Michael Dinh's path to Bici Cyclery isn't a unique one among my generation. A successful corporate career left him unfulfilled and, upon returning from a trip to Coachella in the spring of 2012, he just never went back into the office.
The native Houstonian knew that he wanted to forge a more creative lifestyle, one more aligned with Main Street than Wall Street, and was desperate to open his own business. Dinh didn't care what it was.
Lucky for Montrose residents, that "something" happened to be a bike shop — one that, Dinh tells CultureMap, nine months into business, runs on a balance of corporate-minded strategic efficiency and mom-and-pop passion.
With features as sharp as his fashion sense, Dinh has become a pedaling billboard.
"The roots of the shop are in the underground fixed gear scene," says Dinh, who took over the space at 2309 Dunlavy Street after Houston Fixed Gear went under last summer. He has continued that tradition with Bici, where fixie enthusiasts can build custom bikes for an approachable price (starting around $350).
To appeal to the more casual cyclist, the store stocks neighborhood and city bikes that are perfect for bar-hopping, picking up groceries and riding around on Houston's streets and trails. Dinh focuses on boutique brands that he believes in, like Austin-based Fairdale Bikes and Linus Bikes out of Venice, Calif.
"We're pretty invested in the whole lifestyle of it," he explains. With features as sharp as his fashion sense, Dinh has become a pedaling billboard; all of the bikes he builds have been bought out from underneath him. And his wife has encountered the same problem.
Another crucial element of Bici's model is its service: The shop offers straightforward and competitive pricing on everything from handlebar wrapping to an all-over tune-up, plus hot coffee and cold beer — on the house — while customers wait. Ideal offerings for a neighborhood fixture.
Bici Cyclery has been open at 2309 Dunlavy since September 2012.
