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Denver’s Salvagetti heads out of downtown

Published May 18, 2012

DENVER, CO (BRAIN) Friday May 18 2012 4:29 PM MT—Scott Taylor might be one of the most peripatetic retailers out there. And he continues his wandering ways this July as he moves Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop to its fifth location in eight years of doing business.

“We ran out of space almost before we opened,” he said of his current spot in downtown Denver, where he took up residence three years ago. “We thought we could do everything we wanted, but got busier than we could handle.”

Taylor describes Salvagetti as a “community-centric” shop, and turnout for the numerous cycling-related events, parties and workshops he hosts has outstripped his square footage. With a 5,000-square-foot shop floor, the new location will also give him room to display more inventory without the store looking overstuffed. “We always have about 40 percent more merchandise than we can present,” Taylor said.

He will continue to floor only a smattering of complete bikes, however, given that service and P&A account for the bulk of Salvagetti’s revenue. Bike lines include mountain and commuter rigs from Knolly, Kona, Pivot, Parlee, Santa Cruz and Surly.

The new location, about a mile-and-a-half outside of downtown in an affluent neighborhood of Denver, will also allow for the addition of a takeoff/used parts area and self-serve repair area for customers looking to fix or set up a used bike affordably. “We don’t want to be just for the person looking for a great new bike,” Taylor said. “We want to help the person who found a bike on Craigslist and needs to fix it up.”

Salvagetti’s bike fit services also will get better exposure, moving from a hidden upstairs area to the showroom floor, and Taylor plans to add an inventory take-in area and distribution room as well.

Additionally, Taylor noted the new address removes Salvagetti from tourist and passerby foot traffic into the store that has proved a distraction from serving the shop’s core customers. “We’re excited to get back to focusing on the people who got us where we already are,” he added.