Courtesy of BicycleSpace

Finally, a convenient excuse to knock back an old-fashioned while getting your gear shifters replaced. BicycleSpace, the 18-month-old bike shop at 459 I Street NW, announced over the weekend that it is moving soon to a new location a few blocks away.

The move is hardly a surprise, what with its block having been snapped up by Equity Residential last year to make way for a new condominium development. (The deal also means the end of the DIY music space Gold Leaf Studios next door, which is staging its final shows this month.)

Besides being a top-notch cyclist’s outfitter, BicycleSpace didn’t take long to catch on with D.C.’s community of bike enthusiasts, offering weekly group rides and generous service guarantees. (In fact, when I recently purchased a Kona bicycle from the shop last year, its crew of eager mechanics urged me to bring it in for a tune-up about a month into owning it.)

BicycleSpace’s new storefront is at 1019 Seventh Street NW, next door to The Passenger, recently named by Food & Wine as one of the 50 best bars in the United States. The new location is about two-thirds the size of the original store, which was converted from an old garage. At 1019 Seventh, which right now is home to the Civilian Art Projects gallery, BicycleSpace will keep its service area as robust as it is at 459 I, while condensing the sales floor, the store’s owner, Erik Kugler said. But it is also gaining a portal to the Warehouse Theatre, which Kugler hopes might be able to host store events. The menu of group rides and other activities isn’t changing, the store announced on its website.

Kugler said the plan is to open the new store March 1, pending some structural modifications to the new spot and obtaining all the necessary permits.

In the mean time, who’s excited for kimchi dogs and derailleur tuneups?