When you mention outdoor adventure in Brown County, most people think of hiking in the State Park. But, there’s much more to Brown County’s outdoor recreation scene…mountain biking being one of those things. With miles and miles of flowing trails, scenic vistas, and amazing terrain, Brown County has become a world class mountain biking destination. Which is exactly why Quincy Robinson jumped on the idea of opening his own bike rental company, Q’s Bikes.
Q’s Bikes specializes in fat tire bike rentals and offers an alternative kind of ride. Located at eXplore Brown County, Q’s Bikes also is the perfect match for the rugged and fun trail system you can find there.
Even though I don’t know much at all about mountain biking, I knew I needed to head out to Valley Branch Retreat and see for myself what Q’s Bikes was all about.
After a lush and very green drive to eXplore Brown County, I had arrived at my destination. Not quite sure where to go, I was directed to a little building bordering eXplore’s paintball area. Passing by a fleet of old military trucks outside the zip line building, I could tell this place was unlike any other in Brown County. From zip lining and paintball to mountain biking, eXplore Brown County is a mecca for outdoor adventure!
Walking up to the entrance of the bike rental shop, I was quickly greeted by Quincy. Eager to show me the shop, which he built by hand starting back in February, Quincy explained how he got his start.
Recognizing a need for bike rental at eXplore Brown County, this college senior (yep, that’s right—he’s already started his own business and he’s not even graduated!) followed his entrepreneurial spirit which led him to a bike biz of his own.
After working several years with eXplore Brown County in the paintball zone, Quincy began to notice several people asking about mountain biking on the property and how they could get bikes. Realizing an opportunity existed to put his business major to good use, Quincy approached eXplore Brown County owner Gary Bartels about starting a shop. After Bartels was on board, Quincy’s dream of owning his own business quickly became a reality…and Q’s Bikes was born.
Quincy, who has seriously been into mountain biking for over four years now, urges everyone to give it a go. “I love the thrill of mountain biking,” he said. “People in Brown County should take advantage of it. Not only is it a healthier way of transportation, but we’ve got world class trails here worth checking out.”
One look in the shop and it’s clear that Quincy’s specialty is fat tire bikes. With six fat tire bikes in all different sizes, Q has got you covered! He also has four regular mountain bikes for rent, along with kids’ bikes and campground bikes. Two, four, or eight hour rentals are all options at Q’s bikes…you can even rent his bikes for the whole day or for the weekend if you’re up for the challenge.
Quincy also offers repair service, guided tours, and downhill shuttle service for biking. As if that’s not enough, he is a parts distributor and dealer of Action bikes too! Be sure to check out all rental options and pricing on his cool website www.qsbikes.com.
Quincy explained that there are 30 miles of trails at eXplore Brown County, in addition to four strictly downhill trails and an exciting new pump track that’s in the works now. With so much riding to do, no wonder Quincy jumped on the opportunity to launch a bike rental shop.
Being a novice in the mountain biking world, my main question for Quincy was…why fat tire bikes? He was quick to fill me in. Besides being a new trend in the mountain biking community, Quincy explained that fat tire bikes offer better suspension and absorb bumps from rocks and roots, making for a smoother ride. He also told me these bikes get more traction and handle better than normal bikes…so much so that you can ride them during any season including in the snow!
Quincy is a huge fan of the fat tire bike. “Having suspension is really nice,” he said. “I like being able to go anywhere I want, including off the trail where I can blaze my own path.”
He explained that his fat tire bikes have a special internal hub with control variable transmission technology, which makes shifting smooth. “Everyone should come out and experience a fat tire bike,” said Quincy. “The transmission on these things is great. It will blow your mind how smooth it is, plus Brown County has some really epic trails.”
Sounds like fun to me…he definitely sold me on the idea! So what does this young entrepreneur have up his sleeve for the future? He wants to continue to build up his shop, including growing the space and adding a bigger fleet of bikes. Quincy also would like to open additional rental shops in either Colorado or Puerto Rico…or both. Talk about ambitious!
He even mentioned trying to get some electric mountain bikes in his shop. A growing trend in Europe, Quincy sees electric bikes as the next big thing here in the U.S., including in Brown County. “If people could get a little extra boost on the hills around here, it would be huge!” said Quincy, who explained an electric assist function could be turned on when pedaling for some added steam. It also could be turned off as well so the bike would operate as normal.
Interested in checking out the shop or renting a bike? Call 812-345-6212 for reservations or reserve a bike online through Quincy’s website, www.qsbikes.com. If you’re out at eXplore Brown County during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), just stop by…Q will be there!
Take an eager entrepreneur that’s business savvy and bike smart. Add in fun, rugged biking trails…and what do you get? A recipe for bike rental success. Check out Q’s Bikes at the eXplore headquarters and enjoy some world class biking in Brown County!
Q’s Bikes:
2620 Valley Branch Road, Nashville, IN 47448 (eXplore Brown County)
812.345.6212 / www.qsbikes.com
Opened daily (will be in shop on Saturday & Sunday; Monday – Friday by reservation)
Call for reservations or reserve a bike online