Located between Norris Square and Fishtown, and founded in 2020, the Keystone Bicycle Company (aka KBC) has had a booth in the Philly Bike Expo every year of its existence, and is recognized for pushing the spread of bike shops into North Philadelphia.
With a mission to get more people on bikes through active engagement with the communities they service, KBC is focused on randonneuring, touring, adventure riding, and bike camping: All areas of healthy growth in a post-Lance Armstrong national cycling marketplace that’s realized there’s a lot more to cycling than road racing.
Woody Felice, Nick Manta, Ag Manta, Ryan Stanis, Zack Rachell comprise the ownership and staff of this co-op, and between them bring a wide range of skills and experience in the bike industry. KBC is located in a shared warehouse space with NextFab, the Resource Exchange, and other businesses that prioritize sustainability and creativity.
The shop specializes in custom wheel & bicycle builds and reliable service. Many of the bikes they sell are custom builds with frames from Crust Bikes, Velo Orange, Rivendell, Soma, among others. For lighting they recommend, dynamo system set ups, stocking dynamo hubs and lights from Busch and Muller, Son, and Sinewave, which they build into wheelsets in their workshop.
Cycle touring in a range of formats is a core skillset within the staff, who are able to give expert advice based on considerable personal experience in long-ride equipment from specialist suppliers, such as tires from Ultradynamico & Rene Herse; cargo from Outer Shell, Ruthworks, Ron’s Bags, Swift Industries, and Nittany Mountain Works; fenders and racks from Nitto, Velo Orange, Simworks, and Honjo – many of which are regular exhibitors at the Philly Bike Expo.
You’ll often find KBC staff hosting or participating in community rides and other cycling events. The shop’s favorite ride is the Cape May Dyno, a 100-mile overnight ride that goes from Philly to Cape May. It runs every year on the last Friday in September, and is organized by the Philadelphia Dynamo Headlight Society.
More information and the online store is at https://keystone.bike