A beloved bike shop in Norfolk is changing ownership. That's because the man who first opened it plans to blaze a new trail of kindness somewhere else.
Andrew Hund has spent the better part of 15 years spreading love around the City of Norfolk through bikes.
“Seeing the look and transformation of people through bikes is a great thing,” said Hund.
He opened Hund’s Recycle Factory on Colley Avenue in 2010. Since then, he’s built and given away hundreds of bikes to friends, family, and people he doesn’t even know.
“Those are the good feelings a bike brings me,” said Hund.
He’s also a big part of why Norfolk has become a bike-friendly city today. Serving on the Bicycle Trails and Pedestrian board, he worked to get the speed limit lowered on Colley Avenue to make it safer for bicyclists.
But this trek of positivity and giving will soon find a new home.
“It’s time to switch gears and pass the torch,” said Hund.
He is handing over his beloved shop to new owners. The longtime biking advocate and philanthropist is moving with his family to Radford, Virginia. He purchased the same bike shop he frequented as a college student at Radford University. Its then owner inspired Hund to be a community advocate for biking.
“He got me loving the spirit of the bike world,” said Hund. “I want to continue building a community and helping people in front of me. Do the same thing in a new spot.”
Hund calls it the hardest decision he’s ever had to make, but he’s hoping he leaves behind a legacy of kindness in the city he loves.
“Hopefully it feels the same way on Colley Avenue,” said Hund. “You’ll still have that same energy. New energy.”
Hund says the shop is in great hands. The new owners, he says, have the same philosophy on life and philanthropy. Instead of "Hund's Recycle Factory" it’ll now be called the "Norfolk Recycle Factory."