Daily Grind: Ozzie Perez & Tread Bike Shop

PHOTO BY: B.E HEARD

Tread Bike Shop

250 Dyckman Street
New York, NY 10034-5354
(212) 544-7055

UPTOWN COLLECTIVE: Where are you from?

OZZIE PEREZ, TREAD BIKE SHOP OWNER: I want to say I’m from 183rd, 184th, 189th.

What is Tread Bike Shop?

The shop is a place created to give Uptown the cycling service we (uptowners) deserve. Before Tread we had to go downtown to get the kind of service my boys and I needed due to our cycling ability and the quality of our bikes.

How did Tread Bike Shop come to be?

A few friends and I were doing a public access TV show on Mountain biking called Tread DOGZ and the shop sponsoring the show was on 88St.( my friend worked there, we’ll get back to him later) . I thought to myself, we have to go all the way downtown for real service, that was wack. Another friend of ours lived on Seaman Ave. and told us about the block where we originally open was almost completely empty, I could probably get a store front for cheap. I said Dyckman would be perfect cause it would be smack in the middle of the 2 shops that were uptown at that moment(1998).which were SID’S @ 230St./ Bway & Victors Bike repair 175St./ Bway. And so it was written, I had some savings and I went for it. Second year in business I had to invest some more money but from then, it was on.

PHOTO BY: B.E HEARD

Who are your customers?

My custies are from everywhere/ all over, from a local kid with a busted ass bike he scooped out of the garbage, looking at us all teary eyed when tell him it’s  about $87 to fix, to a Dutch Group who rented 75 bikes from us to ride from the The point in Inwood park were there is a Plaque commemorating the purchase of Manhattan Island from the Indians for a few bucks. Down to Battery Park which I then had to setup a truck to pick up the bikes from there.

When is the favorite part of the work day for you and why?

Usually about 4 o’clock, when everyone is at work, were all joking around and the store is busy. Time flies when we’re busy.

Why aren’t there more bike shops uptown?

It’s a very seasonal business so shops don’t last long, If your not good at saving, budgeting and forecasting it’s a problem. Now I’m not saying I’m all that cause there are lots of other smaller variables that come into play but it isn’t easy. The off season is very stressful.

PHOTO BY: B.E HEARD

What’s the best bike riding route uptown?

I want to say the Greenway, which is the Westside Highway trail. Imagine starting from Dyckman St straight to Battery Park, this is amazing when you stop and think of the size and complexity of this city. A 14 mile ride that stretches the whole length of Manhattan,NYC who don’t forget is the Capital of the world;)

What was the very first bike business experience you ever had?

I had a crash course , I opened without bike shop experience, but my boy worked at a shop(88St) and he guided me through the vendor process which made all the difference in the world, ironically he opened a business Uptown also. He deals in the import car accessory market, his shop is called VRaceworks, his name is Roberto Ventura. I don’t think he knows what a help he was, I guess he’ll know now.

PHOTO BY: B.E HEARD