Q & A with Tolland Bicycle's David Barrow

So just how popular is biking in town?

DB: "In town, there's a very large following of not just road bikers, but families. Families have been doing it more and more. People can go to Crandall Park. Gehring Road and Weigold are also very quiet during the day. It's a huge recreation."

"I have to give a shout out to Nerac, too. Nerac has a large bicycle contingent up there. They have a club, called Nerac Earth, which is a bicycle advocacy club and not a racing club. They did a lot of the rides out of there to figure out which roads are appropriate for family riding."

Why do you think biking is big in Tolland?

DB: "The shop in Vernon (Vernon Cycle) had a lot of the bicycle community going there and when Jeff left, it left a void. We filled in that void. More people are getting involved in the charity tours. The other thing that's happening is the mini-triathlon series is getting more and more popular. Once people are on bikes they figure out it's not the same pounding as running."

How did you decide to open ?

DB: "We opened this store in October 2005. Nancy and I had owned a shop previously in Willington that we sold when we began a family. Later, Nancy and a friend of hers said that we should open up another bike shop... and I said no. But she got a position that allowed us to do what we do now. Now we're in it because we're enthusiasts, not racers."

What does Tolland Bicycle offer to all of the biking enthusiasts in the area?

DB: "We've got bicycles, clothing lines, service advice, and you can always come in and just talk. We consider ourselves more of a barber shop than just a bicycling shop."

And a thank you from Dave: "The community at large, we have to thank them because they've been truly wonderfully supportive of the shop. Without the community and the surrounding communities we wouldn't be here, and that goes for the town offices and the other businesses in town."

is located at 252 Merrow Road.