How A Bike Tour Company Became The #1 TripAdvisor Activity In Brooklyn In Just Over A Year

This post is part of the "Small Business, Big Ideas" series, in which business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators share their stories of overcoming obstacles and achieving success. "Small Business, Big Ideas" is sponsored by Chase. See more in the series »

Get Up and Ride is a Brooklyn based bike tour company that highlights off the beaten path sites and provides an insider perspective into what's cool in some of New York's hottest neighborhoods.

From stops at rooftop farm Brooklyn Grange to a slice at Williamsburg's Best Pizza restaurant, Felipe Lavalle, owner and tour director, has curated an authentic experience for tourists and locals.

Lavalle was working in cold call sales for two years, when he decided to quit his job in search of a more interesting profession.

While looking for a bike rental company for his out-of-town guests, which came up short, he realized there was a huge opportunity.

"I did a Google search for 'Brooklyn bike tour' and nothing came up, it didn't take much more than that to get the ball rolling," said Lavalle.

After a year and change, trusting his gut instinct has paid off. Get Up and Ride is currently ranked #1 on Trip Advisor's list of activities in Brooklyn.

Hear more about his story, get advice on building and sustaining partnerships in a shared economy and check out the stunning sites in the video below.

Produced by Alana Kakoyiannis. Additional camera by Justin Gmoser