Growing up near Mount Tamalpais, aka The Sleeping Lady, aka Mount Tam, I would occasionally challenge myself with a ride up the mountain and over to Stinson Beach, armed with only water and a patch kit in case of a flat tire. It didn't matter that the "real" road cyclists who seemed to be enjoying their ride effortlessly despite the steep roads and curves would routinely pass me by. It didn't matter. Just being out there on a bike was the reward.

Mike's Bikes

Biking has never been more in vogue. Many of us bored out of our minds during the pandemic took up bicycling as a hobby that created a veritable cycling boom.Mike's Bikes of San Rafael, a Cisco customer, was no exception to this rule and the company found it easier than ever to fulfill its motto of "getting more butts on bikes".

Mike's Bikes business growth required an upgrade of its digital infrastructure that supported the network of 12 Bay Area locations. I was very excited when I learned that Mike's Bikes chose one of our Cisco Select partners,Stratus Information Systems, to set up and  roll out networking and security. I have personally worked with Jason Lacey, Stratus' Regional Sales Director on some interesting customer use cases. For example, our Matternet + Stratus Information Systems Partner Success Video showcases a fascinating drone delivery startup in Mountain View, CA, that designed Cisco Meraki and Cisco Secure technology into their drone station network to enable the transport of life-critical medical supplies between hospitals.

For Mike's, it was a winning combination of an eager and talented partner who was dedicated to helping them select the right digital infrastructure solution built from the Cisco Small and Medium size product portfolio. The result has been seamless operations that allows them to focus on maintaining the small bike shop feel that started so many years ago in that single shop on Fourth Street in San Rafael, despite its rapid expansion.

The Doing Good Part of Good Business

The other thing that Mike's does, which is part and parcel of their company goal and motto of 'getting more butts on bikes' is an amazing array of giving back activities, from local fundraisers and rides to making a huge impact. Mike's Bikes takes the maxim "think globally, act locally" to the max through the Mike's Bikes Foundation that secured and shipped almost 36,000 donated bikes to seven locations in Africa. The foundation's real goal is to promote entrepreneurship in those countries through grassroots bike repair and sales shops that create a sustainable business for those communities across the continent. You can watch a video of CEO Ken Martin talk about Mike's Bikes Local Success and Global Impact:

You can also watch Mike's Bikes CTO, Chris O'Dell, talk about his company's digital strategy at the next#CiscoChat scheduled for Thursday June 24. Chris is joined by other Cisco customers and partners to discuss the outsized - even global - impact that SMB organizations can have, as Mike's Bikes is demonstrating.

I feel honored to share the trails and roads with some of these globally minded local heroes. To learn more about Mike's Bikes and how they use Cisco technology to put more people on bikes, check these out:

Mike's Bikes 

Cisco Designed Solutions for Small and Medium-size Businesses

Stratus Information Systems

Join us for the next#CiscoChat Live

SMB Challenge: thriving locally while making a global impact

Thursday, June 4 @ 1pm PT