March 27, 2015 by Madeleine Achgill, Green Student Intern
Growing up biking around his neighborhood, UM Bike Mechanic Steve Valliant has loved bikes from a young age. Valliant began working in the Ole Miss Bike Shop in the fall of 2013.
His career with bikes began in high school at a local bike shop, where he quickly progressed from sales to mechanics.
“I learned from working in the shop; it was a good set up,” Valliant said. “They rotated us with different jobs every other day, whether we were selling, stocking shelves, or doing minor repairs.”
A native of New Orleans, Valliant came to the university in 1997 to obtain a degree in studio art. He still resides in Oxford with his wife and twin eight-year-olds.
Valliant prefers mountain biking to road biking, frequenting areas like Clear Creek and Thacker Mountain trails for individual and group rides.
His favorite part about biking is the independence it gives him. “For me, [biking] is pretty rewarding,” Valliant said. “It’s an easy technology to understand and grasp, and also become addicted to.”
Valliant advises Oxford cyclists to get acquainted with their bikes, learn how they work, and how to maintain them. “You’ll get a lot more happiness out of your bike that way,” Valliant said.
Valliant is in the Ole Miss Bike Shop Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Bike Shop, located in the Kennon Observatory Loop, is open to the campus community for repairs, rentals, and registration. For more information about the Ole Miss Bike Shop, visit bike.olemiss.edu.