Original image by Trek Bicycle Johnson City, edited by Founders Forge

In the heart of Johnson City, Tennessee far from the urban bike scenes of Washington, California or Oregon something remarkable happened. A struggling Trek bicycle store, faced with low sales and virtually no connection to its community, transformed into one of the top ten Trek stores in the country.

So, what caused this dramatic shift? A simple idea started by a couple of friends who loved bikes, beer, and tacos: Taco Trek.

The story of Taco Trek began, as many good ones do, with a problem. The Trek store in Johnson City wasn’t selling enough bikes. Instead of guessing why, Chad Wolfe, the brand manager at the time, decided to go straight to the source and ask people in the community why they weren’t riding bikes.  

“We launched a survey to learn why people weren’t riding,” Wolfe explained in an interview with Founders Forge. One simple question with an almost obvious answer changed everything: “Would you like to ride bikes with us?” Of course people did, however they weren’t interested in riding 25 miles, a typical ride length for an in-shape cyclist. 

The answers exposed a major disconnect between Trek’s perception of a cyclist and the actual people they were trying to reach.

“In the cycling industry, we think nothing of going out and doing a 25-mile ride,” Wolfe said. “But when we asked people if they wanted to ride 25 miles, they were like, ‘No thanks.’ Even ten miles sounded scary.”

So he shifted the language in the question. “Would you ride for an hour?” he asked. Suddenly, people were saying yes. “It wasn’t that they didn’t want to ride, It’s that we weren’t speaking their language” said Wolfe.

That insight became the foundation for Taco Trek: if they could make cycling inclusive, social, and fun people would undoubtedly show up. And if more people became casual cyclists, they’d eventually become customers. The strategy was simple, but that simplicity started a revolution of cycling in the Johnson City area.

“We said: let’s build something for the community, not just around the bikes,” Wolfe said on The Savannah Bananas Podcast. “Let’s make this about having a good time first. The bikes come later.”

And so, Taco Trek, “a legend in its own right” as Wolfe calls it, was born.

The formula? Show up. Ride a few miles. Eat tacos. Drink beer. That’s it.

No fees. No fancy gear required. No performance pressure. Just people enjoying a low-stress ride and a shared meal. “People want to be part of something,” Wolfe said. “We created a space where beginners felt like they belonged.”

And so, what began as a casual ride among friends quickly became a phenomenon. Riders brought their friends and those friends brought their families. It seemed like every month attendance was multiplying. By the end of 2019, more than 680 riders were flooding the streets of Johnson City every month.

The momentum didn’t stop there. The Taco Trek ride became so successful that it turned into standard practice for Trek stores nationwide. There are now Taco Treks happening all across the U.S. and even internationally. While there’s no official count of how many exist today, the impact that the Taco Trek has had on the cycling community is undeniable.

“Taco Trek turned into a blueprint for how we engage with communities,” Wolfe said. “It’s not about selling bikes, it’s about building belonging.”

Original image by Trek Bicycle Johnson City

On June 3, 2025, the Taco Trek returned once again to its birthplace in Johnson City, TN. If you happen to be in town during the event, you’ll likely see hundreds of people flocking to Holy Taco Cantina with their friends and families. 

Thanks to this inclusive, community-first approach, the once-struggling store is now one of Trek’s top ten locations out of more than 1,700 nationwide, an impressive feat for a little bike shop in downtown JC.

Chad Wolfe summed it up best: “Everything we’re doing is a want. Nobody needs a bicycle. So you better make people want to be part of what you’re building. When you make it fun, the dollars follow” and that’s exactly what came about.

We could all learn a thing or two from the success of the Taco Trek. It isn’t just a feel-good local story, it’s a masterclass in the power of knowing your customer. Instead of trying to “educate” the market, push harder on promotions, or assume that 25-mile rides were the norm, Chad Wolfe and his team asked better questions, challenged industry assumptions, and met people where they were. That seemingly simple shift didn’t just change the biking scene in Johnson City, it sparked a movement that spread nationwide.

If you’re interested in riding the Taco Trek, meet at Trek Bicycle Johnson City (110 West Market St.) at 7 PM on the first Tuesday of every month, from April through October.