Barstool: Revolution Cycles

by Eric Ginsburg

Revolution Cycles isn’t the only bike shop that’s opted to add beer taps; it’s just the only one around here. Following the lead of bicycle stores in Asheville, Portland, Ore. and other cities, the Greensboro store decided to add six taps behind the counter a few months ago.

And now, there are 10 beers on draft.

“There’s too many choices now!” one regular joked. “It was easier with six. How dare you!”

The guys behind the bar, bearded dudes who appreciate beers and bikes alike, know many of the folks who crowded out the place by 5:30 p.m. on a recent Friday afternoon. Only a few seats are dedicated to the bar, and the folks occupying them were mostly married couples, some of whom knew each other.

“Hey, nice to meet you,” one guest sitting at the end of the bar said. “Do you ride?”

“No, but my wife does,” the man standing nearby responded.

Beer makes sense here, not just because of the overlapping tastes of employees and customers alike, but because it gives people an easier way to feel welcomed into the store. Rather than coming in strictly to peruse or purchase Revolution’s wares, the beer gives people a reason to come in, hang out, look around and get to know the staff, who can make them feel at ease.

Three of the 10 taps will likely stay dedicated — two for local breweries Gibb’s Hundred and Natty Greene’s and the third for Dale’s Pale Ale, a house favorite. For now, the Gibb’s Guilty Party ESB and Natty’s Freedom IPA are on draft. Eight other North Carolina beers, including Dale’s, accompany them, the best of which may be Green Man Brewery’s seasonal Toad the Wet Hop.

For now, other titans around the state fill out the options: Foothills, Unknown, Highland, Carolina, Fullsteam and Oscar Blues. There’s no bottled brew here, but the careful selections from each brewery mean there are still a variety of styles to choose from.

Revolution Cycles plans to add more seating, revamping a corner area with a television and a tall table or two behind the bar. That makes sense, considering how quickly the chairs fill up, but the prime seats will still be at the bar. The surface itself is made from old shutters, part of a salvaged wood haul from an old courthouse somewhere in central North Carolina.

Plus, that’s the easiest place to shoot the breeze with the nice guys pulling pints.

Revolution Cycles hosts a pint night with Dale’s on Dec. 17. Visit 1907 Spring Garden St. (GSO) or call 336.852.3972 for more info.