Meet Ryan Puckett | Owner/head mechanic/lead janitor at Nimblewheels Bicycles in Dahlonega, Georgia.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Puckett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Having worked in bike shops and at mountain bike destinations throughout the southeast for over 15 years, as well as being involved in the cycling community for longer than that, I had developed a pretty rigid distinction between what a bike shop should be and what a bike store is. The idea for Nimblewheels Bicycles was actually born around offering guided rides (both on and off-road) and skills building classes, but when I moved back to Dahlonega, GA in late 2014 I saw a need for a strong service-based bike shop in town. So instead of inviting people to come ride in an area with little to no known infrastructure, it felt like the natural next step was to start small and put my bike shop theories to practice in an area with little rider support and so much to offer. We put regular hours on the door in September of 2018 and we’ve really stayed busy with the service side of the business. Retail is a challenge in these post-Covid days, especially for a small family business and even more so when the customer has endless amounts of information at their fingertips paired with access to special pricing through the myriad of retail/streaming tv/etc. memberships they belong to. I have no interest in competing with high volume bike stores, let alone the internet outlets, so this is why I keep my retail overhead remarkably low and instead focus on providing rock solid repair work and local ride knowledge that is second to none. All while keeping the essential products that we have personally tested and use every day in stock

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
North Georgia is fortunate to have some pretty great bike shops and I feel fortunate to be a part of that support network for the greater community. However, I hear too often from folks that have walked into other shops near and far that felt intimidated or ignored by staff because they didn’t seem “hardcore” enough. I mean, it has happened to me even after I opened my own shop! In my past life I was moderately successful local mountain bike racer and qualified for a few national level events until I simply lost interest in the race scene. I’ve been around that side enough to know what that level rider needs, but today its all about having fun on bikes and sharing that joy. Our everyday-rider-centered approach to cycling is what I believe sets us apart while still being able to accommodate the most serious of cyclists.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First thing is first: gotta hit the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market at Hancock Park in Dahlonega to load up on goods for the week. During the week we’ll get breakfast at the Corner Kitchen, coffee at Jethro’s, then we’ll load up the bikes and head out to the Bull Mountain and Jake Mountain trails. For other days on the bike, we’ll go further into the forest on any number of old forest service roads for some secret swimming holes and fishing waters (c’mon… you don’t really think I’ll share those locations, do you?!) and camp out away from the crowds. Once we’re back in town we’ll pick up some grillables from Hamilton’s Meat Market or have dinner in town and finish with a nightcap at Gold City Growlers

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, my wife and our daughter Charlie are the biggest cheerleaders and supporters of me and this bike shop. They are our biggest fans and the “why” behind the drive to get out of bed every morning to work for safer places to ride and for a better community. Without them NImblewheels Bicycles wouldn’t exist.

I came into my first job in the cycling industry with a pretty firm aptitude for mechanics, but my foundation in the world of bike shops would not be what it is today without the early support and mentorship from the legendary Scott Hodge. Along with his remarkable level of patience for a young kid getting started at their first real job, his depth of mechanical knowledge, cycling culture & history and community first attitude have continued to be my guide through this process of starting, owning and operating my own bike shop. Addictive Cycles will always be home to this part of my life, and I’m endlessly appreciative of Hodge, Grant Lockwood, Cody Yancy, and all of the friends and customers (many of whom still come in) for the opportunity of those early years.

Website: nimblewheelsbicycles.com

Instagram: @nimblewheelsbicycles

Facebook: Nimblewheels Bicycles

Other: Ph. #: 706-973-1249 email: info@nimblewheelsbicycles.com

Image Credits
All images by Ryan Puckett