Best Custom Bikes - Peacock Groove - 2013 Best of MN

A personality situated near the center of local bike culture, Erik Noren of Peacock Groove is regarded by most as an endearing character who rents corners of his south Minneapolis workshop to other independent bike-builders (Minneapolis-St. Paul has a couple of dozen builders, by most counts). While these subletters file away on high-end bikes for racing and randonneuring, Noren focuses on custom cargo and road bikes for vertically challenged women, extremely tall men and other hard-to-fit riders (plus a few lucky kiddos). Dig the splashy colors, intricate die-cuts and other creative flourishes of a custom-made Peacock Groove bicycle, the flashiest ride in town. 2718 E. 27th St., Mpls.; 651-269-5295; peacockgroove.com