MEYERS, Calif. – Two of Meyers’ bike businesses are teaming up to make a cycling community hub, where bikers can meet up, have a drink and even attend workshops or classes. Kent Wattachinda of Watta Bike and Mark Budgell of Ride Tahoe have big plans for their new space and hope to get the hub running by spring 2026, if not earlier.

Watta Bike and Ride Tahoe moved into the new location at 3071 US-50 mere months ago, a major change for both businesses, but ultimately a positive one. The site was previously where Aramark ran a snowmobile business, though they decided to not renew their lease. Budgell asked Wattachinda to partner with him for the new location.

“Anything good in life, you just gotta jump on it,” said Budgell. “I think Kent thought I was a little crazy, but I couldn’t have done this without him.” He said it was lucky they found a location within Meyers, since Wattachinda wanted to stay in the area.

Wattachinda opened Watta Bike in Meyers nearly 20 years ago. “We had years of accumulation in that previous location, so it was rough,” he said. “I probably had four days off in the last four months between moving and doing repairs on bikes.”

Still, the passion for bicycles between the two owners is evident. Ride Tahoe rents out a variety of bikes while Watta Bike does full service repairs, sells bikes and bike accessories. “Our pairing feeds off each other,” said Wattachinda.

“There’s a parallel between our work together and our community connection,” said Budgell, who is a major supporter of local businesses and connecting with their customers.

Wattachinda moved to the area in 1994 and worked in the casinos before pivoting to the bike shop. “I’ve always been a mechanic. I grew up in Bangkok and was always trying to fix bikes as a kid, although I broke a lot of them before I knew what I was doing,” joked Wattachinda. “But I do it because I like doing it. I’m always the one to do the final checks on our bikes to make sure the repairs are quality.” Customers drop by just to tell Wattachinda how great his work on their bikes is.

Budgell moved to Tahoe in 2012 because of his interest in skiing—but he quickly came to love cycling because of how inclusive and welcoming the community is. “There are advanced riders who will spend time with you on the trails and show you what to do. We all love challenging ourselves and here, it’s such a supportive, laidback and fun group,” he said.

Ultimately, both Budgell and Wattachinda were interested in supporting the cycling community in the Tahoe Basin by making a place for them in Meyers. “We’re right in the middle of where all these trails dump out and there’s not a place yet where people can meet up,” said Budgell. “We want to become a resource for local groups and provide education for local and visiting riders.”

“It’s pretty amazing here in Tahoe and we have a huge network of world-class trails,” Wattachinda said appreciatively. “The Tahoe Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) is huge and does a lot of great work around the lake. I never even though this Meyers bike path would happen and I’ve seen it grow.”

Wattachinda is looking forward to bringing workshops, education and partnership to the hub. He’s helping with the upcoming Peak Pursuits women’s mountain biking retreat at Kirkwood and hopes that events like that will be able to use their space in the future. He’s also talked with TAMBA and youth cycling groups in the area about hosting them at the hub once it’s launched.

The two owners have started on renovations and landscaping around the building to make the hub possible. They imagine it as a community space that’s family-friendly, thought they will also offer beer and other refreshments. Right now, Budgell is working on obtaining an Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license so they can serve drinks, which he hopes to obtain by the fall.

“Mountain biking has grown in communities like this, little towns like ours,” said Budgell. He referenced Downieville, Calif., which has cemented its place on the map for mountain biking enthusiasts interested in their 500 miles of trails. Budgell wants to take inspiration from their shuttle systems and connect transit options to the community hub in the future.

Budgell says that the customers and agencies have all been supportive of the idea, even if it’s not launching straightaway. “Everything good takes time,” he said. “But it’s been a good experience so far.”

“If we can build this, we’re building this as locals—there’s experiences that locals bring to the table that I think of as important and vital,” said Budgell, who plans to also sell Tahoe breweries’ beers at the hub to support local business. “There’s a connection to the heart and soul of a community.”

Learn more about Watta Bike Shop at wattabike.com and Ride Tahoe at ridetahoerentals.com. Local discounts are available.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.