Previously, Skidmore worked in the oil industry, and his wife, Stephanie, worked as a dental office manager. After getting laid off in 2020 due to the pandemic, the Skidmore family moved to Hawaii.
A few months into their time there, Skidmore and Stephanie realized they needed to focus on working again. Skidmore and his family always enjoyed riding bikes, and he thought if he were to ever open a business, it would be centered around bicycles.
Skidmore then acquired space for Drifted Cycles and built it up from scratch in Leander, where he and his family have lived since 2013.
“There’s no other bicycle shop in Leander,” Skidmore said. “And with a population of 81,000 people, there’s opportunity.”Drifted Cycles sells bikes, wheels, car racks, helmets, parts and several different types of accessories including lights, locks, travel cases and eyewear. The bicycle shop also offers bike services and repairs.
Customers can treat the shop as a hangout place and even have a beer there, Skidmore said. Pets are also welcome in the store.
“The main thing [that makes Drifted Cycles unique] is the welcoming vibe and the welcoming feel,” he said. “We don’t want anybody to feel intimidated to come in here.”
Top customer bicycle orders includes the men’s Giant Talon Mountain Bike, the women’s Liv Bliss Mountain Bike and the unisex Momentum Bike. Since opening, Skidmore said bike sales at Drifted Cycles have grown every month.
However, supply chain issues have affected the business.
“People want a specific bike or a color of a bike or whatever, and it’s just out of stock,” he said. “There’s some bikes that we can’t get until the middle of 2023 [or] end of 2023.”
As Leander’s only bicycle shop, Skidmore said he is looking to get more involved in the community. One of his goals is to help introduce mountain biking and cycling programs into Leander ISD schools. Additionally, as Leander continues to grow, Skidmore wants to help the infrastructure of the city and prioritize alternative forms of transportation, including cycling.
One community event at Drifted Cycles is the Social Ride—a group of people meet every first Saturday of the month to ride bikes through the city. Skidmore is also working to incorporate a Trail Ride—riding bikes on city trails—every third Saturday of the month.
Currently, Skidmore has no plans to expand Drifted Cycles to other Austin-area locations. Since the shop is still fairly new, Skidmore said his focus is being more connected with the community.
“As Leander grows, we’re just going to continue to strengthen our roots here in every facet that we can,” he said.
Drifted Cycles
651 N. US 183, Ste. 170, Leander
512-456-7222
www.driftedcycles.com
Hours: Tue.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m., closed Mon.
