In this episode, Brandon sits down with Shepard Grinker, owner of Tenafly Bicycle Workshop in Tenafly, NJ — a shop known for craftsmanship without pretentiousness and a rare level of customer care. Shepard’s story travels from CNC machining to bike retail, from youth NICA coaching to building some of the Northeast’s most ambitious legal trail systems.

We explore how a small shop can act like a “speedboat in a shipping lane,” adapting quickly in a turbulent industry, and why Shepard believes the future of bike retail sits at the intersection of service innovation, community leadership, and joyful riding.

What We Cover:

• Shepard’s early memories of riding the Brooklyn Bridge on a rattling three-speed
• How engineering precision shaped his approach to service and shop culture
• The harsh realities and deep rewards of owning a bike shop today
• What it takes to build legal trails in places where MTB access has historically been a struggle
• The rise of e-bikes, the gaps in the 25–37 rider demographic, and how shops can meet new expectations
• Why online service booking is changing the customer experience
• The power of blending advocacy and retail — and how it’s fueling growth
• Guided demos, community rides, and the road back to a robust mountain bike scene
• What Shepard hopes the next three years of cycling in his region look like

Links:
🌐 Tenafly Bicycle Workshop — https://www.bicycleworkshop.com/
📸 Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/bicycle_workshop/