EUCLID, Ohio — Fathers everywhere are helping their sons get their bikes in order for summer, but this ride I'm looking at on this day isn't Ethan's; it's for sale.
Meet Mike Edwards, owner of "Fresh Bikes by Mike." His story is a little "nuts."
I spoke with him at his home/bike shop in Euclid. While working as a call center employee from home during the pandemic, he saw a need.
"A lot of kids were home as well, so they were looking for help to have their bikes fixed," Edwards explained.
A lot of grown ups were, too, so after building a custom bike for himself, opportunity came calling.
"Someone offered me money for it," Edwards said. "I built another, someone got that."
Mike had found a market for his work. Now, he's cranking out refurbished bikes and doing custom work with used parts, working outside the supply chain.
He has bikes of all sizes lined up in his driveway: Some custom cruisers, some super-heroes, some pretty and pink. He is even getting business from people who can't get their bikes repaired in a regular shop because of backlogs for parts, which can be as much as a year and a half wait.
Edwards is taking it all in stride. The bike business is booming, and here, there's no backlog for parts. Mike's making it work, and it's paying off in more than a financial way.
"It feels good, you know?" he gushed. "Seeing a little guy or little girl with a new bike, and their smiling, it's a great feeling."
Fresh Bikes by Mike can be found on Instagram, through Mike's Facebook page, and in the Facebook Marketplace. Just search his name, Michael Edwards.