger cycling community in Chattanooga and Loblolly sits as energetic as ever waiting to help all levels of cyclists get out there and ride.
You can support Loblolly Bike Shop by taking out of town friends to rent bikes, utilizing Loblolly’s expert repair service, or by shopping for a new pair of wheels.
Brendan Downes
River City Company Marketing Intern