Ideal Bike
Stories of Downtown
Ideal Bike. Owner, Ed Kraus
When visiting the businesses of Downtown Belleville you get to take in the beautiful facade of the store front, discover unique local and international products and dine on delicious food. You may catch a glimpse of the owner as they wize by, the life of a small business owner is hectic- they want to engage with the customer though they also must be the boss, the marketing expert, the cleaner, the server, the accountant and that could all be before noon! We wanted to give those business owners an opportunity to slow down for a moment and share their story. Because behind each storefront are people who had a dream and put in a whole lot of work to make it come to life. These are some of the stories of Downtown Belleville.
Ed Kraus is the wonderful owner of Ideal bike located at 255 Front st. Ed founded his business in 2001, after a few years of searching for just the right location he settled his shop in Downtown Belleville and has felt pleasured to do so for the past 12 years. Since the 90’s Ed has been in the cycle industry and even pursued his dream in many different entrepreneurial ventures. Ed says “Having a store in Downtown Belleville brings people from all over, this turns a 6 month biking season into a 10 month season.” Starting the brand in 2001 from Toronto and since growing it passionately in 2 cities in the Bay of Quinte area; Ed has gained a sturdy following among his demographic. Within that time frame he has expanded to offer bike rentals, service repair as well as information on the numerous bike routes offered starting in Belleville.
Ed admires the admiration of the fellow businesses in the area and expresses “Everyone is trying very hard. Belleville has had incredible potential and has been trying hard. We are getting there.” Ed continues to vouch for the unwavering commitment of the community and its support. In expansion to appeal to the outside areas of ‘solo cyclists’ Ed and his team offer accessories and tools as well as longboards, skateboards and scooters! Ed relays “I love cycling and I really really enjoy helping people. It gives me great joy and happiness to help someone find a better way to ride a bicycle and live a happier and healthier life!”
It was wonderful getting a chance to speak with Ed and learn more about one of the beautiful shops of Downtown Belleville. Before we left we had to ask our favourite tough question, what his favourite cafe/ restaurant is downtown! “Oh boy, well I’ve gotten into the habit of making my own coffee and lunches, but if I had to choose I would say Obi’s Kitchen for his hot sauce and Dooher’s Doughnuts on Fridays and Saturdays for a great treat!” replied Ed. Keep following along for our next Stories of Downtown!
Click here to visit the Ideal Bike site!
For behind the scenes fun head to the Downtown Belleville Instagram and Facebook!
Stay tuned for more Stories of Downtown coming your way in 2024
Funded by Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board
