AUSTIN, Texas (BRAIN) — Bicycle Sport Shop has expanded with a fourth location just outside of Austin in the small community of Bee Cave, Texas. The store, which opened mid-August, is about 14 miles west of Bicycle Sport Shop’s downtown shop and is the retailer’s first foray outside of the city limits.

“Everyone still considers it Austin, though,” said Hill Abell, owner of Bicycle Sport Shop. “There is a lot of development out here, lots of houses going up and it’s a really young and active community. It was a good time to open a store in Bee Cave.”

Abell said he has known the developer who worked on the new build-to-suit shopping center where the Bee Cave store is located for more than 20 years.

“We’ve been talking about this location for about five years,” said Abell, who bought Bicycle Sport Shop 30 years ago. “Rent is a big talking point and we got him to agree to a long-term lease with a low startup that escalates over 15 years. It’s about 20 percent cheaper out here than in Austin, where everyone is looking for space.”

Abell worked with retail consultant Brian Hawkins to design the 6,000-square-foot Bee Cave store. It features a 1,500-square-foot mezzanine, ample storage for backstock inventory, large windows behind the open-concept service department, two service-writing stands and an employee shower. And in order to comply with Bee Cave’s rigorous water quality standards, the shop’s bike wash station is indoors.

Four veteran BSS staff members, including the store manager and a service manager, are working in the new location in addition to two new employees. All BSS locations carry Specialized, Trek, Electra, Fairdale, Surly and several other brands.

Store photos by Leonid Furmansky.