Words and photos courtesy of Steven Horrocks aka Dixie
It’s no secret that I am something of an Empire BMX homer; Tom and Tina run a mail order like no other. But if there were a sudden tectonic plate shift and part of Johnson City, TN wound up here in Knoxville, I’d be stoked to have a local bike shop like Angry Penguin to allow me to procure the latest and greatest in BMX goods.
The shop has been open for business since 2003, and during the whole time, New Jersey native Dr. Enuff enthusiast Jake Hunter has been running the show.
Jake is a hell of a street rider and a good guy to have manning the phone and register. He’s quick to point out that he’s interested in carrying parts from companies that he thinks are doing things the right way and sells them all at good prices, which is a pretty sweet deal in the land of the local bike shop.
But Angry Penguin also carries a large array of skateboard supplies and Jake does his best to keep up with that side of things as well, like setting up video premiers and hooking up local shredders when possible. Angry Penguin is somewhat of an oddity, as it is easily the best bike shop in the state while being nowhere near the population centers of Tennessee. You’d think a place like Nashville with its Nathan Williams, Alex Magallan and Corey Martinez would have a shop of this magnitude…but you would be dead wrong.
It’s a full service set up, too. Jake will build your wheel, cut your steer tube and try to get you to buy a Lord Clothing trucker hat all in one fell swoop.
I don’t always get stuff from a local bike shop, but when I do, it is totally worth it to drive an hour and twenty minutes to get it from Angry Penguin.
Check them out at http://angrypenguin.biz/ or call and ask how many Jakes they have working there @ (423) 929-2003
