Jeremy Polk and Paula Pellegrin wheeled Nelson Gibson's rusty, circa 1967 Schwinn twin bicycle from their large truck and began working on it. Spending about 12 hours over the course of a week, the two transformed the old cruiser that Gibson remembered his parents riding when he was a kid.
Whether you have a rusty, vintage cruiser or a $10,000 bike, Polk, 36, and Pellegrin, 41, have one message: "Build some trails. Share the road. Ride a bicycle. Start a revolution."
Since June 2007, the couple has provided the Jackson metro with a full-service bicycle shop on wheels. Revolution Mobile Bicycle Service began out of their GMC Yukon that could barely fit three bikes at a time in the back. It has since served more than 200 customers who enjoy the convenience and affordability that Polk and Pellegrin provide by coming to customers to pick up bikes and offering bike overhauls–a complete inspection, cleaning and re-assembling– for $175.
Revolution's truck is like a bicycle convenience store, lined with handlebars, kickstands, pedals, tires, tubes, cables, tools and nutritional products such as energy bars.
"I started wrenching on bikes as a kid," says Polk, who rode BMX bicycles and became his neighborhood friends' bike mechanic as a 12-year-old. "I've got all of the specialty tools to work on every bike made."
Polk and Pellegrin also sell used mountain and road bikes on consignment. "It helps the person out who wants to upgrade, and gets an old bike out of the garage," Pellegrin says.
Polk and Pellegrin are support and gear (SAG) sponsors of the Jackson Metro Cyclists and participate yearly in the MS Society's MS 150 benefit.
"Biking is the fountain of youth–how else can you be 12 years old again?" Pellegrin says.
For more info, call 601-400-4448, or visit startarevolution.net.