Hayden Harrison repairs bikes out of his mom’s Junius Heights garage. Photo courtesy of Hayden Harrison
With demand for bikes and bike repairs seemingly as high as toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic, a 15-year-old Junius Heights neighbor is helping bikers get back on the pavement without the long wait for service at local shops.
Hayden Harrison started Big Boy’s Bike Repair after helping a neighbor who had struggled to schedule a repair at a bike shop. He posted about his business on Facebook and Nextdoor, and he’s serviced more than 100 bikes since mid-May.
Harrison started mountain biking with his dad at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano. When their bikes broke, the elder Harrison taught his son how to repair them. The lessons started when Harrison was 10 years old, and now, he says he knows more than his dad.
He uses professional tools and quality parts to fix everything from high-end bikes, such as Santa Cruz Hightower, Pivot Mach Four and Giant Stance, to the bike in the backyard that has weeds growing through the wheels.
“I just really enjoy seeing all the different kinds of bikes and learning about what’s on them,” he said. “Right now, the hardest part is finding parts. Everyone is pulling out bikes that have been sitting in their backyard.”
Harrison, who will be a freshman at Woodrow Wilson High School next year, can do everything from fixing a flat and changing tire tubes to adjusting gears and assembling bikes. He can do almost everything a bike shop can do for a cheaper price and without the wait.
The teen typically responds to service requests within an hour and can finish repairs the same day if the bike is brought to him by 3 p.m. He works out of his mom’s garage, which has been converted into a workshop. Customers from as far as Plano have made the trip to Junius Heights to seek his service.
“I’ve had a lot of fun,” Harrison said. “I’ve loved bikes since I was a little kid. This is something fun for me to do, and I’ve gotten a lot more serious about it.”
Harrison was going to stop accepting repair requests when summer vacation ended, but he’s been so successful, he plans to continue throughout high school. He’s saving money to fix his truck and buy a trailer so he can provide mobile service.
Schedule an appointment at Big Boy’s Bike Repair on Facebook.
