Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Nickley.
Scott, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Fly Rides started in San Diego five years ago. The owners, Ike and Megan Fazzio, had the idea after cycling through Italy and France. The San Diego shop started off as a small company but has taken off and become one of the most highly regarded tours in the area.
We chose electric bikes as our medium not only to set ourselves apart from other tours in the area but also because we knew it would offer our customers a more relaxed and fun experience. This decision also allowed us to take our customers further and 900 feet up to the top of beautiful Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, which simply wouldn’t have been possible with traditional bikes.
Ike, Megan, and I decided to expand to Los Angeles after considering a number of other markets. All three of us loved the city already–I’ve lived here before–and wanted to see if we could offer a different tour experience than what is already being offered here. We researched the area and realized the top of the Hollywood sign was a must considering the only other way to reach it was by walking. We designed a tour around that idea and ended up with a great result. We also wanted to have some sort of star tour because, after all, it is LA. And that is how our Beverly Thrills tour came to be.
We all have a real passion for Southern California and really believe there is no better way to explore it than on bikes. Why not make it a little easier on yourself and add a motor and battery?
Has it been a smooth road?
Luckily, we’ve had a pretty smooth ride–pun very much intended–so far. We did have to rethink one of our tours because of biking restrictions in Griffith Park, but it worked out fine. We’d love to see those restrictions lifted if we had to soap box about one thing.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Fly Rides is an electric bike tour, rental, and sales company. We offer great outdoor experiences like tours, hikes, and mountain bike rides to customers from all over the world. Our specialty has always been our electric bike tours. The electric bikes aren’t the only thing that make Fly Rides special. Everyone at Fly Rides has a true passion for people, the outdoors, and active travel experiences. We keep our team small so we know we are hiring the best guides.
I’d say we are most proud of being a thriving company for five years and to have the opportunity to expand to Los Angeles. We hope to continue to grow over the next years and to continue to offer the best tours in Los Angeles.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Los Angeles is a great place to start a tour company. Like with a lot of other industries, there is a misconception that it’s all kind of been done before. The key for us was researching what Los Angeles was missing in terms of a tour experience. If you can come in with a unique spin on a proven product (i.e. Electric bike tours instead of just bike tours) you have a good shot. There is also so much of LA that is relatively untouched by other companies. Of course, there is going to be a high concentration of tourism companies in Santa Monica and Venice. But when you find something unique you love about LA, show that to your customers.
Pricing:
- -Beverly Thrills Tour Half-off through 2017 ($65)
- -Hollywood Hills Bike and Hike Half-off through 2017 ($65)
- -Full Day Rentals w/ complimentary drop off Half-off through 2017 ($49)
- -Half Day Rentals ($45)
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.laflyrides.com
- Phone: 323-460-2010
- Email: [email protected]
