A full-service bike shop with expert mechanics, quality rentals, and knowledgeable sales staff. Visit us today and experience our unrelenting friendliness.
Visit Us in Beautiful Treasure Island! | 1 Ave. of the Palms #021, San Francisco, California 94130 (415) 678-5323
All this month our complete
tune-up which is regularly priced at $70 is ONLY $40 for the rest of
this month. Get your bike in here and get an
awesome tune-up for only a couple of twenties. (price does not include
any needed or wanted installed parts)
With a BART strike looking increasingly likely, here are some alternatives for getting around.
By Sasha Lekach, Bay City News Service
With the likelihood of a BART strike effective [shortly], many Bay
Area commuters will have to find alternate ways to get to and from work and
other destinations with the strike possibly extending into the weekend.
BART will provide a limited number of free roundtrip charter buses
at nine East Bay BART stations starting Friday morning.
Buses will pick up ticketed passengers at El Cerrito del Norte,
West Oakland, Concord, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Dublin/Pleasanton, San
Leandro, Hayward and Fremont stations starting at 5 a.m.
BART officials said there will be five to 15 buses at each
station.
The buses will drop off passengers at San Francisco's Temporary
Transbay Terminal.
On the return trip, riders will board buses between 3 p.m. and 7
p.m. at the terminal. Those buses will go to West Oakland, where transfers
can be made to other buses heading to various East Bay destinations.
• Client Spotlight: A Tran's Bay Bike Shop
Tammy Powers owns the first and only bike shop on
Treasure Island, A Tran's Bay Bike Shop. Tammy received assistance from
OSB counselor, Christian Murdock and sits down with us for our September
"Client Spotlight"...
Q: What type of business do you own and what makes you unique?
A: When people ask me what type of business I own, I jokingly
tell them, with a bit of seriousness, that I sell time machines. "Use
the product that I sell to you and you'll feel like a kid again."
Although said more precisely... I own a bicycle shop. My shop is unique
for 2 reasons, first: I'm the only bike shop on Treasure Island, and
second; mine is the only bicycle shop in ALL of California owned by a
male-to-female transsexual. Our slogan is "We Love BIcyclists!"
Q: How was the Office of Small Business involved in assisting you?
A: The Office of Small Business has been involved in helping
me in just about everything! I never owned a business in SF before and I
never went to business school... so I had tons of questions about what
to do and where to go simply in order for me to get started. I'm an
excellent mechanic who loves bicycles; and because I'm transforming my
gender found it difficult to get hired. So I created my own job and am
very thankful to the OSB that they helped me accomplish that.
Q: Top 3 reasons for being a small business owner in SF?
A: The top 3 reasons for being a business owner in SF are: 1.
It's one of the greatest cities in the world and the never-ending
supply of tourists who visit us are a continuous cash flow. 2. The
restaurants and entertainment here are second to none. 3. San Francisco
warmly welcomes ALL business owners, even those of us who are
transforming our gender. A Tran's Bay Bike Shop
1 Avenue of the Palms #021
SF, CA 94130
415-678-5323 http://www.transbaybikes.com/
M-F 11:00 to 6:00, weekends 12:00 to 4:00
We're
giving you our Complete Tune-up for ONLY $40 during the month of Oct.
(regular price of $70) which includes:
Clean and lube the drivetrain,
true the rims, check and adjust the cones, adjust the derailleurs,
adjust the brakes, check and adjust the
headset, check and adjust the bottom bracket, overall safety check and
wipedown of the bike, test ride. Wow! All that for less than a tank full
of gas! (check my reviews on Yelp)
Finding employment can be a rat race for anyone, but throwing transsexual on the top of your resume can sometimes guarantee job rejection.
A Tran's Bay Bike Shop owner, Tammy Powers, is a transsexual woman with a mind made for mechanics. However, no one would hire her.
Powers' resume was not the issue. She consistently received calls from companies requesting an interview, so being recognized as a promising candidate wasn't the problem.
“My resume is second to none,” Powers said in an interview with 429Magazine. "[But] I would show up for interviews and people's jaws would drop. People would say 'I didn't know a transsexual was applying for this position.'” Then they would dismiss her, shoeing her away by explaining that the position had been filled.
