Touright Bicycle Shop is located in downtown Little Falls, MN. Little Falls is in the cross section of two major cross country bike trails; Mississippi River Trail (the Gulf to the Source) and Adventure Cycling's Norther Tier route. Connecting the east and the west coast
As at other bike shops bikes arrive at Touright in a box. They require more time to assemble properly and safely. And that is more difficult than many realize. The degree of ability, care and skill varies. In addition to assembly, there is the fitting involved for each the customer; a frame size that measures "54" or “M” simply and only describes a size, not a fit. It doesn't describe a comfortable and efficient bike any more than a "32 inch waist" or “size 10” adequately describes a pair of pants. Touright adds significant value to any bike that leaves our door. If you visit Touright and test ride our bikes, talk with David or Susan you'll pick up differences that won't show up on websites or email quotes. Obviously, we're confident that our bikes are worth the price given.
Susan and David look forward to the opportunity of showing, fitting you and selling you a great bike, something you'll have for years and want to get out and ride, every chance you get! We carry a full line of bicycles and have one just for you! Test ride one today!
We don’t want to be like all the other bike shops in the world you’ve visited - we want to be your bicycle shop. We’ll cater to your needs. We repair and rent bicycles as well as have free water too!
Touright is an independent local bicycle retailer. We serve the greater Central MN area. The key word in the first sentance is independent, it’s all on me, David, to make or break the business and stay in business, not to mention put food on my table and pay my mortgage at home. I believe, I know and yes, I even understand you can shop around. You can drive 30 miles or click online for a better price. (I try to do my best to be competitive in pricing.) But, there is one thing that will not show up on websites, an email quote or even at other stores – that’s me, David, your friend, your neighbor and local independent small business owner.
At Touright we are driven by passion and strive to execute with excellence. This makes our local independent bike shop one of the greatest retail institutions in America today. That’s a pretty bold statement but I think I can easily make my case. While some of the following qualities may apply in some cases to some other types of retail, only the local independent bicycle shop consistently possesses all the following attributes under one roof.
The local IBD serves the widest diversity of clientele of any other small retailer. We sell high dollar bikes and gear to the enthusiast in one transaction then we sell a patch kit to a homeless person as we teach them how to fix their flat. In both examples we fill legitimate needs for the customer but often the smaller transactions makes a greater difference in a customer’s emergency of the day.
Another reason that I consider the local independent bike shop to be the greatest retail institution in America today is that we are the kindest, greenest retail activity to our planet. The very nature of our product reduces consumption of limited world energy resources. Millions of car trips daily do not occur because of the utilitarian nature of our product and services.
We recycle tons of cardboard, metal, and rubber annually so that it doesnt end up in a landfill. Many individuals donate their old, unused bikes for us to pass on to those who can't afford one, are in need of transportation to secure employment. Touright refurbishes those so they are safe and rideable.
At Touright we actually fix things that are broken. Not many other retailers still does that? In this age of planned obsolescence and disposable commodities what other category of local merchant still routinely stocks parts to fix items purchased (and ridden) half a century ago? I do!
And while we may not always make the connection, every time we repair a bicycle we are in fact recycling the entire bicycle for were it not for the existence of our bicycle repair services a bicycle’s first mechanical failure would be its last failure as its disappointed owner would have no choice but to roll it to the curbside awaiting the next trash pick-up.
Our willingness to quickly ‘get a rider back on the road’ so they can get to their minimum wage job has allowed more than a few struggling souls to keep their job. How often have we arrived at the store first thing in the morning to find a customer anxiously waiting with a flat who also asks to use our phone to let his boss know that he will be coming in just a little late?
And we all know that those down on their luck don’t always have the funds for the repair but we still accommodate. While yes we may laugh or even complain about folks expecting us to help them out for "free" knowing full well that they would never expect a chain store to do the same, or an online retailer even begin to help, but that’s a good thing, the fact that they view us in a more humanitarian light than they view any other form of retail.
