Underground Cyclery takes its business to new heights

Rich Palzewic

Staff

November 9, 2026

MEDFORD – Davey Sapinski is no longer working “Underground.”

Formerly occupying the lower level of the building located at 145 S. Main St., the Medford tech-ed teacher and Owner of Underground Cyclery recently relocated his bicycle shop upstairs.

The move, Sapinski said, is already paying dividends.

“Working in the basement level of the building when I first opened [in fall 2025], I wasn’t too noticeable from the street level and didn’t get much foot traffic,” he said. “All of that has changed since I moved upstairs a little more than a month ago.”

Re-opening Sept. 26 – one day shy of his first anniversary as a business owner – Sapinski said he estimates his business has grown tenfold since the move.

Specializing in bicycle repairs, apparel sales, and more, Sapinski said the move upstairs gives him more room to display bikes, clothing, and accessories.

“The new storefront has nice big windows and has been very well received.”

Because he is no longer “underground,” Sapinski said people walking by the shop will swing in to visit.

“People are pleasantly surprised,” he said. “With more people stopping in, my repairs, bike sales, and apparel sales have skyrocketed.” 

Compared to what it used to be decades ago, Sapinski said Medford’s Main Street was a “bit dead,” but he’s happy to be a part of the recent revitalization in the area.

“I’d guess in about the last eight years, Main Street has seen a major resurgence in popularity,” he said. “A Saturday morning on Main Street now in Medford reminds me of what Saturday mornings on Main Street were when I was a kid in the 1980s. A lot of younger people are starting new businesses on Main Street – eateries, a wine place, a microbrewery, etc.” 

Moving on up

When he began Underground Cyclery last fall – a story that first appeared in the Aug. 3, 2026 North Central edition of The Business News – Sapinski said at the time, he really didn’t have much choice but to take up residence in the basement.

Although, he said his original agreement with the landlord was that if the upstairs bridal shop ever moved out, he’d get first crack at that part of the building.

As his luck would have it, the shop relocated to Marshfield, allowing Sapinski the opportunity to move upstairs.

“Because the space has more room than what I had before, I’ve also added e-bike sales,” he said. “I also bought a couple of e-bikes that I rent out by the hour, day, or weekend. The upstairs space is more usable and more open compared to what I had downstairs. Downstairs, I had a wall here, a wall there, and very low ceilings.”

Not initially knowing the owner of the bridal shop was looking to relocate, Sapinski said he began looking for another location about a month before his own move.

“Funny enough, I had an opportunity to move into a different building across town, up on the highway,” he said. “I looked at it three different times, and it was great, but for whatever reason, I decided to hold off. I told my wife, ‘I’m just not feeling it.’ Something was telling me ‘no,’ and literally three weeks after that, I received the call that the other [space in the] building was available. It’s truly a case of everything happening for a reason.”

Changing hours

Because his teaching duties take up most of his time during the week, Underground Cyclery is currently open from 4–8 p.m., Monday through Friday, during the school year.

When the summer months roll around, or if he has a day off from school, Sapinski said he’s basically at the shop all day.

“Sometimes, I’m there doing repairs until midnight if I’m busy,” he laughed. “Saturday, hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays are by appointment.”

Although the new location has led to more business – specifically on the repair side of things – Sapinski said he’s not keen on passing that responsibility on to anybody else, at least for the time being.

“I want to handle repairs myself because I’m a stickler, and I want to make sure things are done a certain way – my name is on the business and the building,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t trust people – because there are certainly good bicycle mechanics out there – but for now, I want to keep repairs consistent and in my control.”

While at school, Sapinski said his parents have occasionally filled in to help out.

“I’ve been fortunate on days where I know somebody wants to pick something up,” he said. “My mom and dad are both retired, so my mom has no problem coming to the shop and sitting for an hour or two to help out. Eventually, I’ll more than likely have to look into adding employees.”

Keeping it ‘Underground’

Despite moving to the upper portion of the building, customers will notice the name of the shop – Underground Cyclery – remains the same.

“I’ve been asked several times if I was going to change the name,” Sapinski said. “I wanted to keep the original name because I think it’s a cool story and a conversation piece, if nothing else. I also think the name fits with some of my other interests. I’m big into Al Capone history, and a lot of that took place in Wisconsin. His dealings were always kind of ‘underground.’ I’ve got a big picture of Al Capone in the shop.”

For more information, find Underground Cyclery on Facebook.