In a city best known for its political in;uence and insurance companies, there is an electric bike shop that
doesn’t peddle the ordinary. It’s a shop
that has become the city’s cycling hub
for lovers of all bikes old and new, traditional or electric.
Located just down the hill from the
Iowa state capitol building in downtown
Des Moines you will ;nd Dan Koenig,
the owner of Ichi Bike (the word “ichi”
means the number one in Japanese and
describes the shop’s ultimate goal of
creating personalized bicycles that have
customers saying, “This bike and I were
made for each other”), and his small
band of artisans. Whether you’re look-
ing to restore that old barn ;nd, a klunk-
er for the backcountry roads or a crazy,
custom electric bike creation, Dan and
his team will build it for you, and with a
lot of attention to detail behind it.
Located on Walnut Avenue in a
beautiful old brownstone building,
walking into Ichi Bike feels like you
stepped into bicycle history. The shop
is eclectic, colorful, funky and ;lled
with an overwhelming treasure trove of
bikes that will have you stopping for a
better look with each bike you pass. It’s
almost commonplace to hear Dan share
a little story about this model or that
one on the ;oor.
WHERE COLLECTIONS
BEGIN
As a collector of bicycles for many
years, Ichi Bike has hundreds of great
quality collector frames, parts and
completes ready for restoration. Dan’s
approach to building is a simple one:
“Listen to what the customer wants in
order to help them realize their vision of
the bike they want created.”
An e-bike shop where you’d least expect it
Story and photos by Marty Schlesinger
