Local owner has passion for pedals

By Judy Babb

The guest bedroom at 40-year-old physical education teacher and volleyball and track coach Heather Cohen’s home is not what people would expect. When she opens the door, instead of seeing a bed, dresser and the accouterments of a cozy bedroom, she sees her pride and joy — her stable of bicycles. Ten bikes of various sizes and colors stand like her personal workhorses. She plans for the number of bikes to continue to grow.

Cohen has taken her passion for biking and made it a business. As a youth, Cohen had been active in sports, including volleyball. She never thought about aging out of things she loved — then she realized her knees were taking a beating. 

“I never thought it would happen,” she said of her aching knees. “I thought I’d be able to play volleyball as long as I wanted.”

She found bicycling provided her with a way to stay active with a passion. Cohen originally didn’t own a bike. One was gifted to her and a dream was born. Now Cohen has bikes of various sizes that she uses to encourage others to ride. Her growing love of cycling created Dallas Bicycle Tours and keeps her in front of a group of bicyclists eager to ride and learn about Dallas.

“I’ve learned things I didn’t know about my city,” Cohen said. She’s discovered the murals in Deep Ellum. The groups frequently stop to take photos during their two-hour ride. The rides are typically about 10 miles, which Cohen calls the sweet spot for a ride.

It’s amazing she has time to devote to the club. As a coach, she’s at school by 7:15 a.m. and has practice after school until 6:15 to 6:30 p.m. “I’m the first one there and the last to leave,” she said of her coaching job. 

The club takes a lot of her time. She plans the rides, looks for more bikes, creates advertising. She doesn’t mind. She recognizes she has three audiences — social groups, social rides, and food and drink rides. 

Her bikes are mostly mountain bikes or hybrid bikes — the best for Dallas streets, she said. She looks to add more bikes, allowing others who don’t have their own bikes a chance to rent and ride with her group. Renters can reserve and pay for the bikes online at DallasBicycleTours.com and can also pay for the ride, which typically loops them through downtown, Deep Ellum and Fair Park before getting back to the Farmers Market. Renting the bike to ride with the group is $20. The ride is another $20. 

Every Saturday — weather willing — she and co-owners Daniel Sovalvarro and boyfriend of eight years Heath Hollenshead pack bikes onto racks on their vehicles and meet their riders at the Dallas Farmers Market. The group gets instructions about the ride and about riding safety. Anyone who chooses not to wear a helmet signs forms releasing the club from responsibility. Safety is paramount to the group.

Cohen usually leads the group, and a trusted member takes the rear. They keep the group together, pulling over if the group is separated by a traffic light. 

Cohen said this is her first venture into owning her own business. While the club is not making a profit yet, she loves what she is doing and loves that she is bringing more people into cycling. “It’s a hobby that allows me to spread the love of biking to the community,” Cohen said. 

She has taken on the responsibility of growing the business. She creates advertising with Canva. “I’m learning all of this,” she said. “I’d call it guerrilla advertising.” She places posts on Facebook and Instagram. She’s also gotten some Airbnbs interested, which connects their out-of-towners with a chance to see the city in a unique way.

The club has had a lot of help from friends. Michael McNair designed the club logo “out of the goodness of his heart,” Cohen said. Matt Schaller created the website pro bono as well. The website includes posters of upcoming rides. 

Cohen has plans for future rides and to continue with their successful December lights ride in Highland Park. “We can see so much more than the carriage rides,” she said. She plans to expand into White Rock Lake this spring.

As a fledgling group, Cohen has visions of what’s to come. She’d like to get vests so that riders stay together and that will advertise the rides. She would like to get helmets that would allow her to communicate with riders, telling them what they are seeing and the history of the city. Sometimes her rides are themed with tie-dye or onsies. A recent bridal party designed their own t-shirts.

The club also has gotten involved with the Critical Mass rides, a free ride the last Friday of the month. Hundreds of lighted riders come together to follow the route of the club in charge of the ride. Dallas Bicycle Tours will lead the ride in December. She plans to rent her bikes out for the ride.

Meanwhile March has been a busy month with rides including St. Patrick’s Day. They have two rides the last weekend of March. The Spring Is in the Air Ride is March 26, meeting at the Farmers Market at 9:45. A Thai Street Food Ride, a free ride, meets at White Rock Station at 10:30 a.m. and rolls out at 11 a.m., March 27.

  Featured