This routine set the precedent for her continued job search, and Powers eventually became jobless and homeless. “I was living on the streets before I got my own money to start my own shop,” Powers admitted.
Powers is breaking ground on many fronts. A transsexual woman and a Fuji authorized dealer, Powers owns her own bike shop, not to mention the only bike shop, on Treasure Island.
The shop, located on the Treasure Island waterfront, provides a perfect venue for bikers to buy, tune-up, or rent a bike. As a former automotive mechanic, Powers is more than capable of providing a tune-up, a complete bicycle service, or a simple pair of smooth wheels for those who want to rent for a day of island exploration.
Located on 1 Avenue of the Palms, A Tran's Bay Bike Shop opened in February and is still in its soft opening stage.
Power's explained that her gender identity has set the tone for the aesthetic appeal of the shop.
“My business is prettier now, I have more of a woman's touch, I am more aware of what people are seeing aesthetically." She continued, “I painted my work bench pink!"
“I am an avid bicyclist and an excellent mechanic. I am also a male-to-female transsexual. I opened my own bicycle shop on Treasure Island (in SF) because of the prejudice I faced when applying for bike mechanic jobs….I have sacrificed much to be in business for myself. I am an example to all people that transsexual persons are not freaks, but are very capable of being productive in society… we can even be business owners.”
- Tammy Powers
#GoFundMe | Donations Needed: A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop Is Cycling to Thrive
Tammy Powers is a full-time bicycle-healer and all around superhero.
Recognized in her community as a well-liked, respected, resilient, talented fix-it expert for bikes, cars and all things locomotive (please check out the recommended links below), Tammy’s given so much to folks in the Bay Area. As she continues to get those kudos and provide that top notch service, now she’s working on ways to fully monetize her value and bake that into longterm success for her bike rental and repair business, A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop.
As she launches herGoFundMe donation campaign for A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop this month, Tammy set aside some time to chat about how she got started, her love for making things work, her expertise in bike service and repairs, and ultimately, her ever-inspirational self-love and respect.
On Resilience: Q & A with Tammy Powers
Jaye: Tammy, thanks so much for setting aside a few moments to connect. What inspired you to open your shop, and what inspired the name A Tran’s Bay Bike Shop in particular…rather than Tammy’s Uber Cool Bike Repairs and Gear, for instance?
Tammy: (Laughs) Well, as I’d said in an earlier interview, the name of my shop is a clever one, because “TransBay” is a popular term in the Bay Area,because of all the commuters who travel back and forth across the Bay Bridge.
TransBay is very familiar for everyone from San Francisco to Oakland. You know, there’s the TransBay Express, so it’s not uncommon to hear that. And hey—I’m a transsexual! I just did the double enendre so people would go, “Huh…?” and not really get it until they walk into my shop and see that I’m a tranny. (Laughs)
Jaye: I see. So people have responded positively once they get that automatic enlightenment, huh?
Tammy: Yeah. People like that. One person was like, “I didn’t understand the apostrophe in Tran’s, until I walked into the shop.” People give me kudos for showing that we can be business owners and productive people in society. People still…they don’t expect to see a successful transgender person, so it’s always cool once they get it.
Jaye: One enlightenment at a time, then (laughs)!
Folding Strida Bikes Image from Strida.com
Well, as for your shop, what types of bikes and gear do you sell primarily? Is it a specialty shop only?
Tammy: I do service any type of bike. Tuneups, repairs. And I’m an authorized Fuji Dealer. I also sell Strida folding bicycles. They’re very convenient and useful—I sell folding bikes with commuters in mind. Actually, I refurbish and sell a full array of used bikes: BMX bikes, low-riders. I have anything in stock that’s common for the best bike shops: chains, sprockets, anything I’d need for instant repairs and help
If a customer has any specialty repairs or parts needed, I can order anything they need from my wholesaler, and get the parts by the next day.
So I have a full fleet of rentals, and Treasure Island is the place in the Bay to come bike around the island and see all the views of the Golden Gate Bridge—it’s great!
Jaye: Yes, so gorgeous. Gotta get back there soon, it’s such a beautiful place.
