Aaron Ofsiany has been a cyclist for most of his life, doing long distance rides at 6 and racing at 9.
Now, after decades of racing and working in almost every aspect of the bike industry in California, he’s going into business for himself for the first time in Blue Hill.
Blue Hill Cyclery, a repair and gear shop run out of a converted service van in the family’s driveway at 16 Parker Point Road, opened on Saturday. It already has people dusting off old bikes from their attics and garages, according to Ofsiany and his wife, Sarah King.
Across the street from the town’s library, it’s now the third business in a small extension of the downtown — and it sits at the head of a prime road for cycling, where some new customers have already stopped for mid-ride tuneups.
Ofsiany and King want their centrally located bike services — along with community events they plan to organize — to get more people biking together.
“Coming from San Francisco, we witnessed how putting something like this in a community can really inspire a community to get out and be active and spend time together,” King said.
The family moved to Blue Hill last June for a change of pace and an escape from extreme weather in California, where they had lived and cycled since the late 1990s. The existing small bike shop in town didn’t need a mechanic, and noticing many other cyclists around, Ofsiany thought there would be enough demand in Blue Hill for a second shop.
He’s been surprised by the number of once-serious cyclists who have come out of the woodwork, and said that the need to travel out of town for repairs and a lack of a community hub for cycling may have made it hard for them to stay motivated.
But the peninsula is a good place for it, according to Ofsiany.
“The cycling I’ve done so far is absolutely spectacular,” he said.
Though some roads are in rough shape or have narrow shoulders, there are fewer cars and more long stretches without traffic lights or stop signs interrupting the ride, particularly in comparison to San Francisco. If the community hub grows, he hopes it’ll also raise awareness of cyclists on the road.
“The things I like about cycling is it’s something that you can do by yourself, and you get to see just so many incredible things and you get to work out stress on the hills, if you want,” Ofsiany said. “It just kind of lets your mind drift. It’s one of the things that still makes me feel young.”
But cycling is also a bonding activity for families. Ofsiany is planning weekly public group rides at a comfortable pace for beginners, as well as maintenance classes, learn-to-ride events and kids-oriented obstacle courses. Customers can watch live bicycle races on a television in the portable shop, which also carries exercise nutrition and basic biking equipment.
Ofsiany will work on any kind of bike, including road bikes, e-bikes and mountain bikes. The service menu includes basic and deluxe tune-ups, drivetrain cleaning, adjustments and small repairs while you wait, and bike building services. Visitors to the area can ship their bikes to be assembled onsite.
Blue Hill Cyclery is currently open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.