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Howard Smith said he has been in the biking industry since he was in elementary school.
“My earliest memories were of my dad on two wheels,” Smith said. “It was bicycles, bicycles, bicycles.”
Smith was making plans to open a bike shop as early as junior high school—already having a notebook of all the required inventory it would take to get a brick-and-mortar up and running.
“I had a pretty good idea of what I would’ve needed for an opening day inventory,” Smith said.
While the plans didn’t lead to any success back in the day, Smith said after saving up enough money, he bought Action Bikes back in 1995 and has overseen the business ever since.
While many bike shops are scattered around the San Antonio area, Smith said Action Bikes stands out because of the range of options available and the shop's customer service.
“Bikes are just so personable,” Smith said. “Things that work for me might not work for others.”
The shop offers cycles from just about every major brand out there, from Trek Bikes to Schwinn Bikes and everything in between, Smith said. Action Bikes also sells pedals, bike seats and road cycling shoes. There are also classic bikes for children for sale.
Action Bikes also offers bike repairs.
“It’s not about riding the most expensive brand of bike,” Smith said. “It’s finding what works best for each individual customer.”
Action Bikes also holds a free, beginner-friendly 14-mile bike ride through downtown San Antonio each Sunday.
The local impact
Actions Bikes' loyal customer base is another reason why Action Bikes stands out. Smith said he has customers that drive across the city and beyond to shop in-store—a testament to what the shop has offered throughout the years.
“I’m always amazed at how many people will drive far to see us,” he said. “That’s why I don’t feel obligated to open a second shop.”
By keeping his business consolidated in Universal City, Smith believes he will have more time to focus on customers rather than being in “two places at once.”
“I like being present [at the shop] and getting my hands dirty,” he said.
In the future, Smith said he hopes to continue cultivating the biking community in San Antonio, a city which he said is excellent for the sport.
Along with the hundreds of miles of greenway trails and new pump tracks being built around the city, Smith said biking has a bright future in South Central Texas.
“I’m old enough to remember when there was no greenway around the city,” Smith, now sixty, said. “Now, you can circumnavigate [San Antonio] on a bike.”
