Aug. 24, 2023

Chad Pickard has owned and operated Spoke-N-Sport for 22 years.

In that time, he has become a vocal supporter and advocate for cycling, recreation and small businesses across Sioux Falls.

But now, he’s moving on – to a national role.

Pickard has sold Spoke-N-Sport, which has three locations, to long-time manager Peter Oien.

“Peter has wanted to be more and more a part of the business over the years,” Pickard said, noting Oien went from part time to full time, from hourly to salary, eventually serving in a general manager position. The timing soon looked right for Pickard to sell the shop. “I said, ‘Let’s make it happen.’”

Pickard said it was perfect – he has an opportunity with the National Bike Dealers Association and the three shops are in good shape with several years of growth, including adding ski equipment.

“We’re coming down to the end of a good run,” Pickard said. “There’s a ton of opportunity for him to come in and grow the business. We have a ton of momentum.”

In 2018, Pickard joined the board of the National Bike Dealers Association. He has since served on several committees, and as the organization has grown, so has his role. “Eventually, it’s just turned into a position,” Pickard said.

Going forward, he’ll work on podcasts, peer networking groups and conduct workshops at trade shows and events. He sees his role as yet another way to connect people. “We call ourselves independent bicycle dealers, but we aren’t independent,” Pickard said. “We operate independently, but we need to lean on each other to solve problems. These programs are designed to get those solutions to all the retailers so we can all be successful in this industry.”

He also recently was appointed to the city of Sioux Falls’ Active Transportation Board, so he will continue his role as an advocate in the community.

A few years ago, Pickard began working on an exit plan at the shop. Oien was the natural fit to take over, he said.

But Pickard also knows it’s about more than the right place at the right time. You have to have the right person.

“Peter is incredibly smart, and his bike knowledge from the technical side is amazing,” Pickard said. “I know I’ve taught him some things, but he also knows there are other industries he needs to use when he’s trying to problem-solve. I’m proud that he’s willing to take this next step, and I’m excited he will allow me to be part of it in some way or another.”

Pickard said he thinks the staff will see a smooth transition. “Staff members love his leadership style and personality,” Pickard said. “He’s grown into this role.”

Oien began working at the shop in 2009, building bikes part time. He initially was drawn to it because he wanted what the shop had: Cervelo bikes.

“I thought the coolest thing in the world would be to race bikes in Europe,” Oien said. “At the time, Cervelo was a factory-sponsored team, and they were the coolest thing on Earth. I thought, ‘How do I get one?’”

One way was to get a job at a shop that sells them – and that’s how he ended up working for Spoke-N-Sport. “It started as pursuit of an object, and it turned into a career,” Oien said with a laugh.

Oien graduated from Augustana University with a degree in history and secondary education, thinking he would become a teacher or coach. He never dreamed his part-time bike-building gig would turn into becoming a small-business owner.

“At some point, it was like, this is what I do, let’s take it to its natural conclusion,” Oien said.

“In the past 10 years, I’ve thought, ‘What would I do if this were mine,’” Oien said. Then, he said, he would treat the shop as if it were his own.

Pickard isn’t sure what his future involvement will look like – hosting rides or something else – but both he and Oien are looking forward to the new relationship. “I don’t want to make any decisions,” Pickard said with a laugh. “But I do want to get people on bikes.”

Cycling career

Pickard started working in bicycle retail from the age of 14, and when the opportunity came to buy Spoke-N-Sport, it seemed like the next logical step.

“I really do love bikes and what they can do for people,” he said. “I love the mechanical side and working with my hands. But ultimately, I want to share cycling with as many people as possible in an infectious way.”

The shop moved to its current Minnesota Avenue location in 2011, and a store in Brookings opened in 2017. A second Sioux Falls shop on Cliff Avenue across from Tuthill Park opened in 2021. Spoke-N-Sport has about two dozen employees.

Pickard was born and grew up in Sioux Falls, and raised three daughters here. He attended the University of Sioux Falls for a while, but he kept finding himself working in bike shops, including during a brief stint in Texas.

