Wheel & Sprocket eyes Bay View site

Bike shop owner says area has seen ‘urban renaissance’

Wheel & Sprocket is considering opening its first bike shop in Milwaukee — in the Bay View neighborhood — to take advantage of what the owner calls “an urban renaissance.”

The shop, which could include a dining area and other expanded services, would be within a vacant warehouse at 187 E. Becher St., said Noel Kegel, Wheel & Sprocket co-owner.

The plans are preliminary, Kegel said Friday. He has agreed to buy the 10,800square-foot building and is seeking a city zoning change for the site to allow retail use. Wheel & Sprocket is still conducting its due diligence on the property, including an environmental study.

“There’s a lot of things that could torpedo the whole project,” Kegel said. “Nothing is final at this point.”

Wheel & Sprocket operates four stores in the Milwaukee area, one in Oshkosh, one in Appleton and two in the Chicago suburbs.

The company’s growth largely occurred under the ownership of Chris Kegel, Noel Kegel’s father, who died in February from cancer at the age of 63.

Chris Kegel was hired at Wheel & Sprocket as a bicycle mechanic in 1973, just a few weeks after the business opened in Hales Corners. By 1989, he had become president and owner, and eventually grew Wheel & Sprocket into a nationally known dealer.

The company, now owned by Noel Kegel and his sister, Amelia, has been looking for a location in the area from downtown through Bay View over roughly the past five years.

Wheel & Sprocket’s interest in the area has been sparked by the growing number of younger, active people living in the city, Noel Kegel said.

“There’s an urban renaissance,” he said. “And bicycles are a big part of it.”

The Bay View location could include operations that would provide “a new experience” for bicyclists beyond “just selling stuff,” Kegel said.

“There might be food and beverage involved,” he said.

Kegel declined to provide details on the building’s possible renovations.

If the project proceeds, the Bay View operation would likely be open by spring 2019, Kegel said.