Matt Howard

Owner

Everyone  knows Matt, but did you know his first name is actually David? Yep. David Matthew Howard. Matt has been neck deep in the cycling industry as  long has he's been able to walk. His father, Ralph Howard, founded The  Bike Shoppe during the summer of 1976. Matt and his twin brother John  "helped out" as the Shoppe's first (three-year-old) employees. Back then,  the little shop was in a small strip-mall behind the New Gate Mall in  Riverdale.

Matt knows just about everything there is to know about bikes. However, two things really set him apart:

First,  he genuinely cares about people. Come in and talk to him. He'll spend  the time to get to know you.  He has all the tools, knowledge, and  personality to make your bike shopping experience a great one.  You're  sure to end up with a sweet ride, but you'll also walk away having made a  great friend in the process.

Second,  he has an impressive eye for quality and detail. If you bring your bike into his shop, you know it'll be done right. Hopefully you've already noticed...maybe this is why we continue to grow and expand year after year.

Growth  leads to expansion.  In 1995 we moved from behind New Gate Mall to our current location on Washington Boulevard across the street from  the old Hilltop Bowling Lanes...

Nate Foulger

Manager

This is where I (Nate) come into the story. As long as I can remember, I've ached to work at a bike shop. I grew up in North Ogden and attended Weber High and Weber State University. During my high school years, most of the Shoppe's employees were kids from North Ogden. Lucky for me, one of those kids was a good friend who introduced me to Matt. That meeting would change my life.  I started working for the Shoppe in 1998 when I was 16 years old. I had no idea I'd still be here 25 years later. Sure, there are minor ups and downs with even the coolest jobs, but I can honestly say I've loved every year of my employment at the Shoppe. How many guys can say that?!  

Year after year, the Shoppe has continued to grow.  Our services continue to expand and improve. 20 years ago I never would have guessed that E-bikes would be a thing...Now they've become our fastest growing bike category! Who knows what the next 20 years will bring?

The change and constant innovation is one of the things I love most about the cycling industry. There are always new things to learn and amazing new bikes and gear that I can't seem to live without. Bikes are always evolving. Sometimes an old bike comes in for repair and I recall the steel, rigid, canti-brake beasts that were my adventure companions when I was just getting into the sport. They're drastically different from what I'm riding now. But what's stayed the same is the simple pleasure of being outdoors with my bike. Every adventure is awesome! If you haven't yet, you should give it a try. Take your bike up into the mountains on a crisp spring morning. Smell the air, take in the scenery, listen to the life around you...I promise YOU'LL BE HOOKED!