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About Us

Riverside’s Bike Shop

Every ride is an adventure. Whether you’re headed six blocks to the bar, six miles to the office, or six months across the continent, ZenCog will get you and your bike set up for success.

Located in the Marybuilt Building in Jacksonville’s historic Riverside — just minutes from Downtown, Five Points, Avondale, and Ortega — we’re avid supporters of the people and businesses that make our weird little neighborhood tick.

Love. Community. Fun!

Bikes are a magic sparkly bond in a community: a common interest, a shared recreation, an immersive transportation option, a rallying cry, and a public health initiative. We guarantee that you’ll have more interesting experiences on a bike than in a car. For all those reasons (and a few others), we decided to open a bike shop in our favorite neighborhood. In 2009, ZenCog opened its doors, and we’ve been getting our friends rolling ever since.

We’re dedicated to the idea that every man, woman, and child deserves the chance to experience the freedom that fresh air and two wheels bring (and we prove it: we stock bikes for toddlers, kids, and adults; we have child seats for infants as young as a few months, and we can outfit mobility-challenged folks with alternative bike styles including recumbents and trikes).

Come visit our Riverside bike shop any day of the week! We’ll be open, excluding the usual major holidays.

To find us the old fashioned way, head for the corner of College and Stockton Streets, in the retail/residential mixed-use Marybuilt Building. Our neighbors are 13 Gypsies, Shampoo Hair Salon, Inksmith & Rogers Tattoos, and Bold Bean Coffee Roasters.

ZenCog Shop Staff

Cyclists. Mechanical Magicians. Artists. Brewers. Musicians. Activists.

Like any kin, the ZenCog family welcomes new members and bids adieu to those moving on, but Mama always said we were bad at goodbyes. We’re a hodgepodge of personalities, but we all share a disturbing obsession with bikes.

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Garfield Cooper

Love child of Jimi Hendrix and a steel mill, Owner

Garf’s philosophy is that the best things in life have a little squish….like fat-tire bikes. He’s parlayed that into the sweetest little bike shop in Jacksonville. Arguably the hippest grandpa in town, he helps run the family-paced RAM Ride every Saturday. Garf also mans the soundboard for a variety of music venues and churches around town. His music background and community involvement have helped create a truly neighborly independent bike shop.

Matt Bort

Retail Manager

In college, Matt and his buddy Chris Williams started Burro Bags, a messenger bag company, while running Zombie Bikes, Jacksonville’s first work-exchange bike shop. These days, Matt is our Friday all-star, fixing up the most discerning (or confused) adventure cyclists with exactly what they need out on the road or trail.

Milan Algood

Mechanic, vintage steel nut, and brake magician

Milan’s knack for squeezing top performance out of clunkers has resulted in an impressive collection of 80s rigid steel mountain bikes. When not working or riding bikes, he’s practicing with one of his several bands or driving his sketchy van north to climb and bike.

Paul “Wacko” Wackowski

Wheel specialist, mechanic, and custom frame fabricator

Wacko builds some of the strangest and slickest custom bikes you’ll ever see, and even built us a sweet set of sidewalk furniture out of spare parts from classic Schwinns. Check out his work on his website. He’s one of the most talented wheel builders in the region, so if you’re looking to build something bulletproof or just weird, he’s your guy.

Cole Succi

Mechanic

Cole is a serious bike tourer, and also delivers for the fastest sandwich company around. He started at ZenCog in spring 2015 and has developed his mechanical skills so fast we’re freaking.

Nick Chaya

Mechanic

Nick, too, is a bike touring enthusiast, making his way all over the East Coast on his Surly Long Haul Trucker (bought right here before he joined our staff). He’s currently making plans for a bike tour of Iceland.

Colleen O’Rourke

Mechanic & helmet consultant

Colleen picks up a shift now and then when she’s not busy bouldering at Horse Pens or slangin’ plates at BB’s in San Marco. She’s a badass rock climber and travels frequently for climbing, mountain biking, and off-road touring around the country.

Browse Our Bike Selection

Find your dream bike today and visit us for a test ride. We'll ensure that you're on the right bike to meet your needs and the right frame size for a comfortable, safe cycling experience.