Jonathan Erdelyi takes a break from painting the interior of the Red Bicycle Studio, his new bike shop on West Front Street. (Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

More and more, Red Bank’s a biking town.

There’s the Safe Routes Red Bank initiative, which aims to make it easier for kids to bike and walk to school, and beyond that, to improve safety for all riders and pedestrians.

There’s a master plan to do the same. There’s a group planning to establish a pilot program for bike-sharing here.

There are scads of bike commuters, local road racing groups and triathloners.

But since the departure of the Peddler from White Street half a decade ago, there hasn’t been a bike shop in town.

Jonathan Erdelyi, a 30-year-old national racing champion, has a fix for that.

Next week, Erdelyi plans to roll out the Red Bicycle Studio at 27 West Front Street. The 975-square-foot storefront was last occupied by Down to the Felt, a retailer of parlor games now operating out of 182 West Front, according to its website.

While painting the interior of the store with his father, Ken, on Saturday, Erdelyi told redbankgreen‘s Retail Churn that his background and passion for two-wheeling fuel his belief that he can make a go of things.

Erdelyi says he “has tons of experience” in retail, having worked at Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap and, most pertinently, Cycles 54 in Wall Township. Red Bicycle is his first venture out on his own.

He’s also an avid cyclist, having won a national championship for 19-and-20-year-olds.

Red Bank’s a good fit, he said, because “the cycling community is heavy here,” and the town is clearly signaling an interest in human-powered transportation.

The studio will carry bikes priced from $200 to $12,000 – everything from children’s bikes to beach cruisers to fine racing machines. Brands include Scott, De Rosa, Wilier and HBBC, names not available elsewhere within 30 miles, or in the case of HBBC, anywhere else in New Jersey, Erdelyi, says.

“It’s for the general public,” not just racing enthusiasts, Erdelyi says of his stock.

Erdelyi, aided by a bike mechanic, plans to open Monday.