We Made the Front Page (Well, Arts & Culture)
Cal Poly Pomona's student newspaper, The Poly Post, just ran a feature on OC Mobile Bike Mechanic — "CPP Student Business Shifts Into High Gear," written by Joey Caraway. It's a good look at how this whole thing came together, so I wanted to share it here and fill in some of the details.
From a Driveway Side Project to a Full Schedule
I started OC Mobile Bike Mechanic in November 2025, during my senior year of high school. I learned to work on bikes from my dad, then spent time working at a bike shop before deciding to build something of my own — a repair service that comes to you instead of making you haul a bike across town.
Now I'm a mechanical engineering student at Cal Poly Pomona, running the business alongside classes. Some weeks that means up to 50 hours of wrenching, and during peak season I'm servicing 50 to 100 bikes. As I told the Poly Post: "I decline about 30% of calls just because I can't handle that volume." That's not a complaint — it's a good problem, and one I'm actively working on solving (more on that below).
What Mobile Service Actually Means for You
The whole point of "mobile" is that I show up at your driveway, apartment, or office instead of you dragging a bike into a shop and waiting a week. Most jobs — flat repairs, brake adjustments, derailleur tuning — get handled on the spot. A standard tune-up takes about 20-30 minutes. Full overhauls take longer, obviously. Pricing runs $15 to $350 depending on what the bike needs.
Srikanth Sherman, a CPP alum ('95, electrical engineering) and regular client, put it well in the article:
"He does it on your schedule," and customizes the work to what you actually need — no upselling, no generic package deals.
Beyond the Driveway
The article also covered the parts of the business that have grown past one-on-one house calls:
- Newport Harbor Certified Farmers' Market — I've got a booth there every Saturday, 9am-1pm, doing free inspections and quick fixes
- Fleet maintenance for Drop Mobility's Irvine bike-share program — my largest ongoing account, and a big part of why the schedule fills up fast
- Apartment communities and corporate campuses across Orange County on recurring maintenance plans
I also work with Cycle Sport USA as a parts supplier, and recently started collaborating with my friend Victor Gee, CEO of On Edge Components, who handles suspension work and specialty parts I don't stock myself.
What's Next
The honest answer, and what I told the Poly Post: I'm working on scaling this up — hiring help so I'm not turning away 30% of the calls that come in, and potentially partnering with Victor to open a full-service shop that combines mobile house calls with a real in-shop location.
A Note for Fellow CPP Students
If you're at Cal Poly Pomona, mention it when you book — students get a discount. Call or text (949) 680-9070 to set up a time.
Read the full Poly Post article here, and thanks to Joey Caraway for the writeup.