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/

In this conversation, Mike O'Connell emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the customer experience in ride-sharing scenarios. He discusses the common pitfalls that shop owners may encounter, particularly regarding their perceptions of speed and performance in relation to their customers.

Summary

In this conversation, Brandon and Chris discuss the importance of mindset in various aspects of life, including business and personal growth. Emphasizing the value of curiosity and a growth mindset, which can be applied to learning new skills, whether it's cycling, music, or languages.

In the debut episode of Spokes & Strategy, Brandon Morphew and Chris Mehlman kick things off with an honest conversation about the state of the bicycle industry — what’s working, what’s stuck, and where innovation really begins. From the shop floor to modern marketing, they explore how bikes themselves haven’t changed much, but the way we sell and talk about them has to. Chris shares insights from both his racing and marketing background, touching on how inspiration and storytelling can turn browsers into riders. Together, they unpack why understanding the value of today’s bikes — and the experiences they create — is the key to unlocking new growth for shops, brands, and the entire cycling community.

Keywords: bicycles, sales strategies, customer engagement, bike industry, innovation

Takeaway: The fundamentals of cycling remain timeless — but it’s time the industry rethinks how it inspires, educates, and engages the next generation of riders.