Business & Tech

Stratford High Grad Excels in the Business of Bikes

Meet Mike Macisco, a 1995 SHS graduate and the owner of Tony's Bikes in Milford.

After graduating Stratford High School in 1995, Mike Macisco began to pursue a career in off-road bicycle racing.

He competed in BMX races in California, Mexico, Utah, but quickly learned the reality of his chosen vocation.

“Like a musician you don’t always have a gig on Friday,” says Macisco, now the owner of Tony’s Bikes in Milford.

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But back in the ‘90s he’d make and sell T-shirts to help pay the bills and even put out a bi-monthly magazine to supplement his income.

“I never thought I’d be in retail,” Macisco says now in the center of his shop by the Milford Green.

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Macisco, 36, started working at Tony’s Bikes in 1994, one year before he graduated from Stratford High. He became the owner in 2006. At some point he went to college for a degree in English.

“You see a considerable loss of free time,” he says of this time on the calendar when business really starts to pick up.

It’s a combination of better weather, kids being out of school and folks needing tune-ups for vacation that results in a steady flow of customers in early June, Macisco says.

He says all types of riders come to Tony’s Bikes. But regardless of who walks in, every interaction is valuable.

“It’s just as important to sell someone their first bike as it is to sell someone a (high-performing) race bike,” Macisco says.

For those prospective first-time buyers, the former SHS grad advises, “Be realistic about what you plan to do with it.”

He likened it to real estate, saying if you planned to have kids you probably wouldn’t purchase a one-bedroom house.

“I think a lot of people don’t necessarily know what they want but they know what they want to do,” Macisco adds. So be curious, he says. “Ask questions until you feel savvy.” 

So you get the bike. OK. Now, What are some steps to keep it in good shape?

Lube your chain often and put air in your tires every couple of weeks, Macisco says.

“You lose pressure – even a perfect tube seeps a little,” he says.


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