When we closed our shop for the holiday back in December, Ben left for an extended vacation. For the past 2 months, he adventured around his home state of Florida, and we really missed his presence at the shop. He’s honestly one of the best people I know: so kind and calm and fun to be around.

Lucky us: Ben’s back! In honor of his return, I thought it would be fitting for you all to get to know him a little better. Rather than interview him, I’m going to let his bio speak for him, since we didn’t have it live on the website until today. -Em

Here’s Ben, in his own words:

Oh hi! My name is Ben! I'm a mechanic and educator at the Boise Bicycle Project. I'm a Florida boy from St. Petersburg. I've been riding bikes since before I can remember. I built my first bike in 2014 at the St. Pete Bike Co-op. I left my seafaring life on the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and travelled to the mighty Sagebrush Steppe in the Spring of 2016. I love bikes and believe that they connect us with each other and the world around us in more ways than we can easily imagine. I'm proud to be a part of a co-op that actively supports and nurtures the cycling community. I hope to share my skills and excitement for bikes to everyone who walks through our doors. 

When I'm not riding on two wheels, I enjoy simple meals, restful sleep, reading books, playing music, quietly being in nature and just killing time with good folks. There's too many goals to list here, but I'd love to live on my bike one day and see as much of the world as I can while I'm blessed with breath and decent health.

My pride and joy is a 1984 Nishiki mountain bike. His name is Chromeo and he is very strong and handsome. He takes me anywhere I need or want to go. We've shared countless sunrises and sets together. I've written poems about him.