Photo courtesy of Chuck Harney

While walking with Chuck Harney to a coffee shop along 14th Street NW, one can easily sense his strong connection to the neighborhood. He muses upon the businesses that have recently closed in the past year, as well as the ones that are about to open in the area where his bike shop, The Bike Rack, resides. Also, he knew almost everyone we passed by.

This experience is a stark contrast from his life growing up in Los Angeles, a city heavily reliant on cars. “I don’t know why there are sidewalks in L.A.,” he says. “Nobody uses them…except in Hollywood.”

The West Coast native came to D.C. to finish up his master’s degree in public affairs at the University of Southern California’s Washington campus. Realizing the East Coast was a better fit for him, he stayed. He also joined a cycling team that participated in the 1994 Gay Games in New York. During training, he met his future business partner Wayne Lerch.

Harney and Lerch opened The Bike Rack on May 12, 2007 in Logan Circle. Tucked away on Q Street, just steps from the bustling 14th Street NW, the shop offers weekend rides, maintenance clinics and race sponsorships. It’s also the only shop in the city that has its own multisport team. Lerch was unable to join the conversation, but Harney still met and shared the good times and bad of being a small business owner.

What’s the best thing about DC?
There’s community here. We built a great cycling community through the shop, too, with the people involved in our [weekend] rides and the team. And architecturally, it’s just beautiful.

Why did you decide to open a bike shop?
One of the things that spurred this shop was there was nothing around this area. [Other bike shops were] usually around Capitol Hill or Georgetown.

What’s the biggest challenge of being a business owner?
Handling the sleepless nights; staying motivated day after day. Some days you just want to throw in the towel and escape. Remember the big snowstorm we had a couple of years ago? There were a lot of sleepless nights that winter.

Most rewarding?
The end of a really busy day; the relationships I’ve developed as a result of [owning a shop], not just with my staff but also with customers and people who ride with us.

What motivates you?
I ride a lot. I’m extremely active outside the shop; my own training and racing throughout the year; getting out of town now and then, even if it’s a short road trip or going overseas.

What’s the best advice you received when you decided to start a business?
A friend of mine who owns another bike shop said to me, “What’s the best way to make a million dollars in the bike business?” I said, “How?” He said, “Start with $3 million.” It takes awhile before you make a profit in this business. He’s a tough friend. He really laid out the pros and cons of things to know. It was all very helpful.

Parting thoughts?
We just had our five-year anniversary. Let’s hope I don’t repeat the last five years in the next five years. The biggest thing I take from the first years is the intense learning curve.