There is a new bike shop that opened up in downtown Glens Falls in October and is ready to help the community stay healthy! Dan and Paul Fronhofer have opened up Grey Ghost Bicycles in downtown Glens Falls on Glen Street. Their bike shop is a place where discerning riders can go to gain knowledge, share stories, and join the growing cycling community in the Glens Falls area.
You can be a part of the growing cycling community on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. in front of their shop to join them on their "Bagel & Coffee Ride." The Saturday morning bike rides are a great way to stay in shape and feel healthier throughout your weekend. I stopped by to find out more from both of the Fronhofer's ....
- How did you come up with the name "Grey Ghost Bicycles"?
Dan & Paul: The shop manager, Steve Fairchild, is really the heart of the shop. As the story goes, he had Weimaraner dogs that were known as the grey ghosts. - Where is your favorite place to ride your bike?
Dan: A favorite local ride is the climb to Lake Desolation.
Paul: We have such a great area to ride. We have a great mix of rolling to very hilly terrain with some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere. A personal favorite is a loop through some of the small towns to the top of Stratton Mountain.
- Are you a fan of Lance Armstrong despite all the controversy?
Dan: This is complicated. I was a huge fan while Lance was racing. I will always be impressed with his determination and accomplishments. However, even a few years ago, it was hard for me to ignore that he had most likely been systematically cheating, and then lying about it.
Paul: I would have to say I am a fan of Lance. If you look at what he has been able to do with his foundation because of the platform he built from his cycling career you have to respect him. There will always be a cloud over his head from his cycling career but I will choose to look at what he is doing to help others. - Do you plan on expanding your business in the future?
Dan & Paul: We'll see how this first store goes. There are some in-store expansions, such as a fit studio and a spin class room, where we'll focus our attention initially - How many bicycles do you own?
Dan: I have five bikes at the moment: two triathlon, one road, one mountain, and one fixed gear.
Paul: I have eight bikes hanging in my garage: three triathlon bike, three mountain bikes and two road bikes. - If you could describe your business in one word, what would it be?
Dan & Paul: Service - When you're not cycling or working on bikes, how do you spend your free time?
Dan: My day job is as a process engineer for BDP Industries, an equipment manufacturer in Greenwich. That averages 55 hours a week. My wife and I have a seven month old son and I do like to get some training and racing in. What is this "free time" of which you speak?
Paul: I'm not sure what free time is. Besides the Bike shop I own a Machine shop which can take from 50-70 hours of time a week. I also am part owner of Adirondack race management which puts on the Lake George triathlon and the Glens falls Urban Assault. I have been competing in one to two Ironman a year for the last ten years but most of my free time is spent with my three year old twins. Sometimes that free time is me running with them in the stroller or pulling them on the bike. We make it work.
- What is your funniest cycling story?
Dan: The funniest for me is probably cycling up Alp d'Huez with five friends, all of us dressed head-to-toe in a wizard costumes. We're talking about a big blue flowing robe with a tall pointed hat, long fake white hair and beard. It was while following the 2008 Tour de France and we made the cover of the sports section in a major French newspaper.
Paul: I'm not sure I have any funny stories but one of my most memorable is riding my bike to North Carolina with my dad when I was 15 was pretty cool. - When did you first become interested in cycling?
Dan: I learned to ride when I was four and pretty much spent my entire childhood on a bicycle. We had a pond and would actually ride our bikes on the ice in the winter.
Paul: Cycling has always been apart of bringing our family together. From the time I was ten years old we were taking family trips as far as 60 miles away together. More recently it has been a great way for me to stay in shape and be competitive in something i enjoy. - What was the most challenging part of opening your own cycling shop?
Dan & Paul: Being able to "pull the trigger" and get started. It all looked good on paper, but putting it into action took some courage.
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