Meet The Owner – Tim’s Bike Shop

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Jay Hiester started coming to Tim’s Bike shop when he was 12 years old and bought the business in 1999.

Tim’s Bike Shop is located at 24th and Broadway. Look for the Two-person trike out front.

The interior of the shop is bigger and busier than it looks from the outside.

Tim’s Bike Shop opened in Everett, Washington in 1980 and has been going strong for 43 years. Jay Hiester is the second owner.

Like many of the folks we talk with on “Meet the Owner” Jay began as a customer. He may be our longest running customer-turned-owner as he began coming to Tim’s Bike Shop when he was twelve years old. That was back in 1985.

“I had my own landscaping business after working for Phil Johnson at Millstone Coffee for about a decade,” Jay explained. “One of my landscaping customers was Tim and in a conversation one day he asked me if I wanted to buy a bike shop and it turns out I did. This whole thing was about timing.”

Jay says the thing he likes best isn’t bike riding or repairing bikes but dealing with the customers. “My favorite part is helping customers,” he said. “We’re not high pressure, we’re family-friendly and here to serve.”

The shop sits back a bit from the corner of 24th and Broadway in north Everett. It’s actually a lot bigger inside than it looks. Walk through the front door and you’ll find mountain bikes, kids bikes, family bikes, e-bikes and even some used bikes. There’s also a service department along with a fleet of rental bikes.

During the Pandemic Tim’s Bike Shop experienced good growth. “We were considered an essential service for transportation and stayed open, said Jay. “We sold every bike we had.”

He also happened to order more than normal about six months before the Pandemic, filling his warehouse. While they didn’t have an online e-commerce department, people from across the country found them online and on the phone leading to Tim’s Bike Shop assembling the bikes in Everett and sending them across the country.

This week marked the Grand Opening of a second location for Tim’s Bike Shop. The new shop is located in Bellingham. “It’s another example of opportunity and timing,” Jay said. “My Everett store was packed and one of our main manufacturers, Kona Bicycle Company suddenly closed their store in Bellingham and we were able to take it right over. I always wanted a shop in Bellingham which is a great bicycle city. We had inventory on hand and are up and running.”

You can see more about both stores on the Tim’s Bike Shop website.

The address of the Everett store is 2401 Broadway and they are open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Look for the tricycle built for two at the corner of 24th and Broadway. Their phone number is (425) 257-9037.