Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019 - 30

ask where he got his hip bag. Friends wanted to
buy his wares. Soon, Ezz started sewing regularly and learned what worked through trial and
error. He made one of his early front handlebar
bags with two side pockets, but later learned
that the feature was inoperable. "I prefer criticism to compliments," Ezz says. "Compliments
are not going to help me make a better bag. If
I go out on a ride with a customer and see that
their bag isn't meeting their specific needs I
make them a new one, because I learned something."
The Spindle makes everything from a standard tool pouch meant to fit in the back of a jersey to bags big enough to hold everything a rider
might need for a bikepacking trip, including a
tent and sleeping bag. Often crafted in muted
colors meant to blend into urban settings, the
products have names that are anything but boring. The Rimshot is named for the Jack Russell
Terrier in "Ernest Scared Stupid." Sharif named
the hip pouch Bot Bot, the nickname he uses
for his nephew. Other bag names were chosen
because Ezz just likes the way they sound: Holy
Rolltop, The Swindler, and Frisky Biscuit round
out the offerings currently sitting on the shop's
shelves. Their wares rage from $13 up to $250
for the Hank, the largest bag that they make.
Through their retail space and bag offerings,
the brothers offer what online retailers often
can't: handmade goods made from American
materials that can be customized for their clientele and delivered fairly quickly. Their shop
space is also a convergence point for the neighborhood, the bike community, and the friends
they've made over the years. The in-person
experience seems to be worth it for those who
make the trek to this part of town.
Ezz also believes that the fact that his goods
are made here in the shop bolsters consumer
confidence: "We have this interesting thing in
this country where we like saying things but not
doing them really well because of price point.
This bag here, everything down to the thread
is made in the USA. I get the buckles made in
Jasper, Georgia. The Cordura fabric is made in
South Carolina, the X-PAC in Connecticut."
Sharif 's philosophy in the kitchen is similar.
"The main focus is sourcing locally made goods
and if we can't do that, getting things from people who are very attentive to their craft-whether that's in manufacturing or farming. When
I cook, I want to be able to give people a little
backstory to the food they're eating, and usually they appreciate it more and they don't mind
paying for it. We try to keep our prices reason-

30 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Summer 2019

SPIN CYCLE
Two-wheeled
adherents of all
types flock to
The Spindle.

Off to one side, PROMINENTLYVISIBLE TO ANYONE
who pushes on the door handle, is a circle that says,
"YOU ARE WELCOME HERE. HATE IS NOT."
able. I like going to the Saturday market, working with farmers and knowing where my food
comes from, and cooking seasonally."
This isn't a marketing strategy. The things
that happen at the store occur organically, spilling out of their lives and into the space. "We surround ourselves with good folks outside of here
and when we come in here, the space reflects
that," Sharif says. "I don't want people to feel
embarrassed coming in here with what they
might think is a piece of shit bike. I think, 'Ooh
hey, it's a bike!' If it works, it works. You can be
the guy on the $10,000 bike or you can be that
guy on a bike that you just found in the dumpster with no brakes-I'll do my best to help you."
The no-brakes example is real. "I saw this guy
one day and he was using his feet to stop and I
said, 'Hold on, let me help you,'" Sharif says. "It
took five or 10 minutes out of my day. Now he
can live and not ride in fear. We're all human
beings and I love learning about people. This
whole neighborhood is creative kids and artists
and we're part of it. We turn to one another and
say, 'I love what you're doing, it's rad.'"
Community is key. "In Atlanta...even with all
the changes it's had to make, it seems that the
heart tries to stay very generous," Sharif says.
The brothers try to stay true to that ideal, giving creatives the opportunity to showcase what

they do. The shop features work by local visual
artists and every month the walls change. In
one corner, an art piece featuring eyes of Frida
Kahlo stares out at patrons while they try the
hummus linguine, an offering from vegan chef
Areina Plowden of The Vegan Foode Eats.
"I like this deep sense of community and this
sense of supporting people around you," Sharif
says. Every piece of decor in the room is the contribution of a friend. Every fixture in the shop
was made by someone the Hassans know. The
reclaimed wood bar was crafted by a friend from
Sharif 's bike messenger days. Ezz's high school
buddy did some of the interior. The table in
between the garage doors is from chef Angus
Brown, who taught Sharif a great deal of what
he knows about food. Brown gave the furniture
to Sharif before he passed away in 2017.
"You don't have to be exclusive to belong here,"
Sharif continues. "We focus on commuters and
casual cyclists, but people can come in here and
ask us about bikes. They know we're knowledgeable, but we don't have racks of bikes to upsell
them on. We tell them, 'If you wanna do this type
of riding, go to this shop, they have what you
need.' Stores around here, we support each other's shops." The local bike retailers have formed
an alliance-they attend one another's rides and
races, and if a customer comes in searching for

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019

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