C'mon and Take a Free Ride

For the past 13 years, Douglaston’s Jerry Emerson has been taking Queens residents along for the ride.

Emerson opened Peak Bicycle Pro Shop, located at 42-42 235th St. in Douglaston, in 1998. The shop, which is a short walk from the neighborhood’s Long Island Rail Road station, sells bicycles, tools, parts, biking DVDs, gloves, clothing, shoes, racks for cars and protective gear.

But at least 50 percent of his business is custom building bikes for customers in Queens and the five boroughs, but also in places as far flung as Belgium, Belize and Japan.

“We fit to measure bodies,” Emerson said. “Certain bikes have longer head tubes or tops, especially on road bikes. We are the only store of its kind in the area. Most others are mom and pop stores. We cater to the hardcore, extreme riders. We focus on custom building.”

He said he also crafts his own wheels for the store’s bicycles.

Emerson said he took an interest in bike riding in 1990 after giving up his motorcycle.

“I started fixing bikes for friends and selling bikes for shops – but I wasn’t getting much money for it,” he said. “I was fixing bikes out of my own van.”

In 1998, he decided to open his own shop and discovered the 235th Street storefront where he now operates Peak Bicycle.

“The rest is history,” said Joani Emerson, his wife.

The store also rents bicycles, offering rates at $7 to $10 an hour. Joani Emerson said local parks, such as Cunningham Park and the Cross Island Parkway bike path were local places to ride the bikes.

Emerson also provides indefinite free tune-ups for customers.

Emerson said he and his wife also offer rides throughout the course of the year that range from leisurely trips around Queens to 100-mile treks across the state or different parts of the country.

“We do all different levels – beginners and experts,” Joani Emerson said. “The fastest guys set the pace and the rest of us try to catch up. It’s a social ride. Everyone has a good time because it’s a relaxed atmosphere.”

Emerson has taken part in 35 rides during the past three years. In May, he and a group of his loyal customers will ride in the city’s Five Borough Bike Tour.

The ride is offered for all ages.

Children’s bikes at Emerson’s shop start at $115, while adult bicycles cost anywhere from $300 to $5,000.

Peak Bicycle Pro Shop is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays as well as from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays.