Just as essential to his mission, Rappahannock Bicycle Company is a place where people can come to talk bikes. “People tend to look at the main arteries in this area and they’re 55 mph and no shoulder, so it seems like there’s nowhere to ride,” Cunningham says of roads such as Routes 3 and 200. “But there are solid, safe routes two blocks off the big roads and my goal is to gather the information that’s out there and tie it together, so people see the area’s potential beyond water activities.”
He does that through weekly pop-ups at various locations including Livi’s Market in Irvington, Urbanna Trading Company and most Saturdays at Kilmarnock Town Centre Park. Available during the pop-up events are services like safety checks, flat repairs, test rides, bike supplies and parts ordering.
Fall will bring children’s events where he can offer bike safety talks with parents. Rental reservations, tune-ups and overhauls, new bike delivery and set-up, and repairs and parts installation can be scheduled through Rappahannock Bicycle Company’s website. “The pop-ups are an opportunity to learn the different bicycle niches that exist here by spending time with people and assessing their needs,” he says. “I want people to come hang out and talk bikes so I can share other riders’ knowledge with the greater riding public.”
Matt Cunningham, founder of Rappahannock Bicycle Company. | Corey Miller Photo
Cunningham, a long-time cyclist who raced mountain bikes during and after grad school, found his riding tapered off after starting a family, with the overall shifts that occur around that phase of life. But once a rider, always a rider and Cunningham wants to serve the public the way he’d want to be helped. “My responsibility is to the community, from serious riders to visiting riders in rental houses,” he says. “If people can’t get to a pop-up, I owe it to the community to go to them.”
A Virginia native whose family had a house in Urbanna, Cunningham lived in Cincinnati for 20 years before moving to the Northern Neck in 2018. Although his own bikes had been gathering dust, by 2023 his son was getting to riding age, so Cunningham got back in the saddle.
After hearing repeatedly that there was no bike shop here, an idea began forming in his head just as he was looking for his next chapter in life. “We made friends with people who’ve launched businesses here and this entrepreneurial community is so unique,” he says of the ability to carve out an achievable personal vision. “The support and collaboration I’ve gotten has been huge. I just kept seeing so much potential.”
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Available during the pop-up events are services like safety checks, flat repairs, test rides, bike supplies and parts ordering. Rental reservations, tune-ups and overhauls, new bike delivery and set-up, and repairs and parts installation can be scheduled through rbcbikes.com. | Corey Miller Photo
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In addition to the high-quality and low-maintenance bicycles, a special feature includes the Gates Carbon Drive™ System: a lightweight, stretch-resistant and grease-free alternative to standard metal chains. | Corey Miller Photo
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Rappahannock Bicycle Company carries Priority bicycles, including the Brilliant brand. | Corey Miller Photo
Without a brick-and-mortar location, the summer pop-ups served as a giant market test to help determine which locations and services the riding public wants, while feedback from the weekly newsletter also helps inform how Rappahannock Bicycle Co. will evolve. Already, he’s working with property management companies to service bikes at rental homes to encourage visitors to discover the area on two wheels. “I worked on fleshing out the website over the summer and will continue to put additional things on it, including route maps, so people know there’s a dedicated place to go for cycling information,” he says. “With more publicity about what’s available here, more people will decide to get on bikes.”
Cunningham is convinced that the potential is there for the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula to become bona fide cycling destinations, with Rappahannock Bicycle Co. acting as a central hub, both for information and as a gathering spot for riders of all levels.
Chatham Beach Cruiser Bike. | Corey Miller Photo
Bolstering the tourism appeal are the efforts of the nonprofit NNK Bike Club, which is working to develop a mountain bike path—a cross-country course with sufficient space and
Cunningham’s goal is to spark these ideas with people to make the ideas catch fire. “Everyone knows this is a great place to fish and boat, but with a little education, we could show people what a great place it is to ride, and not just during the season, but practically year-round,” he says. “There’s something magical here.”
Rappahannock Bicycle Company | rbcbikes.com | @rbcbikes