Business partners Mark and Sarah Neupert, who are husband and wife, and their longtime friend, Nick Salisbury, say they’ve purchased Wheel Sport from its former owner, Terry Solinsky.

Solinsky owned and operated Wheel Sport Inc., which ran a North Spokane store at 1711 N. Division and a South Hill store at 3020 S. Grand. Wheel Sport East LLC, another Solinsky venture, owned and operated a Spokane Valley store at 606 N. Sullivan, Mark Neupert says.

The Neuperts and Salisbury formed SLI Holdings LLC to acquire all of Solinsky’s holdings and the Wheel Sport name. The parties declined to disclose the terms of the deal.

Wheel Sport’s three stores employ a total of 22 workers. Mark Neupert says he first approached Solinsky about acquiring the stores last year.

“I had to approach him a couple of times before I finally wore him down,” Neupert says. The new business partners were all born and raised in Spokane and were looking for an investment in the community.

“I’m a cycling enthusiast, both road and mountain biking,” Neupert. “This just made sense to merge a business opportunity with something you love.”

The new owners have known each other for many years. Salisbury and Mark Neupert are childhood friends. Years later, Neupert says, Salisbury introduced him and Sarah, who eventually married and have three children.

Then, in 2009, Salisbury hired Mark Neupert to be the CFO of the company he founded in 1998 called Crux Subsurface Inc., a geotechnical exploration and construction company at 4308 N. Barker in Spokane Valley, Neupert says.

“So that’s our day job, and between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., we’re going to take on the bike business,” Neupert says laughing.

He adds, “We’re excited to continue the legacy that’s been established by the former owners in this community.”

Dennis LeKander opened the first Wheel Sport in Spokane in 1972 on North Division. He sold the business in 1986 to Solinsky, who expanded it.

Wheel Sport will continue to operate at its existing locations, Neupert says.

“The Solinskys had opportunities to sell Wheel Sport to companies from outside the area, but I’m thrilled he chose to sell to local entrepreneurs and keep jobs and revenue here,” Salisbury says.

Neupert says Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Liberty Lake, in conjunction with the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, have placed a greater emphasis on the area’s bike infrastructure, including dedicated lanes, shared lanes, and paved trails.

“There’s always more to do, but great strides have been made in recent years to make our community more bike-friendly,” he says.

Neupert credits the Washington Trail Association, Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance, and local riders for developing miles of new trails in the area.

“I’m always amazed to find new trails cropping up in areas I’ve ridden for years. There’s always something new to explore, and we’re so fortunate to have access to the trails so close to where we live,” Neupert says.