After graduating from Wesleyan University in 1998 with a degree in Psychology/Sociology, Andrew Prescott, an Old Saybrook, Conn., native now living in Cambridge, embarked on a quest to find the ultimate job. After working as a recruiter, dishwasher, bartender, globetrotter, accountant, and marketing manager for such brands as Cointreau, Coca-Cola Zero, and Anheuser-Busch, he decided in 2004 to launch Urban AdvenTours, to offer guided bicycle tours in and around Boston and Cambridge. Six years later, he opened what is now called Urban Cycles, a bike shop that sells, rents, and repairs bikes and has bike-related gear to buy. We recently caught up with the 40-year-old entrepreneur to find out what made him change career gears, his happiest moment on the job as CWO — Chief Wheel Officer — and why it’s a miracle he’s still in business.

Q. What inspired the creation of Urban AdvenTours and Urban Cycles?

A. I was influenced primarily by my junior year abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, where everyone rides bicycles and the infrastructure for cyclists was very impressive. Then, I thought about my passions, which were travel, tourism, green, fun, and active, and came up with this.

Q. What made you think such a business would work in Boston?

A. Just my experience riding around Boston on a bike versus being on the subway. I just realized there was so much to see above ground. I thought it was a unique experience that should be shared.

Q. Are there safety issues here that are different from Copenhagen?

A. You can never stress safety enough. It’s important to be very aware of what’s around you — watch the potholes!

Q. How about Boston’s notoriously “bad’’ drivers?

A. They are always challenging. It doesn’t matter if you’re a biker, pedestrian, or whatever.

Q. Top tips for biking safely in Boston?

A. We just launched a T-shirt line called Are You Urban? and there are four things we point out: wearing helmets, having bike lights, riding in the right direction, and ringing your bell, which is courteous. . . . I designed them, along with all the other T-shirts we have for each neighborhood. . . . It’s probably the most fun part of my job.

Q. Do you bike to work? [He nods.]

A. When I’m not driving to deliver a bike to a hotel or something like that.

Q. What’s a typical day?

A. There is zero such thing as a typical day! But every day certainly includes answering phones and responding to e-mails, providing customer service, which is the majority of what we do, and, on occasion, I lead a tour. There is dealing with vendors and, most recently, changing our software program. Then, there is always the job of managing staff.

Q. Did you design bike-related clothes at one point?

A. That was my original idea. I wanted to design commuter clothing that would look professional when you got off your bike. Then I thought I’d rather ride the bike [laughs].

Q. Of the seven or so tours you offer, which is your favorite?

A. I still think our City View Tour is top-notch. It’s our most popular tour probably because it shows you the diversity of our city. The Fenway neighborhood is very different from the West End, from Charlestown, to Back Bay. They all have their unique styles. Plus, the city is always changing, whether it’s a road closure, a traffic direction change, or new buildings and construction, which you’re seeing a ton of now.

Q. Favorite place to ride in New England?

A. Vermont. The Northeast Kingdom, specifically.

Q. Why?

A. It’s got great scenery, not a lot of cars, challenging and diverse terrain, and lots of breweries to stop at [grins].

Q. Top biking spot in the world?

A. I’d have to go back to Copenhagen. I really enjoyed the infrastructure — all those bike lanes, places to lock your bike, bike traffic signals, and just overall courtesy.

Q. Fantasy bike?

A. I’m pretty happy with my Giant TCR. It’s durable, fast, and light.

Q. Greatest business challenges you face?

A. Online sales, employee management and retention, and the rising cost of rent and doing business. . . . And, the number one challenge was when this city launched a bike-sharing program [Hubway]. It significantly impacted me. It’s a miracle I’m still in business.

Q. Future plans?

A. Continuing to improve our customer service and expand our tour offerings into Vermont. We have 250 acres that was an old camp — Wapanacki — that comes with its own 25-acre lake [and trails through the woods]. So we’re offering corporate retreats and the chance for people from Boston to rent a bike for a rural AdvenTours.

Q. Happiest moment on job?

A. I would say after a challenging day I walked into the shop — this was about two weeks ago — and I saw a customer, who I remembered from having sold a bike to him and his family. He’s a very playful guy, he’s a doctor, and I joked, “I thought I told you, you weren’t allowed back in here,’’ and he said, “Oh, my God. You changed my life. We ride our bikes all over Charlestown as a family and we are having so much fun and we’re back here to buy some more stuff.’’ If you don’t get those things, forget it. That’s what you go for.

Victoria Abbott Riccardi can be reached at vabbottriccardi@ gmail.com.