I understand you’ve connected with some TV producers who want to develop a show around you and your team of mechanics and salespeople there…reality TV. The fact that you primarily hire trans* women and men to work there is so meaningful and important. Do you have a sense that they’ll portray you, your crew and your shop in the right light?
Tammy: Yes—the whole thing about hiring transsexual employees, it was entirely from my own thought process. The producers, they’re very excited about it. Thinking of other “reality shows” like “Duck Dynasty” (and I don’t watch much TV, but they said I need to watch more, because they want me to see the difference between that and TV with more substance)…we want it to be very different.
I mean, I also do standup comedy—so, comedians will come visit me too.
I thought, what would make the show so appealing to the audience they would just have to tune in? So I thought about those ideas, because in my world all my friends are transsexuals. And people visit the shop, and some people, they have a bent view or they’re not too sure…they have questions. I was like, how great would it be to have a staff full of transsexual people, either this way or the other way. (Laughs) So I told all my friends.
Jaye: Good to know you have a lot of creative input with the project.
Tammy: Yeah: the director’s coming back to have lunch with me, and we’ll shoot more video later in the month. It’s been so weird how it’s happened. I met a person who knew a producer…it blows me away. It’s just amazing.
I’m so thankful people notice me and say something positive. Like, someone will see this story and mention it, and someone else will find their way to the bike shop.
Jaye: Have you had much luck recruiting mechanics? Just wondering how much training is involved in the job. Or are you looking for people who have that specific skill set, and they’re ready to go as soon as they’re hired?
Tammy: Quite a few transsexual women, MTF friends of mine I meet, they’re cyclists but they’re not mechanics. So they’d be great on the sales end or rentals. So that’s falling into place.
I’ll also be going around to some of the nonprofit bike shops that teach people how to fix bikes. We have so many here. Usually they have a femme or tranny night, so they feel comfortable there and meet up. I’m sure I’ll find people there.
And I keep hearing names, like this guy is really good or that guy…of course I mean a trans* guy. So I’ll go to those classes and probably find the FTM guys I’m looking for. It’s getting there, but you have to be patient.
Jaye: From your Facebook page, I understand you’re going to a lot of industry trade shows, and making the rounds at Pride, and so forth. So, are you looking to bring in more of the gear-heads and professional cyclists along with people who just love bikes and cycling?
Tammy: I look for people who have a common interest in cycling or seem like they want to become cyclists. My customers should be my friends and my friends should be my customers, that’s how I think about it—I’m just trying to make friends. I want to show people how excellent bicycling is. Or if they’ve never gotten into it, I want them to try it.
I’m just another bike mechanic who loves cycling.
Jaye: Treasure Island, it’s also kind of a pit stop locale for commuters or people on a long ride, so it seems like it’s really ideal! Has the foot traffic been good for rentals and so on?
Tammy: It’s picking up. The new span of the Bay Bridge is complete, and the bike lane is 90 percent complete, so in the next few months it’ll get even better. I’m settled here, the shop is right here. So when that bike lane opens on that bridge, there’s going to be hundreds of commuters a day coming on their bicycles. I’m finally at the right time at the right place in life. It’s all about persistence. You just keep hanging in there.
You know, I started with absolutely nothing.
I used to own my own shop when I was a dude. When I transitioned, it was really hard. I was even homeless for a while. Right now, I’m barely making it. But still, if you come in my shop I’ve got 20-something bikes.
I hustle and I sacrifice, and I have tenacity. I love what I do, and I make it happen.
After the interview, Tammy mentioned that she’s working extremely hard to keep the shop open, and even though she’s set herself up for success, she’s still a one woman show. She’s working hard on repairs everyday, and the bills are stacking up—keeping up with them is unspeakably challenging (the shop has only been open since May, and its official launch since then is barely over).
Please connect with Tammy to show your support, share her story with others, and visit her shop: it’s the only bike repair/rental/trading shop of its kind in the area, and Tammy’s a well-trained, highly-experienced car and bicycle mechanic.
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Tammy will be speaking at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 2:00 PM. Please check out the links below for more information.
Please note: I am aware many people find the term “tranny”(and also “transsexual”) to be offensive and I have some understanding as to why this is the case. However, if a trans* woman uses this language to describe herself it’s not my desire to correct her, and it’s not appropriate (in my thinking) to correct her.
