Karey Sharp, 63, opened The Bike Shop Wales on Glebe Street around 12 years ago.
Since then, the business has only gone from strength to strength and found a place in the hearts of locals.
Mr Sharp, who is originally from Arizona, moved to Wales in the early noughties for a corporate position that left him wanting to do something “ethical and environmentally friendly” – thus, The Bike Shop Wales was born 15 years ago.
He moved into an existing bike shop shortly after and turned its reputation around, slowly turning this storefront into an integral part of the community.
Mr Sharp told the Penarth Times: “It’s been an adventure.
“It took me a few years to build a reputation, but what really had an impact over advertising was the way you treat people.
“When a kid pulls his handlebar too far and pulls his brakes out, any other shop would book them in and charge £30 for a job that would take us two seconds to fix, and you send them on their way.”
Since its inception, the business has been awarded Welsh Independent Bike Shop of the Year, and held it for five years thanks to the pandemic, and was recently nominated in the Vale and Bridgend Business Awards.
But, for Mr Sharp, these achievements pale in comparison to one achievement: being one of the very few positive business stories on BBC Wales’ X-Ray.
Viewers were asked to submit businesses for the show to highlight, and The Bike Shop Wales was chosen as the feature.
These accolades are all a reflection of how the business is seen within the community and the effort that they put into everything they do to go above and beyond to help their dedicated customer base.
Retirement is not a decision that Mr Sharp has made lightly, as he says he will “really miss being able to provide for the community.”
Now, the search is on to help find a suitable replacement for The Bike Shop Wales. Mr Sharp simply hopes that he can find the “right person” to take over this business with as much passion as him.
Those interested in running The Bike Shop Wales upon Mr Sharp’s retirement should email contact@thebikeshopwales.co.uk for more information.
