Building the Valley: Spokes bike shop is back, this time in Vandergrift

Tim Carson is all about positive energy, good vibes and high vibrations — but most of all, bikes.

“The glory of bicycles, for me, (is) it has always been a stress reducer,” he said, standing next to a workbench covered in tools and bike parts. “I always say: Bikes change lives.”

Carson is back on his mission to spread the two-wheeled gospel after reviving his bike shop, Spokes — this time in Vandergrift.

He ran the business out of a Sprinter van fueled by vegetable oil for about eight years, then, in 2022, moved into a Leechburg storefront. Business was good, he said, backed by strong demand for socially distanced activities in the wake of the pandemic.

When some personal challenges arose, he shut down the shop, moved out of Allegheny Township and spent some time in Colorado. Now he’s back in the Alle-Kiski Valley, working out of his new community.

The shop specializes in used and custom-built bikes, including increasingly popular e-bikes, as well as repairs.

Tinkering with bikes is a force of habit for him, as is riding them. Carson, 49, has raced mountain bikes since he was a kid, amassing an impressive collection of first-place finishes along the way.

One of his favorite wins: The Iceman Cometh Challenge, a 30-mile cross country mountain bike race in northern Michigan known for slushy conditions.

But Spokes — a nod to Carson’s knack for building custom bike wheels — caters to casual and hardcore bikers alike. And customers have come aplenty, many of whom patronized the Leechburg shop.

“It has been crazy,” he said. “There’s weekends where we just don’t stop.”

Mason Hall, 22, of Vandergrift worked at Spokes when it was in Leechburg. He described Carson as a skilled business owner who’s “hard-wired to give the people what they want.”

The new iteration of Spokes is a solo operation — at least for now, Carson said.

Spokes opened last month, but Carson spent several weeks prior fixing up the flooring and masonry in the historic building along Grant Avenue. Right now, everything is on one floor, but he plans to get the basement in good enough shape to add a showroom down there.

He also plans to offer a fleet of rental bikes at some point.

Running a business is never easy, especially when Carson is keeping his day job at a glass repair company. But if his approach as an entrepreneur is anything like his drive as a mountain biker, that should be half the fun.

“That’s what I’ve always loved about it,” he said. “It’s hard.”

Spokes is at 142 Grant Ave. in Vandergrift. It’s open from 5 to 9 p.m, Mondays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.