History

Walter Gerard’s first bike was a black singlespeed purchased from Montgomery Ward with his own carefully saved money. The singlespeed was replaced by an internally-geared, three-speed Schwinn shortly after. In 1963, during a bike tour with his family in southern England, Walt became enamored with the derailleur gearing he saw on European racing bikes. Upon returning home he purchased a 10-speed Western Auto brand bicycle, despite his mother’s objections that the exposed gearing would be vulnerable to damage and wear.

A few years later his family was planning a second bike tour in Britain, and they ordered handmade, Carlton brand bicycles with external derailleur gearing in preparation. During the 69 days of this second tour, Walt spent hours in British bikes shops asking questions and learning from experienced mechanics. One of Walt's instructors was Jack Hearne, the professional mechanic for the England team during the Tour of Britain.

Walt’s passion for bicycles had become fully fledged, and he bought a lightweight Peugeot PX-10 with “sew up” tires shortly after he returned to school in the fall.

In 1966, Walt and other local cyclists formed the Boone’s Lick Bicycle Club. The club planned rides and bicycle tours, at least once taking the train from Wabash Station on Tenth Street to Centralia so they could cycle back to Columbia. The group began to lust after parts and accessories that weren’t available in Columbia at that time—there was a demand for water bottle cages, touring racks, and cycling gloves, as well as the lightweight bicycles commonly found in Europe but not readily available in the United States.

Ed Morton, a Springfield, MO bicycle dealer, suggested Walt begin selling imported bikes and bicycle parts in Columbia. After some bargaining with his parents, a young Walt rented a vacant barber shop on Hickman Avenue and Walt’s Bike Shop was born. Cycling’s “golden age” had begun in the United States, and Walt’s business boomed.

Years later, in 1981, Walt Gerard sold Walt’s Bike Shop to Frank Morris, a PhD candidate who learned a love for cycling through commuting, cycling with the Boone’s Lick Bicycle Club, and a class on bicycle mechanics taught by Walt. Frank shared Walt’s belief in the importance of great customer service, strong cycling community and dedicated staff.

In 1994 Walt’s Bike Shop moved a half block up Rogers Street to our current location, which originally housed the A&F Super grocery store. Moving into a larger space afforded the opportunity to expand the business. Our current space has a large service department and enough room on the sales floor to stock a large variety of bikes and fitness equipment.

After Frank’s passing in 2020, longtime employees Mark Bendel and Sarah Ashman became the new owners. They have the same love of cycling and love for our community that Walt and Frank had. They feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Columbia cycling community and so grateful for the amazing staff at Walt’s.