Through our self-financed advocacy efforts we improve the health and safety not just of individual customers but of our entire community. Through our efforts it is now safer for kids to bike to school and for all to choose healthier ways to explore our cities.
At Touright we are connecting families and we are creating communities by bike.
This tells a little bit about us. The who and why of a bicycle shop. David's passion for riding a bicycle! And helping prove everyone can ride a bicycle!
They have been married for over 30 years. In that time they have together pedaled many miles. Not enough but God willing there is more yet to come.
Susan, has been an elementary teacher for more years than I should tell you about. But she is a fantastic teacher, cares deeply for her profession and is just that, a Professional. She cares about her students and goes above and beyond what most people think a teacher does. Often off to school before the sun rises and home after it sets. Her summers are filled with continuing to improve her teaching ability. Just as students and families are different today than when she began she doesn't teach the same way as she did then. She continues to learn and implement new ideas and ways of helping students learn.
She is a Elementary Education graduate of St Cloud State. Her first teaching job was in Arizona where she went with a friend because they wanted to do something new and get out of Dodge so to speak. She earned her Masters degree from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ also in Elementary Education.
David is a former church worker. He served for 20 plus years from pastor, to youth minister to custodian to secretary to coffee maker he wasn't afraid of assisting others in their faith journey. He still leads a few funerals and weddings as well and has been blessed to be a part of a few baptism too!
He is and Arizona State University Graduate and the Sun Devils Ultimate fan! Die hard if you will. He also is a Luther Seminary Graduate where he earned his Masters of Divinity Degree. Divine he's not nor ever claimed to be.
David has wanted to own a Bicycle Shop almost his entire life. Since the age of about 7 or 8 he and his father would attend police auctions and then together they would fix and repair bicycles for a whole host of people. Gradually David got better and better at fixing and repairing bicycles.
At the age of about 13 in 1976 David heard about a group of bicyclists riding their bikes across the USA in celebration of the Bicentennial called Bike Centennial. (Today known as Adventure Cycling) In the same year his siblings rode their bicycles down the California coast with their church group. (As he was not old enough to go along he was VERY jealous!) Also through Church he met some individuals who were riding their bicycles from Alaska to Argentina, the tip of South America. They were raising funds for a group people who couldnt afford bicycles of their own. They called their Journey Pedal for People. Not sure how far they got or they completed it. Church began a bike ride overnight to a campground about 60 miles from home at the Black Canyon Shooting Range. This was an annual event that David did get to participate in. We all thought it was so awesome that we rode our bikes that far... Yet not sure I could ride that far today. We were young dumb and in a whole lot better shape! Later when David was in High School his church youth group repeated the same California Coast bike trip. Many friends are still friends from those rides together. There is something about not just 'suffering' together but accomplishing something together that creates a bond that isn't easily broken
Ever since these events David has had an interest in Bicycle Touring. He read everything he could on it, talked to people who had done it, was a bike shop rug rat became a liftime member of Bike Centennial, now Adventure Cycling, and League of American Wheelmen, now League of American Bicyclist and soaked it all in.
His dad came up with the name Tour Right but thought the uniqueness of it being one word sounded and looked better so the Name TOURIGHT was born.
Because it is where we live and ride our own bikes.
Little falls is at the intersection of the Mississippi River Trail and Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier Route.
Couple of reasons.
In their experience bicycle riding is about creating community. There really isn't much true community developed through an online retailers. they want to create a community of bicyclists and they both want you to be a part of this community of bicyclists. The Touright Family if you will.
SECOND is that it costs money and David doesn't believe that the ROI will be beneficial. Knowing that he cannot really compete with many who already are established have an online web sales presence. (Yet, we will do our best to match a cost you may find online if they can.)
THIRD is that David is pretty much alone in the shop and cannot keep up with all that would go into being able to sell online and would likely let someone down.
(IE: Shipping, having boxes to package in, getting it to the shipper, cost of shipping I may have to charge. Then having what is online on my website actually match what my inventory is at any given moment. Pictures of items that are not copyrighted.)
Like I said - we just do not want to let anyone down so feel it is best we don't go down that route.