Profile: Kathleen Emry, Free Range Cycles

Finding a Home in the Northwest Bike Industry

Story and Photos by Anne-Marije Rook

Photo at right: Emry prefers steel because it’s affordable, bendable, sturdy, and has good riding quality.

As I rode up to the small square building that houses Free Range Cycles in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, owner Kathleen Emry was just taking a newly-assembled bike out for a test ride. Inside the quaint, teeming bike shop, the warmth from a small fan heater and a smell of freshly brewed coffee was welcoming.

It was clear that this shop was far more than just a sales floor. Some photos here, a postcard there—small personal artifacts hung on the few patches of wall and counter not occupied by bicycle parts and accessories. All very homey.

Emry did not grow up riding bikes; she and her three sisters shared one bicycle, a Western Flyer, among them, in the 50s and 60s. Prior to entering the bike business, Emry worked in a variety of industries from organic farming to marketing.

“I didn’t have an idea of what I wanted to do with my life early on. I was kind of wandering before I found the bike industry,” Emry said. “And I certainly found a home.”

Emry developed an interest in bicycling, specifically bike mechanics, after taking her girlfriend’s bike to Wright Bothers Cycle Works in the Fremont district in the 1980s.

“I liked riding and had been commuting by bike but my interest (in bike mechanics) was more about working with my hands,” Emry explained.

She signed up for bike mechanics classes and soon she was working at Wright Brothers as one of the few—if not only—female bike mechanics in Seattle at the time.

“I slowly put funds into a tool collection and started having the dream of having my own shop,” Emry said.

Ten years later, while continuing to work on-and-off at Wright Brothers, she had collected all the tools.

Together with Mytchell Mead, Emry opened Free Range Cycles in 1997 in the same small building it is in today.

The name, “Free Range,” was born out of Emry and Mead’s habit to run over to the nearby PCC for lunch to get “free range” food.

Free Range was successful in its first year as a bicycle repair shop and used bike retailer.

“We spent some time figuring out what works and what fits in Fremont and carved out our niche as a commuter shop,” Emry said.

Specializing in steel commuter and touring bikes, Free Range was the seventh shop in the world to become an official Surly dealer, and in 2000, they sold the very first Surly Long Haul Trucker in the U.S.

“It was a forest green utility bike for a woman who wanted to explore Greenland by bike,” remembered Emry.
Emry said she prefers steel bikes because “steel is affordable, you can bend it back, it’s sturdy, has good riding quality and lasts a long time.”

While the many shop-owner responsibilities limits her wrenching time, Emry still enjoys working on bikes, especially building wheels or upgrading her own bikes.

“The interesting thing about being in the industry is that I constantly want to change things to my bikes,” she said, adding that she limits herself to owning just six bikes. She’s a proud owner of some steel beauties including a Rivendell All-Rounder, a Jeff Lyon rando bike, and a Jamis Dragon 650D that she’s building up for a 500-mile trek on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail next year.

Emry said the best bike is one that fits the person, is in their price range and gets them out riding.

“My job is not so much to sell a bike but to get someone out on a bike,” Emry said. “The best thing we can create is customer service.”

That attitude is exactly why Emry and her employees have built such a loyal customer base.

“It’s a great shop to get your bike worked on, and Kathleen is just such a great asset to the community,” said Peter Verbrugge, a customer and friend of Emry.

“I first got to working with her in 1998 when I was working as the Music Director for the Fremont Fair. I was just getting out of the unhealthy, rock ’n’ roll lifestyle and into a healthier lifestyle that included biking,” Verbrugge recalled. “She was very supportive and helped me upgrade to a better fitting bike. Instead of just trying to sell me a bike, any bike, she showed me what my options were for a big guy like myself.”

Looking back, Emry is not surprised that she ended up becoming a business owner.

“It was a natural progression to be an entrepreneur. My family owned a grocery store in Othello (in eastern Washington),” she explained. “We all helped out. I dusted shelves for 10 cents an hour.”

It may have taken her a few years and career changes to find it, but Emry has found a home in the bike industry as she continues to foster a community of everyday cyclists.

“I believe in creating a dream,” Emry said. “This is the dream.”

Free Range Cycles is located at 3501 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, Wash. Visit freerangecycles.com or call
(206) 547-8407 for more information.

Anne-Marije Rook is a Seattle-based journalist who enjoys pedaling through life on two wheels. www.amrook.com.

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