Bike Tech is a one-stop shop for bike enthusiasts, casual commuters, hard-core BMXers, weekend mountain-bikers and downhill racers. “We've got a bicycle here for just about anything you want to do,” says manager Gerod Byrd. The shop is located just two blocks from Lakewood's BMX park and across the street from one of the city's new bike lanes.
Bike Tech puts together special starter packages for beginning commuters — helmet, rack, pannier, even a computer that calculates speed, mileage and heart rate. It also offers regular clinics on bike commuting and bike repair. The shop's repair techs are trained to work even on bikes they don't sell. Bike Tech is part of a four-store group owned by Dale Carlson of Olympia, but it has a long Lakewood pedigree and started out as Ray's Bike Shop in 1956. Byrd has seen a lot of bike styles come and go, including one nostalgic addition: “Remember that fat-tired Schwinn you had as a kid?," he asks, "Well, they're coming back.”