Growing up in Akron, Ryan Sheldon landed his first job in a bike shop after applying for one approximately 20 times and hanging around the shop like a groupie. At the time, he was 17 years old and working as a bagger in the grocery store next door. Eventually, the owners hired him, seeing a spark of passion that was worth nurturing. He worked there for 15 years.

Now, the 33-year-old bike lover has struck out on his own with Beat Cycles, which recently opened in a long-vacant storefront in Lakewood (15608 Detroit Avenue). Sheldon renovated the place himself from the studs up over the course of five and half grueling months -- opening just in time for good cycling weather.

"I saw the opportunity to bring a really cool shop with a unique vibe to Lakewood," says Sheldon, who says he has a particular passion for working with all levels of cyclists and getting new folks interested in cycling. "My approach is really open; I'm passionate about what I do, and I love getting kids on bikes."

Sheldon says that Lakewood, a dense city of 52,000 residents, is a great place for biking. He says there's room for another bike shop even though there are at least four (Spin, Century Cycles, Blazing Saddles and Joy Machines) within a few miles.

Sheldon may be new to the whole entrepreneurship gig, but he's pretty much always been into bikes. "It’s that first sense of freedom you get," he says. "As a kid, you can get away from your parents on a bike... and they can’t quite catch you."

Sheldon was bit by the entrepreneurship bug after rising to the level of regional manager at his previous job. He saw opening his own store as "the ultimate level of creativity." First, he had to identify the right spot and pull together financing. He had savings but not enough, and no bank wanted to touch the deal. They wanted him to be able to show some profit before they'd loan him money.

Then he contacted the Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI), a nonprofit community-oriented lender that was eager to help him get started. After a lot of ups and downs, the loan finally closed and he was on his way.

Beat Cycles features warm, refinished hardwood floors and walls wrapped in reclaimed wood. The colors are bright and eye-catching. Sheldon and his coworkers removed a drop ceiling and replaced electric and other mechanicals. "It's fun to walk in the store and really see your vision in finished form," he says.

He couldn't be more excited about being an entrepreneur. "From a young age, I thought it would be cool to have a job that you loved. I carried that mentality and mindset up to ripe old age of 33. It doesn’t feel like work if you enjoy it."