OneTen Cycles working to close the gender gap in the bicycling world
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota is consistently ranked as one of the top five states for cycling, which means there are hundreds of bike shops throughout the state. But fewer than ten of them are owned by women, and one of them is trying to change that gender gap.
Inside the doors of OneTen Cycles in Mendota Heights, you'll be greeted by Chloe the shop dog, and a wall of bicycles. You'll also almost always find the owner, Katarina Miketin, at the shop. She works seven days a week.
She took over the reins of the 46-year-old small business three years ago, when she made a drastic career change from finance.
The former college athlete fell in love with this safer way to move.
"I wanted something that was a little softer on my body and that was the key," she said.
As a single mother, she knows her 15-year-old daughter Katia is watching and learning from her every move.
"She's seeing what I've gone through, she's seeing the customers pass me and look at my mechanics and assume they're the owners," Miketin said.
Miketin wanted to show her daughter how to change that narrative in the cycling world, and get more women on bikes.
She also invites women to the space behind her shop to teach them everything she knows about bikes and how they work. Her mechanics also give free classes on things like how to change a flat tire.
Missy McGinty, a loyal customer at OneTen Cycles, hopes other shops make cycling less intimidating and get more women into it.
"If you're unsure, start somewhere where somebody knows how to guide you and how to help you be successful," she said.
Miketin says cycling isn't about being the best athlete, but simply having the best time doing it.
"I always tell people, think about it when you were a kid. You loved it, a lot of people just loved it. And that feeling comes back," she said.
OneTen Cycles website stays updated on all their "women and cycling" free events that they host every month.