A longtime Jersey Shore shop is getting a fresh scrubbing as well as a new owner and name as DJ’s Cycles becomes Belmar Bike Shop.
Property owner Dirk Reitsma had run DJ’s for 35 years before leasing out the shop five years ago. The new proprietor’s health declined, however, and business withered and the shop fell into neglect. When the lease recently came up, Reitsma let the proprietor walk away, said Kyle Rogers, who worked for Reitsma for five years at the shop and is now back to reopen it as Belmar Bike.
After clearing out and updating the cluttered space, Rogers hopes to have the shop open in time for the city of Belmar’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 4, which passes directly in front the store and brings 40,000 spectators into town.
DJ’s legacy as a family shop will continue under Rogers, with a focus on hybrids, cruisers, kids’ bikes and a small selection of higher-end road bikes—“up to 105 or Ultegra at most,” he said. Being on the Jersey Shore, the shop has does a substantial rental business.
Brands include Jamis, Fuji, Electra, Schwinn and GT. Rogers also hopes to re-establish a relationship with Giant, which dropped DJ’s a while back.
With a sandblaster and paint booth left over from Reitsma’s days running the shop, Rogers also may dabble in refinishing frames and restoring bikes. “There’s every tool imaginable under the sun in here,” he said.
