Kent Wattanachinba first hatched a dream to have his own bike shop when he was a king on the streets of Bangkok.

Now a telemark ski instructor in winter, he runs his rental and full-service bike shop WattaBike in summer.

“I just love riding bicycles and wanted to have a bike shop,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.”

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Born and raised in Thailand, Wattanachinba moved to San Diego when he was 17 years old, nearly 30 years ago. He moved to Tahoe in 1994.

WattaBike moved to Meyers next to the Roadrunner gas station a month ago.

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The location just happens to be near some of Tahoe’s most popular mountain bike routes, including Mr. Toads, Gun Tower Loop, Hawley Grade and Christmas Valley trails.

Patrons may park and ride directly from the shop, which rents road and full-suspension mountain bicycles. He also supplies sports drinks and cycling accessories.

“We offer expert tunes with pick-up and drop-off mobile service, bike rentals and quality parts,” he said.

The location also means he catches a lot of road cyclists headed toward Pioneer Trail, and traffic from out of town.

“Meyers really needed a shop like this,” he said. “You are right there for everyone that comes in town.”

With a service industry background, Wattanachinba said customer service will be a cornerstone of his business.

Bike rental rates

n Per hour: $7

n Half-day: $25

n Full-day: $32

WattaBike

Location: Highway 50 and Apache Avenue in Meyers

Phone: (530) 544-7700