Wildcat Wheels celebrates grand reopening in expanded home Aug. 22
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 18, 2025) — Wildcat Wheels, University of Kentucky’s campus bike shop, has moved, and UK Transportation Services is celebrating in a big way. The campus community is invited to the grand reopening, which will coincide with the “Big Blue Buses and Bikes” event, 3-6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, on the first floor of Sports Center Garage, 721 Sports Center Drive.
Visitors can:
- Tour the new 3,000 square foot bike shop.
- Hop aboard an on-site campus bus to learn about transit options. Practice securing your bike on the bus rack.
- Snap a photo with Wildcat and Scratch, the UK mascots.
- Enjoy a sweet, cold treat from an ice cream truck, available to the first 250 students.
- Snag free bicycle-related swag.
A bicycle chain cutting ceremony will be 4:30 p.m. The shop, which has been under construction since 2024, highlights the university’s commitment to expanding transportation options on campus.
Since its creation in 2004, Wildcat Wheels has transformed into a nationally recognized and industry-leading example of what’s possible for a campus bike shop with the help of institutional support and individual efforts.
UK Transportation Services collaborated with RossTarrant Architects to design and build the new space, which significantly raises Wildcat Wheels’ visibility on campus. It was previously located in the basement of Blazer Dining.
The new location features an industrial-inspired aesthetic, with polished concrete flooring and stainless-steel panels on the walls. The reception desk and bookshelves were created from kiln-dried salvaged wood from campus trees. The shop also has a storage room that can house up to 300 bicycles, which Wildcat Wheels staff loan out to students and staff free-of-charge.
“Help us celebrate the grand reopening and visit our new shop during K-Week,” said Joey Daniels, alternative transportation manager. “We’ll also have our partners with the Lexington Transit Authority on site to answer any bus-related questions you may have.”
For more information, email transportation@uky.edu or call 859-257-5757.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.