Can you kick it?
The Kick Stand / “This is more like a hobby job,” said Nicole “Nicky” Rowles of her bike store, The Kick Stand, on the corner of 9th and Waialae avenues.
With hands-on bicycle-maintenance services at its core, The Kick Stand is more of a workshop than retail store but bike essentials such as helmets, messenger bags, frames and wheels are for sale.
Owners Rowles and Cyrus Camp opened this quaint shop in August and their business approach is raising curiosity among cycling enthusiasts and casual bike riders.
“We fit into a small niche,” said Camp.”We’re more personal.”
Rowles and Camp are both special educators and met at Loveland Academy, a school for children with special needs.
“I saw how talented he was with bicycles,” said Rowles. Camp made her a custom sidecar so she could ride a bike, something Rowles hasn’t done since her childhood due to physical limitations.
In a whirlwind period of seven months, Camp and Rowles formed a relationship and became business partners.
“We put our dreams together,” said Rowles, an East Coast native who always wanted to open her own bagel café.
Resulting from their countless tête-à-têtes is a business that showcases what the two are passionate about: bagels and bikes.
Camp named their shop after a small venture he had with a friend where they offered complimentary bike maintenance outside of Saunders Hall on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
Until they receive the proper licensing, Rowles and Camp can’t sell food, most of which will be made by Rowles, so for the time being, people can taste Rowles’ homemade coffee cake and freshly brewed toddies in exchange for a donation.
Fueled on coffee and cake, the couple operates their shop after working their day jobs.
For those who want to learn how to fix or even build their own bike, Camp suggests purchasing their six-month “Mechanics Club” membership for $60. According to Camp and Rowles, the membership can save you money on bike maintenance and even make you a better rider.
“Educating the cycling population empowers cyclists and improves the community as a whole,” said Camp.
David Hitzl, a friend and associate of the pair, said he knew The Kick Stand was going to be special because he believed it was unlike any other cycling store on the island. The Kick Stand is a place where people can hang out, talk about bikes and eventually nosh on an authentic East Coast bagel.
“This is a working class bike shop,” said Hitlz.
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