Hello Bicycle, goodbye bike snobs

Somewhere in Seattle, one bicycle mechanic isn’t feeling smug. He’s not leering at shop patrons as they push their mangled machines through the shop door. He’s not belittling new customers who’ve never heard the word Shimano. And he’s happy to see penniless pre-teen BMXers hovering outside the shop door.

His name is Sam Lettes (pronounced like the vegetable), and he works at Hello Bicycle in Beacon Hill. Lettes lives just a few blocks from the shop and rides a sturdy commuter bike to get around town. He doesn’t race, he doesn’t tour and he doesn’t take part in any fixed-gear fashion show parades.

Lettes’ friendly, no-frills style is suited perfectly to Hello Bicycle, where he’s worked as the shop’s only full-time mechanic since March of last year. Launched in October 2008, Hello Bicycle is the brainchild of local cycle man Miki Nishihata, who owns and manages the store while working a full-time job at CompuTrainer, a Seattle-based company that makes indoor bicycle training machines.

Hello Bicycle is at the forefront of a nucleus of local community-based shops that have popped up around Seattle in recent years. Though shops like Hello Bicycle can’t handle the volume that big chain stores can, they’re better at giving customers individual attention and establishing a consistent customer base through word-of-mouth referrals.

“People who come into the shop are more than customers,” Lettes says. “They’re bike enthusiasts, just like us.” 

It’s that respect for customers that’s helped make Hello Bicycle a Beacon Hill community institution of sorts and brought it customers from other parts of Seattle looking for a more-accessible kind of bike shop. Among knowledgeable Seattle cyclists, Hello Bicycle is ranked highly, alongside 2020 Cycles in the Central District, Bike So Good in Georgetown and Bike Works in Columbia City. The shop’s reputation has spread to cyberspace, where it’s garnered a 4.5 aggregate rating on Yelp.

With a welcoming atmosphere and friendly (although tiny) staff, it’s no wonder Hello Bicycle has found success without having to advertise. Shop regulars and neighborhood residents often drop by just to say hello, and Lettes has been known to offer mechanical service and advice for absurdly low prices. After spending a couple hours tinkering with a customer’s derailleur and shifter cables, he tells her “Well, you did about half the work, so I’ll charge you half the price. How about eight bucks?”

What’s more, the shop’s inventory seems small but is more than sufficient for most bicycle commuters. Lights, bar tape, brake pads and all the DIY must-haves are easy to locate upon entering the shop. In fact, Lettes says, the shop’s inventory is largely based on customer requests.

“Local shops are personal and approachable,” he says. “The mechanics know you and your bike. We offer simple, accessible components -- stuff people need and understand.”

Did I mention the ice cream? Hello Bicycle houses a soft-serve machine, and on sporadic weekends, Lettes and Nishihata pass out the goods to shop patrons, free of charge. The pair hopes to build on community-engagement efforts like these, eventually offering bicycle repair classes and other events with the overarching goal of demystifying the mechanics of the bicycle for customers.

“We’ll never talk down to people,” Lettes says. “Some call it being humble, but we call it being realistic. We understand that not everyone can know everything about bikes.”

Of course, the shop will look to increase sales and build its client base, but don’t expect Hello Bicycle to go all Haliburton on us. As reads the shop’s mission statement, “…first and foremost, we respect and appreciate our customers.”

Hello Bicycle is located at 3067 Beacon Ave. S. and is open 11am to 6pm every day of the week except Monday. The shop sells a variety of used bicycles and also deals new Jamis bikes—solid, simple machines for people who want to get from place to place.