For every East Village business that’s opening or closing, dozens are quietly making it. Here’s one of them: NYC Velo.

Courtesy NYC Velo Andrew Crooks

Andrew Crooks raced bikes in college and then graduated to become an engineering consultant in Houston, Tex. He was coming to New York City a few times a month when he decided it was time to shift gears, career-wise. “When I made that list of what I’d like to do for 70 to 80 hours a week, cycling was at the top of the list,” he said. When he opened NYC Velo seven years ago on Second Avenue (a popular commuter route even before it got a bike lane) the East Village’s other bike shops specialized in used rides. On the other hand, NYC Velo’s brand new bikes are priced from $400 to $4,000: hence clientele like Robin Williams and Leo DiCaprio. We asked the bicycling enthusiast turned entrepreneur how he’s managed to make it.

Have the bike lanes brought you more business?

It’s hard to pin it on the bike lanes. We chose the location long before there was a lane. We do tailor our schedule around the commuting culture so we’re open later for people riding home from work and who might stop by because they need something. We open later in the morning because not a lot of things happen in the East Village before 11 a.m. Read more…