VeeshanVault

I'm very seriously considering opening a bike shop next year and I've been asking a few questions of all my friends and colleagues that ride bikes, not just racers or "cycling enthusiasts" but anyone that is interested in bicycling at any level. Hopefully any of you that ride bikes, or go to bike shops regularly, can help me out...

* What do you look for in a bike shop?
* If you don't regularly visit bike shops, what might make you go in one?
* What are your expectations when it comes to sales? selection? service?
* Why do you like your favorite shop?
* What do you dislike about other shops you've visited but don't generally return to (unless it's an emergency)?
* Do you generally buy mail order or at a shop?
* Do you work on your own bike? If so what is the limit to what you can do without assistance (e.g., installing headsets / cranksets / derailleurs, truing wheels, etc)?

Feel free to post responses in this thread or PM me if you like. Thanks a bunch!

Well it depends on the area where you open it I think. We had a local bike store where I used to live and it was just plain awesome. Note that it was in a smaller place (although a college town so 25 000 students came and went heh) but here are some of the things I liked:

- Friendly and down to earth service. Not as pushy or snobby as some larger stores.
- They did service and repairs as well. Was easy to get stuff done, and one time when I had a worry about the gears I just stopped by and he took a look at it immediately.
- Wide range of bikes and equipment, would find something you liked wether you wanted street or off-road bikes, cheap or expensive.
- Also sold used bikes.

Conduct some serious studies in the area to determine whether or not you will be profitable. A lot of ideas sound good but will bankrupt you.

I remember always wanting to open a comic book store when I was a kid. After taking a long look at the economics of keeping inventory levels up, the base customers being basically kids with no money or college students with no money and you have little chance of staying afloat for long.

Have you considered the location, costs to stock and ability to survive whatever isn't the hot bike season, what the profit margin is on a bike and if people are starting to shop for them on the internet like everything else? If I can buy a huge rear screen projection TV on the net with no problem and have it delivered to my doorstep, I'm sure people are starting to order bikes that way as well. How many special orders will you have to make which also have a low profit margin for people with ancient bikes needing parts, etc.

Are there any major chain bike stores these days that can crush the mom and pop stores on pricing (along with what are the costs (with no sales tax) of ordering the same bike via the net)

I'm guessing you want to open a bike shop because you love cycling so that makes a big difference in whether you care if the store is profitable or whether it's enjoyable even if it's a break even business.

I'm in the process of compiling a formal business plan now. At every step of the way I am reassessing whether this will be successful and am completely OK with walking away from the idea should it prove to not be feasible.

We are in a growing community with lots of big families and tons of disposable income that in my estimation is underserved by specialty bicycle retailers.

And yes, I do love cycling. Been a cyclist for over 25 years, did BMX, triathlons, MTB races and road races, worked in a shop while I was in college, and I build, repair and maintain all seven of our bicycles. Breaking even and paying the bills would be perfectly fine for me. I'd wake up every morning with a huge smile on my face knowing I was going to a job that: was something I loved to do, was something I created and nurtured, and was something I could be proud of. Corporate America can't offer that feeling.

I'm a newbie when it comes to cycling, but here's my opinions since I just went through the process of hitting all the bike shops and finding one I was comfortable with..

* What do you look for in a bike shop?

Prices, variety of inventory, atmosphere, friendly/genuine employees

* If you don't regularly visit bike shops, what might make you go in one?

Advertisements that pique my interest or get my attention and excite me. Word of mouth..

* What are your expectations when it comes to sales? selection? service?

Honesty, friendliness, patience and knowledge in the sales people. I hate hard pushy sellers. And if I ask you what the difference is between Brand A at $1400 and Brand B at $1700 and you don't know.. you just lost $300 if I'm buying and you'll also probably see me talking to a different sales person next time. And if all the sales people are like that, you won't see me in the store anymore.

Selection - as much as possible. Not only in different brands, but different models and colors/styles. And if you don't have it in stock, offer to get as quickly as possible. If I wanted something specific that my store didn't have and they said they'd next day ship it for me at no extra cost - I'd buy it even if I were debating. And.. they'd get my repeat business without question. I do like sales people that give suggestions for future items to puchase. Thanks for selling me the bike.. I'm broke now, but what other things should I think about in the future? Just because you know you're not going to get the sale today doesn't mean you shouldn't plant the seed in my ear. But on the other hand, if I don't look interested in all the toys, suggest I come back to discuss it with you if I ever get interested.

