Blazing The Trail With Crossroad Bikes

“Our own experiences re-entering the cycling community to lose weight and regain our health a few years ago showed us that shops had lost the focus on helping people enjoy cycling in lieu (of) concentrating on sales goals,” said Mikiten.

By Undria Wilson

**Correction: this article has been corrected as an earlier version identified Brian Mikiten as the Owner AND CEO of Beeline Bikes. However, he is the owner of Beeline Bikes but is not the CEO.

Crossroad Bikes is San Antonio’s new “friendly neighborhood” bike shop, which is in the process of expanding along the I-35 corridor.

Brian Mikiten, Owner of Beeline Bikes Powered by Crossroad, and his wife, Joan, opened the shop to increase cycling in the San Antonio area.

Prompted by their personal experiences, Mikiten says the purpose was to bring a friendly and health-oriented shop to the area that welcomed people of all ages.

“Our own experiences re-entering the cycling community to lose weight and regain our health a few years ago showed us that shops had lost the focus on helping people enjoy cycling in lieu (of) concentrating on sales goals,” said Mikiten.

Beeline Bikes mobile service helps to service those in the area who are looking for professional level service and may not want to visit a brick-and-mortar location due to transportation, schedule or other constraints.

As a bike enthusiast, Mikiten said that cycling offers a low impact exercise that is easy to start and often shows dramatic health benefits in a short time.

“Many of our customers are ex-runners or those who were told that they might have back, knee or other types of injuries,” Mikiten continued. “Additionally, the cost of entry is relatively low, and there are many cycling related groups that will help beginning riders enjoy the sport. You do not have to ride fast or long to find a friend with your same goals in cycling.”

To increase ridership and new interests, Beeline Bikes offers no-cost support at local trailheads and group rides to ensure beginners are comfortable.

“We provide free trail maps, offer advice and regularly provide lunch-and-learn sessions at area businesses and gatherings at no-cost covering a range of topics from beginning riding for adults to on-road maintenance techniques,” Mikiten said.

Crossroad Bikes is actively expanding along the I-35 Corridor in New Braunfels, Schertz, San Marcos and Austin.

The business is also looking to venture to Houston and Dallas with the mobile bike service. Beeline has teamed up with organizations like YMCA, RackSpace, EOG Energy and Valero who share similar goals.

“We strive to select brands that offer great value and safety,” Mikiten said. “We believe that educating the public on safety and riding options is one of our main roles in the area.”

The shop lets customers schedule an appointment online to cater to their specific bike maintenance needs. Unlike other shops that are focused on making a sale, Crossroad works to pinpoint the problem, ensure customer comfortability and safety.

As an independent franchise owner, Mikiten believes in making sure cycling becomes a trend in the future.

“If we can get more people back on the bikes that they already own and often store in their garages, we can meet our goals – get people riding again.”