Business Rolling at Tony's Bikes in Milford

It’s that time of year again.

Mike Macisco’s got 18 voicemails to listen to and the only free time left is spent commuting to work.

“You see a considerable loss of free time,” the owner of Tony’s Bikes in Milford says of this time on the calendar when his business really starts to pick up.

It’s a combination of better weather, kids being out of school and folks needing tune-ups for vacation that results in a steady flow of customers in early June, Macisco says.

Macisco, 36, says now that people are coming to his shop in good numbers, he’ll be busy until Christmas.

Tony’s Bikes opened in 1990. Macisco, a 1995 graduate of nearby Stratford High School, started working here in 1994. He bought the place in 2006.

We asked, What’s some good advice for someone looking to buy his or her first bike?

Macisco answered, “Be realistic about what you plan to do with it.” He likened it to real estate, saying if you planned to have kids you probably wouldn’t purchase a one-bedroom house.

“I think a lot of people don’t necessarily know what they want but they know what they want to do,” Macisco adds. So be curious, he says. “Ask questions until you feel savvy.”

So you get the bike. OK. Now, What are some steps to keep it in good shape?

Lube your chain often and put air in your tires every couple of weeks, Macisco says.

“You lose pressure – even a perfect tube seeps a little,” he says.

All types of riders come to Tony's Bikes, Macisco says. But no matter the level of experience of the customer, he says every interaction is valuable.

"It's just as important to sell someone their first bike as it is to sell someone a (high-performing) race bike," he says.