Shop Local: Treehouse Cyclery

Editor's Note:

Print magazines and brick-and-mortar bike shops go together like single speeds and denim, groms and scabby shins, tire inserts and profanity - so it should come as no surprise that, even though we don’t have a print magazine (right now), we’re working on a new series highlighting independent bike shops. We think local shops are great and we want them to succeed in this constantly changing marketplace, so we're doing what we can to help them with the bully pulpit our title affords us. Have a shop you love you think we should cover? Tell us about them here !

Treehouse Cyclery in Denver, Colorado, like most of the shops we're featuring in this series, is a community hub. But more than that, they opened their doors because they wanted to do things differently and show the industry that a business focused on diversity/inclusivity from the beginning could be successful. We chatted with Alyssa Gonzalez, co-owner of Treehouse Cylcery, to get a bit more insight into the how and why of what they do.

Can you give us a quick history of your shop?

In May 2023, Kolby and I were on a roadtrip to MTB with some friends in St. George, UT and started talking about frustrations we were feeling in the bike world. At the time, he was working as a bike mechanic and I was heavily involved with brands , DEI work, and community organizing. Jokingly, we talked about opening a bike shop and how we would do things differently then shared our dream version of a bike shop with each other. We started having more serious conversations about owning a shop and eventually made a business plan, started taking to other bike shop owners, etc. It really was a dream of ours and its special to see it come alive in the way it has!

What makes your shop really stand out? What’s unique about you?

We are woman of color-owned (only one in the state). Might be the only woman owned independent bike shop in Colorado. I haven’t been able to find any others yet!

Inclusive community building is at the core of what we do. It’s one of the main reasons why we opened the shop. A majority of our group rides are no-drop, social rides. We host bikepacking trips and clinics, as well as other bike related classes and events for free or at low cost. We also partner with a lot of the local FTWN-B and BIPOC riding groups. Most of our customers are women, trans, non-binary, and BIPOC riders which is not typical of most shops. We envisioned Treehouse being a third space for people and have seen that come to fruition over the last year.

Over 75% of our inventory comes from independent bike brands. We prioritize bringing in diverse products that you don’t see in every bike shop and we are the only dealer in the state for a lot of the products we currently stock. We specialize in steel + titanium bikes and only bring in frames/bikes from independent fabricators, so we don’t sell Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, etc.

What makes your local riding scene special?

The Denver/Boulder riding scene is really special because there are so many different types of riders and riding opportunities. From roadies and racers to bikepackers and commuters, and everything in between – we get so many different types of people in our shop and on our rides. A lot of people move to Colorado for its access to trails and mountains, so there are a lot of really passionate riders here. In the last few years there have been a lot of inclusive groups popping up, which has allowed a lot more people to get into the sport in the way that feels best for them.

If you could change one thing in mountain biking right now, what would it be?

The culture currently feels very exclusive and intimidating. People are being pushed to ride full suspension, carbon bikes, to wear certain things, ride harder and bigger, etc. A lot of people interested in the sport feel like it’s not for them because they can’t or don’t want to fit into all of that. I wish there was more conversation and acceptance in the larger MTB community for people showing up with whatever bike, walking hills, wearing whatever, etc. No need to shame people. Just let them enjoy the trails and ride.

What do you wish you could tell all your customers (could be something as simple as “wash your bike before you bring it in” or as deep and heartfelt as you want)

Support your local bike shop! Small, independent bike shops will cease to exist without the support from their community. The bike industry is a tough place to be in, especially for independent shops. It could be quicker and easier sometimes to buy from a large, known brand, or go to big sports stores – but being able to give money and time to a small business helps so much, and contributes to a thriving local bike community.

What’s your mechanics’ beverage of choice?

Our shop consists of 2 people – me and Kolby. Kolby’s bevvie of choice is an americano or oat cap. He’s sober and doesn’t drink!

Any questions we didn’t ask that you’d love to talk about?

We have a gear library that we’ve partnered with RAR Front Range on. It’s a free library with bikepacking/camping gear for people to use! This is something that’s important to us, so we can help people gain access to bike gear without breaking the bank. It’s a mix of donated used and new gear. We’re looking to keep growing and expanding that!

Any advice to folks who want to work in a bike shop?

Find the shop that fits your interests and learn everything you can! If you want to be in sales – get excited about the products you’re selling. If you want to be a mechanic – learn about different types of bikes, components, etc. It’ll help you in the long run to be educated, informed, and passionate about what you’re doing and to help people get the best service/products fit for them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and also advocate for what you need.

Where do you want to see your shop go in the future? Expansions? More community involvement? What are you looking forward to?

In the future, we’re hoping our shop can be looked at as a place for community and learning, high quality service and custom builds, and a hub for all cyclists in the state. We’d love to bring on a few employees, right now it’s just me and Kolby. For our community – we’d like to have a regular schedule of mechanic classes, bikepacking trips, and group rides. Ultimately, we’re not focused on growth and expansion, but finding a stable foothold in an unpredictable industry.

To learn more about Treehouse Cyclery and to keep tabs on their community offerings, check out their website or head to their Instagram account!

Check out the rest of our Shop Local series here .