By Liv Stecker
For Wes Porter, it’s all about convenience - for his customers, that is. An avid outdoor sportsman, Wes turned his passion for downhill speed into a family business. With nearly a decade of experience in bike and ski repair shops, Wes and his wife Ali took their skill to the road, literally, creating a mobile repair station that they can stage anywhere, from driveways to ski chalets. Stix and Spokes is unique in the service that they provide to outdoor athletes in Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille County.
Wes and Ali relocated to the Colville area four years ago from Boise, Idaho to live on a piece of property that has been in Ali’s family for more than 40 years. Carving a living out of the rural countryside in northern Stevens County can require creativity and dedication, two things that the team behind Stix and Spokes aren’t lacking. Wes is a one man equipment repair service, traveling with his 14 foot trailer of tools and equipment, he is ready to tackle long ignored maintenance issues and trouble shoot performance quirks and malfunctions.
Stix and Spokes also offers a few choice retail deals on bikes and skis, working will small designer companies who cater to personalized detail and high quality manufacturing. When his repair trailer isn't parked at social hotspots where outdoor athletes tend to congregate (Quartzite Brewing, anyone?), you can find Wes and his handy portable skill set up at 49 Degrees North for special events, or request him right to your front door for a tune up of your skis and cycles.
Rather than establish a fixed schedule of locations where they will provide service, Wes prefers to stay flexible and available for events and quick responses around the area. Keeping an open schedule means that he can meet you and your skis at work during your lunch break or make it to the night ski event at 49 Degrees North. His partnership with local businesses including Quartzite, 49 Degrees North and others gives him a couple of key pivot points in the community, where the convenience and skill of his services come in handy. “The more people that we help, the word spreads,” Wes says, and that’s where the success of Stix and Spokes comes from. Working hard to provide a full spectrum of services, Wes has expanded his expertise from bikes and downhill skis to cross country equipment and more. “If someone bought snow shoes and said a gromet had broken, I can fix that.” There isn't much that Wes isn't willing to tackle.
Stix and Spokes isn't intimidated by the miles that span our rural counties, as long as there is a need, he will travel, from Spokane to the Candadian Border. But Wes isn't working alone. His wife Ali is working behind the scenes, designing and managing the website and social networking that keeps Wes in communication with his clients over such a large geographic area.
Wes and Ali are looking forward to the growth of Stix and Spokes as the good word spreads. Currently, Wes sells Raleigh, Diamond Back and Red Lion BMX bikes and is exploring new lines of skis to provide to customers. Being a small business, Wes says he looks for small boutique brands that aren't after giant wholesale contracts. It's more about meeting each customer need, one athlete at a time.
To schedule a tune up for your skis, snowboard or bicycles, contact Wes at 509-690-2772 or check Stix and Spokes on Facebook or their website stixandspokes.com
