Foster’s Bike Shop closes, leaving a storied legacy
Trending
ALPENA – Foster's Bike Shop, a fixture on Michigan Avenue for nearly four decades, is closing its doors after owner Jim Foster received a dementia diagnosis that his family says makes it impossible for him to continue running the business.
The shop at 320 Michigan Ave. opened in 1989 and built a reputation for skilled repairs, fair prices and a welcoming atmosphere that turned many customers into friends. Foster's daughter, Jaime Williams, said the decision came after a rapid series of medical developments in recent weeks.
"Over the last two weeks I have taken him to the doctor, we received the Dementia diagnosis, and his doctors expressed concern. They advised me that he should not have the ability to make any financial or legal decisions," Williams said.
Williams said she had been gently urging her father to step back from the shop for about three years, initially because of arthritis in his hands that made fine mechanical work increasingly difficult. Foster, who turns 79 years old today, resisted. He worried that Alpena would lose a reliable place for people to get their bicycles fixed.
The News reached out to Harborside Cycle & Sport, and they confirmed it operates as a full-service bicycle shop and can handle repairs and maintenance for local riders.
Foster's path to the shop began long before 1989.
"My dad started out motorcycle racing in the 70s and that got to be too much for him, so he switched to bicycle racing. My grandfather was a mechanic, and my dad got his tinkering side from him," Williams said.
As Foster's skill with bicycles grew, people began encouraging him to open his own business. He did, and the shop quickly became known for more than just repairs.
"My dad is really good at what he does and people love talking to him," Williams said.
Customers often found more than a mechanic behind the counter. Foster's generosity became part of the shop's identity.
"Most of the time when a child came in with a bike that needed to be repaired my dad would not charge them. On several occasions he gave bikes away, including my own when I was attending college," Williams said, laughing at the memory.
That same spirit shaped the advice he repeatedly gave his daughter. "My dad always told me to get into a job that you are going to be happy with. He worked two jobs he didn't like so he could do what he loves and fix bikes," she said.
Foster has always drawn energy from conversations and chance meetings with people who walked through the door. Williams said those interactions remain important to him even as the shop prepares to close.
She issued a direct invitation to the community.
"Please feel free to stop in and have a conversation with my dad, he still enjoys talking to people. He might even join you for a bike ride if you invite him, those are the interactions he treasures the most."
The closing marks the end of a business that for 37 years served as both a practical resource and a quiet gathering place for cyclists in northeast Michigan. Riders who once counted on Foster's steady hands and easy conversation will now turn elsewhere for repairs, but many are expected to stop by one last time simply to talk.
In the coming days and weeks, the shop that began with a racer's passion and a mechanic's curiosity will gradually empty. What remains, Williams hopes, is the memory of a man who fixed more than bicycles, and the chance for neighbors to share one more conversation or one more ride with him while they still can.