Sam Isaac

Now that Southwest Florida’s weather has turned cooler and much more comfortable, a Lehigh Acres man says it times to get outside and ride your bicycle.

“The exercise is great and now that it is not so hot, it can be a pleasure, and when you are biking down the street, you see homes and things in a different view than if you’re driving down the same street in a car,” said Sam Isaac of Lehigh, who lost his construction job a few years back and has used his entrepreneurial spirit to start a small business.

His new business is Sam’s Bikes and it’s located at the Lehigh Flea Market just behind 1301 Homestead Rd. You can also drive to the flea market by turning in at the professional building on Beth Stacey Blvd.

“I have always liked biking, repairing bicycles and making minor bike repairs,” he said. “So this is something I knew I could do and make a living.”

His bikes look like they are brand new and his prices are reasonable from $20 for a child’s bike to an adult’s bike for around $60.

Sam with his bikes. All of these bicycles look brand new. They have been restored and brought back to life and are for sale at Sam’s Bikes at the Lehigh Acres Flea Market behind 1301 Homestead Rd. His shop is behind the Bravo Substation and next to the Senior Center. MEL TOADVINE

“I get them mostly at garage and yard sales and I fix them up. Usually there are only a few minor repairs to make,” he said.

He also sells tires, tubes and other bike accessories. You will find two-wheelers and three-wheelers, some with wire carriers on the back that many senior citizens like to use to get around.

He is located in the flea market next to Oscar’s Produce. Several bikes are displayed outside which are for sale.

“Not only is the weather a great time to start bicycling for exercise, but it is getting close to Christmas, and these bikes would make great Christmas presents,” he said.

Isaac worked during the building boom as a metal frame construction worker. Then he lost his job and his good pay, not unlike thousands of others in this area and across the nation.

Three-wheeler has basket behind the seat. Sam Isaac says it is ideal for an elderly person who may want to bike to the grocery store and use the basket to hold items. MEL TOADVINE

“Times got bad and I knew I had to do some other things to support my family,” he said.

He has a 19-year-old daughter who helps by bringing income into the home as does his wife, Elsa, who works for a fast food restaurant in Lehigh.

“We’re making it, but it can be hard sometimes,” he said.

Isaac, who is 47, is from El Salvador and came to the U.S. with his parents in the 1980s, learned English quickly, got married and began a family. Before he moved to Lehigh, he lived and worked in New York City. He moved to Lehigh in 1998 and not long after he was here when the economy went sour for construction workers and others.

He is a proud American citizen and flies the American flag at his bike shop.

To save money today, Isaac doesn’t even drive a car.

“I use my own bicycle to come to work and to go home. I don’t live that far from here, maybe a half mile,” he said. “And I’m getting good exercise, too.”

Part of the reason he doesn’t drive an automobile is vision problems, too, but he laughs and says he doesn’t have to buy gas, just use a little leg muscle power to get around town.

“When I came to Lehigh at first, homes were selling fast and were going at good prices. I came here for the opportunity to make a good living, but that didn’t last very long,” he said.

“But I didn’t give up. I knew I could do other things and I believe in doing what you can to support your family,” he said.

He spoke about the way new bicycles are being built today and said a lot of plastic is being used.

“If I was someone who had an older bike and it needed repair or I could choose buying a new bike, I would get the older bike repaired because they are often better bicycles,” Isaac said.

“I don’t a have a lot of money to advertise but I hope those who come by for repairs or to buy a bike will get the word out that I do a good job,” he said.

He’s open every day from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and when you stop by, you won’t find him sitting around doing nothing.

“I’ve got plenty of work to do, fixing chains, putting bearings in the wheels, fixing fenders. You name it and I can do it,” he said.

He said biking is a popular sport in Lehigh and that there is a bicycle club that he believes meets at the Lehigh library, but he didn’t have more details.

“I know they used to meet somewhere else on a Saturday and they would put on their helmets and take biking trips,” he said.

Isaac loves Lehigh Acres and those who know him say he is a hard worker and an honest man who likes people.

Making a selection for a bicycle now may be a good idea since people who stop at the flea market often end up at his shop and ride off with a bike.

“That’s what I like,” he laughed.