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BIO – Jim C

Jim C started as a BMX grommet at his local bike shop (SCAT Bikes in Virginia), and he was so annoyingly persistent, that they eventually hired him. That was in the spring of 1993. He has been involved with bicycles, in one form or another, his whole life.

Jim worked in bicycle shops almost exclusively until he became a messenger in ’97. He was a courier for 9 years (photo from Richmond Express), pedaling packages around Richmond, VA, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. Jim also spent a couple years working as a raft and bike guide (and mechanic) on the New and Gauley Rivers in West Virginia. In his free time, he rode cross-country (mostly following Adventure Cycling routes), and he competed in freestyle and mountain bike events. When he arrived in Los Angeles, Jim started working with the local, bicycle non-profit organization – the Bicycle Kitchen. During this time, he recognized how LA could benefit from a shop dedicated to cyclists, not a shop inspired by the bicycle industry. In 2006, Jim left the messenger world and briefly took a job as the mechanic for Bicycling Magazine before opening his first shop – Orange 20 Bikes in Los Angeles.

While building Orange 20 Bikes, Jim did not stop working on programs and possibilities for cyclists. In addition to sponsoring and participating in rides and events, he was a co-host on ‘Bike Talk!‘, an online, weekly, radio show that covers all things bicycle-related. (You can still follow ‘Bike Talk!’ through their archive page at kpfk.)