A small St. Paul bike shop that specializes in fixing two wheelers is giving itself an upgrade and raising its profile.

Tucked away in the Jax Building in a secluded space that doesn’t even have an entrance facing the street, the Lowertown Bike Shop (LBS) quietly has established itself as one of St. Paul’s hidden gems as it has gone about its business of giving new life to bicycles destined for the junkyard.

With many bikes hanging from the ceiling and scores more stuffed into an adjoining garage waiting to be refurbished and repaired, LBS is bursting at the seams and has run out of room. This spring the five-year-old store at 253 E. 4th St. is moving from the only home it has ever known into spacious digs just across the street in Union Depot.

“We tell people we are between Union Depot and the farmers market, and they say, ‘I know where that is,’ ” said Crystal Sursely, one of the shop’s co-operators. “How nice will it be to say we are inside Union Depot.”

News of the shop’s upcoming move created buzz on social media last week, and it even got a shout-out from Vice President Joe Biden during his visit to Union Depot on Thursday where he discussed how restoration of the transit hub has spurred development in the area.

Union Depot has long wanted to add a bicycle component to complete its vision of being a multimodal hub, said Deborah Carter McCoy of the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority. By May, it will have what she calls “the perfect fit.”

LBS will occupy about 8,000 square feet in the station, or about three times as much room as it has now in its cramped, cavelike quarters. And it has grand plans for the extra space, too, Sursely says.

LBS will run a retail shop on the main level and do bike repair and operate a bike storage facility replete with showers on the street level. It plans to augment its four-person paid staff and volunteer helpers by launching a program to teach people with developmental disabilities the educational and vocational aspects of a bike business, Sursely said.

Relocation doesn’t change goals

Of course, LBS will continue on with its core mission of reconditioning donated bicycles and customizing wheels for cyclists who come to them with specific needs and requests. And that’s what has made LBS grow. “People can have a say in their bike and be excited about riding their bike,” Sursely said. “We can fit just about anybody’s budget and their needs, whether they ride five blocks or 5 miles.”

LBS’ bikes aren’t just cheap castoffs retrofitted with new parts. Its vast inventory features everything from wheels for children to high-end models like a shiny Ironman that looks brand new for $1,200.

LBS’ move comes just as the city is committing to improving bicycling. This summer, work continues on development of approximately 30 miles of scenic parkways north of I-94 connecting neighborhoods across the entire city with off-street bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The first phase of the downtown bicycle network connecting to regional trails is expected to be implemented this summer. New trails on Kellogg Boulevard also are on the drawing board, all of which Depot spokeswoman Jean Krueger hopes will draw cyclists to the station.

“That is what we are hoping for,” she said.