The Shift: Smith brothers take alternative angle on bike industry

Squires Smith recognized a need for a portable bike stand for on-the-fly bike maintenance and repair.

• But it was a fouled fix while a buddy held his bike in the air — blowing his shot at a criterium race in Denver — that spurred him to action.
• "I'm extremely frustrated," Smith told me. Rather than take a rest day, "I'm like, 'All right, I'm building something that we can bring to all of our races.'"

Driving the news: Soon after, he launched AltAngle, which makes light and portable bike hangers so enthusiasts don't have to rely on large, cumbersome racks.

The big picture: The cycling industry in the U.S. was valued at $5.3 billion in 2021, per the NPD group. Accessories like AltAngle made up more than $900 million of those sales.

How it works: There are variations of AltAngle's stands, but they essentially allow one to use an existing object — a fencepost or a door jamb — as a counterbalance to clamp onto while elevating a bike with another clamp.

• The Hangar Connect weighs only 3 pounds and sells for $225.
• The invention is easily packed in the trunk of a car for quickie repairs on excursions or a simple way for apartment dwellers to do simple maintenance.

Zoom out: Smith moved his family and business to NWA from Houston in September.

• The decision was easy after he visited for the Rule of Three bike race, he said.
• Smith is the company visionary and self-taught product design engineer.
• His brother, Scott Smith, drives the company's finances and splits his time between NWA and Houston.

The bottom line: The duo wouldn't share figures but said sales have been brisk. They've only recently been able to accumulate stock in their Rogers warehouse.

• The two have self-funded the venture, but are open to talking with potential investors, they told Worth.

🚲The Shift is a regular feature to catch up quick on what's happening in Arkansas' economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem.