Riding a bike is pretty simple. A couple of tires, a chain, some leg power and a bit of balance is all it takes to get going. But today's bikes are so loaded with high tech gear, ultra-precision engineering, and advanced materials, it can seem like biking is anything but simple. With all that tech and science behind a bike it can feel super intimidating to know what fits your body and style of biking.

For the folks at Slim and Knobby’s in Heber it’s their life passion to take all the high-tech gadgets and myriad of bike options and boil it down to something simple that anyone can understand, and to help their customers feel comfortable riding down a mountain or cruising along the road.

Perry Dickson, one of the owners at Slim and Knobby’s, knows that sometimes specialty bike shops have a bad wrap for treating those who don’t know the biking lingo as second-class customers. It’s very important to him and his crew, that their customers never feel that way.

“One of our biggest goals at Slim and Knobby’s is to be inviting to everyone. Whether you’re just starting or getting back into cycling we want to be a resource to help you reach your goals,” said Dickson.

This drive to be approachable and friendly comes from personal experience. They know what it feels like to be taken lightly. Even though they know all latest tech, and specific dimensions for a great ride down to the millimeter, it’s helping people find joy in biking again that drives them.

“I really love when someone walks out of here with the bike that fits their needs, or an old bike that we fixed up and made like new again and there’s just happiness in their eyes,” said Dickson.

For Dickson, it’s important that his shop is active in the community and giving back to help grow the sport he loves. Over the years he realized that it’s easy for people to be “an arm chair critic” but nothing changes until some takes action. There has been a lot of hard work put into new trails for both road cycling and mountain biking and there is a lot more work to be done to help the community to fully embrace cycling, but Dickson says the benefits outweigh the challenges.

“Having a strong trail network is the number one thing people are looking for right now,” said Dickson. “[Trails] improve people’s quality of life, the opinion of where they live, and gives them an alternative to driving a car.”

When it comes down to it, helping folks get out and get on the trail is a passion for Dickson and his team. Over the past few years Slim and Knobby’s has taken a much more active role in growing the cycling culture in the valley. Just recently the bike shop took on a challenge to help revitalize a trails alliance that was on the verge of derailing. They applied for and received grant dollars to build a new pump track at Wasatch Mountain State Park as part of a multiphase mountain biking trail project. They’re engaged in community events such as the Midway Monday Cruise in which dozens of riders, young and old, enjoy an evening ride around Midway.

For their own going efforts to serve the community the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize Perry Dickson and the team at Slim and Knobby’s Bike Shop as the October Business of the Month.