.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Marvin Light doesn’t get to do as much bicycling as he used to. But out the front window of his new bike shop in Waukee, he certainly can see a lot of cycling.

“I wanted to be close to the bike path,” said Light, who opened Waukee Cycling and Fitness on Northeast Carefree Lane in May. “That was the main reason I loved this location.”

Light owned a bicycle shop in Arkansas, but sold his share to his partner in order to move back home to Des Moines.

On arrival, however, he was shocked to see that the booming community of Waukee didn’t have its own bike shop.

“I was amazed,” he said. “I’ve always been in love with the biking industry, and when I saw the opportunity here in Waukee, that love was rekindled.”

So he decided to start from scratch on a new shop, with the help of some family and friends.

Cycling is Light’s passion. It’s something he has done since he was 3 years old.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to do this for a living,” he said. “It really doesn’t feel like work to me because I love it so much.”

Bicycles in his shop range in price from $300 up to $4,500. He also sells all the gear a beginning rider might need and does repairs on any model in the shop.

One of his biggest selling points, however, is bike fitting, where he ascertains what customers are looking for in a bicycle and makes sure they get the exact make and model that will give them the most enjoyment.

“I like to get a feel for what they’re looking for,” he said. “That makes their experience that much better.”

Light said he has been overwhelmed by the re-sponse to his shop, with word-of-mouth being his only advertising.

“I thought it would start out really slow,” he said. “It’s been truly overwhelming how successful it’s been so far. Word-of-mouth has really driven this business.”

Light currently has two part-time employees, but prefers to do the majority of the work himself, including all repairs, which does cut into his cycling time. He hopes to do the first few days of RAGBRAI this year, having last ridden in the state-wide trek many years ago, he said.

He also plans to take his road bike out on Iowa’s biking paths as much as possible.

“I’ll always make time to get a ride in,” he said. “The path system in Iowa is just so incredible, I just can’t wait to get out and explore it further.”