Our Friends - Cascade Bicycle Studio

Cascade Bicycle Studio (CBS) is more than a bike shop. It is a pillar, a hub, an integral part of Seattle's cycling scene. Joseph McKean is part owner, sales lead and master of ceremonies at this incredible shop's near-constant community engagement events. He's also the brain and driving force behind many of the shop's creative, outside the box approaches to building a bike shop into a high functioning business and integral part of the cycling community during these unprecedented times.

CBS is more to us than one of our best shops. They're friends, partners, inspirations and leaders. Read on to learn a bit more about what makes Joseph tick and why we're proud to count him among Rolf Prima's best friends. 

1. Tell me about your life in cycling. How’d it start, where’d it take you and what does it mean to you? 
   1. It started as a first taste of autonomy. The first time you could walk more than a few blocks on your own as a child. Leaving home at the crack of dawn and heading home when the street lights turned on. It still provides that same feeling of freedom today.

2. What led you to build your first frame-up build? When was it, what type of bike, and what components?
1. I have always been a tinkerer and always looked to push the limits of what you could ride with what. My first true custom bicycle, which I designed, was built by Paul at Rock Lobster. It had a disc brake and was constructed around 650bx42 or 700cx31 for all the back roads of central Texas. At the time, I had some of the first production Astral Wanderlust rims I laced to White Industries CX11 hubs after the second set of another brand's rims failed.

3. When and why did you decide to open the business/shop?
1. We all got together with a similar vision of what a shop could be. Someplace we would shop and hang around.

4. Describe CBS’s approach or philosophy. 
1. Passion, Service, Culture.
2. Passion: We don’t just sell bikes-we live them. We cherish the memory of a first ride, the joy of riding with others, and the pride we feel when we accomplish something special on the bike.
3. Expertise: Our customers expect nothing nothing but the best and our team has the deep expertise in the products we offer, the service we deliver and leading-edge developments in the world of cycling.
4. Culture (“Bikulture”): We don’t have big egos. We strive to provide a white glove experience with every interaction and, more broadly, to be a positive contributor to the cycling community in the PNW.
5. Service: Our customers expect nothing but the best and our team has the deep expertise in the products we offer, the service we deliver and knowledge of leading-edge developments in the world of cycling. 

5. Who are some of your primary influences?
   1. Tom Sachs
   2. Ira Ryan
   3. Paul Sadoff
   4. Dario Pegoretti
   5. Richard Sachs
   6. Vince Lombardi
   7. My Dad

Finish these:

1. The favorite bike I’ve build is…
1. My Ira Ryan all-road bicycle.
2. If I could only ride one bike the rest of my life it would be…
1. My Custom Pegoretti Duende CX.
3. Custom bikes are about…
1. The connection of the rider to the surface they are riding on. This is a tool created to be an extension of the individual to the surfaces they choose to ride on and can be as unique as they are.
4. Riding bikes is about…
1. I can only speak for myself, but it is a way of grounding myself, a way of connecting me to me, or connecting with others. I have also found these to change as the pages of life unfold.

5. The best bike rides start with…

Pumping up my tires, a good stretch, and some sun!

6. The best bike rides end with…
1. A clean bicycle and a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

7. We’ll keep doing this as long as…
1. Forever! I don't know.
8. Three of my core values are…
1. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
2. Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.
3. Failure is just a mindset.