“Going from being a cycling enthusiast to someone who has to run a business around it – those are two very different things,” Pickard said. “Learning to run a business was so hard for me. My brain didn’t think that way, with budgets and balance sheets. That’s still the hardest part for me.”

He quickly learned you can’t run a business, especially one that is as seasonal as it is in South Dakota, without really understanding what people want. “You have to be extra profitable during the season, so you don’t disappear during the off-season,” he said, noting that’s part of why the shop began selling ski equipment when Sun ‘N Fun closed. “There was a customer base that wasn’t being served.”

It worked. The shop saw 30 percent growth last year – and there’s more opportunity as people continue to learn Spoke-N-Sport has added snow sports to its lineup. And the community seems ready – Great Bear Ski Valley has seen growth as well.

Nurturing a community 

Part of Pickard’s legacy will be building community around cycling.

“When I bought the store, there was a bike club, but it was more focused on getting out there and throwing it down to see who could be the fastest. Show up, hit it hard, and go home,” he said. While there’s an audience and an appeal to that, other cyclists want different kinds of rides.

“I helped with club FAB (Falls Area Bicyclists), building a club that was more user-friendly for someone new to cycling, and we also targeted some advocacy and education,” he said. “We were focused on growing our membership and spreading cycling in Sioux Falls.”

Now, there are several recreational rides hosted by all kinds of shops and nonprofits. Think Thursday Ladies, the Bikepacking Brigade or dozens of other groups that get together. “Every other weekend, there is someone planning a ride within the cycling community,” he said.

And, of course, there are more organizations – such as Falls Area Single Track – building trail and growing mountain biking. The Sioux Falls Bike Racing Series hosts races all year, including fat bike, gravel and cyclocross.

“It just wasn’t as present back then, and now it’s much more visible,” he said, believing that was intentional by cyclists for cyclists. “The more people who ride bikes, the more they’re going to need bikes, and it’s a perpetual motion machine. We can continue selling bikes and educating people and giving back to the community.”

Oien shares Pickard’s passion for getting people on bikes.

“I sold a recumbent trike to someone who wanted to lose some weight, and he rode that bike around the trail the first sunny day last year,” Oien said. “He came back and said, ‘Peter, I went on this ride, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I have to tell you about it.’”

He said it’s that kind of excitement that drives him.

“I get stoked on people having fun with bikes,” Oien said. “Because I work here, I get to see that every day. I love that we’ve added skis. Skis are the winter equivalent – if you live in South Dakota and hate winter, go get skis and you won’t hate winter anymore.”

Pickard has seen the influence of his – and others – advocacy, including an enforced 3-foot and 6-foot passing law. Plus, legislation that has been shot down because the cycling community made enough noise. “That still blows me away, that the cycling community can make that change.”

His work with the NBDA will move that advocacy to a national stage. “People see what we are doing here as far as keeping cyclists safe, and they say, ‘Oh, we’ve heard of you.’”

The world of advocacy will be a new one to Oien, who has spent a lot of his time running day-to-day operations. But he looks forward to helping connect people and drive change in the community. “I love relating to people and sharing ideas,” he said. “As a business leader, you start to have more weight when you tell people ‘hey, I’m invested in this.’”

Transition plan

Oien said customers won’t see major changes at the shop. “Chad has taught me a ton about business. He’s raised expectations. But a lot of those things in our shop culture, those are me as well.”

But any new leader naturally brings some change.

“Anytime you put someone into a leadership position, there’s new energy and ideas,” Oien said. “I love bike racing, for instance. I love skiing. When you’re excited about something, they come with you. I didn’t end up here on accident. That intention keeps things flowing.”

He said he’s most excited about continuing to work with the staff members and share in the excitement. “One of my commitments is that your business is only as good as your staff,” Oien said.

“One of the things Chad has taught me is that if someone wants to make a career out of the bike industry, they can. That doesn’t happen a lot – where you can start in customer service and move up.”

Pickard agrees.

“We’re still going to strive for the absolute best experience for everyone who comes in the door,” Pickard said. “Our core focus is incredible experiences for everyone.”

His advice for Oien: “Know who your customers are, and take care of them 100 percent of the time.”