I am not a cyclist, but my curiosity got the best of me when I saw 2020 Cycle open recently in the Central District. The shop wasn't fancy – it seemed fun. So I stopped to look around.

I had a chat with owner Alex Kostelnik, who was so interesting I could have sat there drinking his imported Indian tea for hours. We talked about the neighborhood (as a native, he's a bit of a historian on it), music (we both love Janis Joplin and he's tuned into the Seattle music scene), and his bike shop, which has become part business and part community hub in the short time it has been open.

Need a bike repair? Kostelnik services everyone's bikes, from messengers to commuters to kids. Kostelnik says he "can put fenders on bikes that people thought we couldn't," and does custom rack installations and bike modifications. Want a vintage bike, brand new Ritchey, or one built from the ground up? Kostelnik can do it. Need free advice on your bike problems? He gave plenty while I was sitting there, expounding on gummy gears and stubborn, sticky brakes. He also carries parts, patch kits, gears, and salvaged bike baskets for the neighborhood kids.

"It's the kind of place I always wanted – a third place," says Kostelnik, who had DSL, a lounge, and a faux fireplace installed before he had bikes in the shop. What you see is what you get in the shop. It's funky and a little gritty with a well-worn couch and beat up coffee table in the "lounge." In other words, it's real and honest. Everything is in the open, including the repairs going on.

"It's a great way for customers to learn to maintain their own bikes," says Kostelnik. "They can see everything we're doing. It's educational."

Kostelnik has been repairing bikes for about 25 years, since he was eating sour balls and candy necklaces at T.T. Minor Elementary School a few blocks away. He's since been a racer and worked at nearly every bike shop in town before he opened his own shop. I voiced my fear of riding a bike on busy streets. "I've been commuting for 30 years and I'm still here," he said. Maybe I'll take another look at that vintage cruiser.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company