NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Every bicycle tells a story.
That's what Andrew Hund told News 3 numerous times during our visit to his shop, a small building that sits on Norfolk's Colley Avenue filled to the brim with the two wheeled vehicles, some that date back to the 1860's. If you find yourself in the establishment, Andrew will happily strike up a conversation and tell you about any bike with which you'd like to familiarize yourself.
As for his own story, the bicycle chapter began when he was about seven years old.
"When I was a little kid, I found bikes on the curb and I said 'gosh, that doesn't need to go into the trash. Let me fix that up and give it to a friend,'" Andrew recalled.
Those would be the first of many bikes he would rescue. He would work for his father at his scrap yard while in his 20's and that may as well have been a gold mine. Many people's trash turned out to be Andrew's treasures.
"I couldn't bear to see them get crushed," he remembered. "I would jump out of the machine, put them to the side and before you knew it I had a couple hundred bikes saved up."
That sparked the idea that would turn into his business. Andrew has owned and operated Hund's Re-Cycle Factory for the last 12 years, giving the two-wheeled machines some extra time, even bringing some back to life.
"Bikes have a special sentimental value to people," he explained. "It brings a real smile to my face to just see the good that we can do with some simple part replacement."
But there is more to Andrew than bikes. He spends his working hours fixing them up for countless members of our community, but in his spare time you'll see him switch from two wheels to four wheels. Climbing behind the steering wheel is another section of the Norfolk native's saga, fulfilling his dream of becoming an auto racer last year. He's no stranger to the track, serving on his father's pit crew years ago. 2021 saw Andrew earn Langley Speedway's Rookie of the Year and he calls car racing part of his bucket list.
"I'm a 12th place runner out of 16," he smiled. "I might even look forward to getting 11th, but I feel like I win every race. Just getting out there and doing it is the best feeling in the world."
Whether it's the loud chaos of the track or the quiet serenity of his shop, Andrew relishes the chance to be a positive influence to as many as possible. He doesn't plan on slowing down any time soon.
"You build a community by helping everybody in the community, not just a select group of people," he said. "I want to be able to help everybody I can."
Every bike has a story. If your bike needs a fix or an adjustment, maybe Andrew Hund will become part of yours.
For more information on Hund's Re-Cycle Factory, clickhere.
