Troy Michaud started Flying Sprocket, a mobile bicycle repair service a few years ago. I have used it for the past two seasons to my utmost satisfaction. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Troy to learn more about his unique business.

JF: Troy, what brought you to Park City?

Troy Michaud: I came from the East Coast; I was working as a technician in a bike shop, then I traveled to Utah on a ski trip and decided to stay. First in Salt Lake and now in Park City; I’m still here seven years later.

JF: What got you into the bike business?

Troy Michaud: I was road bike racing, I was busy “chasing points” all over, east of the Mississippi, holding a semi professional license, and having fun with it. I was training, exploring and meeting all kinds of new people. I took it as far as I could while I was still holding a 40-hour a week job on top of it; a lot of work, but definitely well worth it!

JF: How would you describe Flying Sprocket?

Troy Michaud: It’s a mobile bicycle repair service.

JF: How did you come up with the idea?

Troy Michaud: While I still was in Salt Lake City, I was wondering what could I do for myself, be my own boss and still stay in the bike industry? I was afraid of a brick and mortar business and of the seasonal nature of a ski town, but I wanted to do something very unique. After seeing mobile dog grooming services and mobile car detailing around, I thought why not the mobile bicycle service? Here I am, four years later, with more work than I know what to do with.

JF: Which services do you offer?

Troy Michaud: Three quarters of the work I do are tune-ups. This means all gear adjustments, brake adjustments, bike cleaning, checking all the nuts and bolts. Then, if the bike needs parts, I’ve got plenty of wear-and-tear products on my van, like chains, cables, brake pads, tires and tubes. I can special items within 24 hours, just like your typical bike shop would.

JF: How far do you go to service your clients?

Troy Michaud: About seventy-five percent of my clients are located within the Park City  general area. I’ll occasionally do some work in Salt Lake and I even have a client in Bountiful.

JF: How does your service work?

Troy Michaud: First clients set up an appointment. I follow up by calling them to make sure all needs are covered. The only down-time for the customer is the time I’m working on the bike in their own driveway.

JF: Do you go on trails?

Troy Michaud: Not really. I’ve done it on occasions when I wasn’t busy elsewhere, but it’s only an exception.

JF: What are the most overlooked maintenance steps by riders?

Troy Michaud: It definitely is the wear-and-tear aspect of the bike. Brake pads, drive train including crank, chain ring and cassette. Of course, keeping a bike clean is very important.

JF: How often should people bring their bike for professional service?

Troy Michaud: It depends on riding frequency: If they ride one or two days a week, they can get away with one tune a year. If it’s four times a week, about two hours each time, it should at least be twice a season. More than that should be scheduled even more frequently. Mountain bikes will require more frequent servicing than road bikes.

JF: From your own standpoint what are the advantages of using your services?

Troy Michaud: Convenience is by far the greatest advantage. There’s hardly any downtime with your bike. All shops have great technicians; you can have a great experience with one particular person, but if you bring your bike back, it might not be the same individual working on it. With me, you know that I’m the same person, each time, working on your bike.

JF: How can people contact you?

Troy Michaud: A few different ways. There’s my website FlyingSprocket.com, email me at troy@flyingsprocket.com , or call or text me at 435 640 1006. If I cannot take your call, leave a message or send me a text at this same number, and I’ll get back to you that same day!