Service - timely and accurate.

* Why do you like your favorite shop?

The sales people behave like they're your friends and are genuinely nice and helpful. The store has a 'welcome' feel to it. It's not like a little tinker shop, and it's not like WalMart, it's a place you don't mind hanging out at for a bit.. The selection is great. The store holds 'clinics' on various things such as bike repair or bike maintenance. They also support the local races and keep stacks and stacks of literature and flyers for the cycling clubs, races, events, etc. They remember your name. They aren't afraid of pointing you to the better deals even if the commission isn't as high.

* What do you dislike about other shops you've visited but don't generally return to (unless it's an emergency)?

Price. Lack of attention. If I walk in and can't get anyone to talk to for 10 minutes, I'm leaving and not coming back. Also, if it's a really small store with very little inventory, I'd love to support you but you never have what I need and can't get it for a week or more.. I can drive down the street and they have it in stock.

* Do you generally buy mail order or at a shop?

If I were more experienced with cycling, I might order one online, but I'd much rather support the local bike shop unless the price was just drastically different. You don't get the same type of support from mail order as you do at the LBS imho.. ie: when I bought my bike, I got vouchers for free maintenance for the first 6 months. Even if the bike doesn't necessarily need it, I can take it in and they'll clean it up and just make sure everything's adjusted just right. I've only ordered 1 thing for my bike mail-order and only because nobody else had it.

* Do you work on your own bike? If so what is the limit to what you can do without assistance (e.g., installing headsets / cranksets / derailleurs, truing wheels, etc)?

Not yet, but I'd like to at some point. Most I've done is changed my seat and installed my bike computer.

Thanks Siji, awesome feedback! Just the kind of thing I was looking for!

Tenuvil wrote:* What do you look for in a bike shop?

By far, the most important factor is that the employees are active bikers who know the best rides, best parts (even if they don't carry them) and who I could actually run into out on the trail. I mtn bike, so a roadie shop doesn't interest me as much, even if the employees are avid.

* What are your expectations when it comes to sales? selection? service?

I prefer friendly staff who will leave me alone to browse until I either come to you with a question or an item to buy. Exactly the opposite of what Siji said I guess.

If I have a question, it's fine if you don't know the answer as long as you don't try to bluff me into thinking you know something you don't. I'll never come back.

As for selection, it may sound silly, but it's important to me that the shop carry at least a few high-end bikes. I may not come in to buy one, but I will definitely come in to drool over it and, oh while I'm here sell me some spare tubes and gel prease.

* Do you generally buy mail order or at a shop?

I'll generally mail-order the seldom-replaced parts like frame, hubs, chainwheels, and rimsparts and depend on the local shop for the replacables like tires, grips, chains, tubes, and brakes. SPD-type shoes are also better bought at a shop where you can try them on. I bought my first SPD pedals at a local shop.

* Do you work on your own bike? If so what is the limit to what you can do without assistance (e.g., installing headsets / cranksets / derailleurs, truing wheels, etc)?

I've pretty much done everything down to re-packing my bottom bracket back when it was necessary. However, I HATE trueing rims and will take them to a shop.

Mplor wrote:I prefer friendly staff who will leave me alone to browse until I either come to you with a question or an item to buy. Exactly the opposite of what Siji said I guess.

Guess I should have better worded my answer.. I feel the same way as Mplor, but was mostly referring to not being able to get the attention of the sales people when I do have a question or something. It's frustrating having a question about something and not being able to ask anyone. In those cases, I go home and look for the answers on the net. And if I'm already on the net, I may order the product while I'm there.

I think there are different kinds of bike shops that appeal to different clientele. You have the recreational rider (adult), kids, mountain bikers, roadies, hard core roadies, etc. You have to offer things that will appeal to the different groups and you have to be able to talk on different levels.

There are 3 shops I frequent the most, and I go to them for different reasons. The shop I bought my bike from is a high-end only bike shop. They'll do work on any bike, but they only sell high-end gear. Calfee, Serotta, Chris King, Orbea, etc. Think lots of carbon-fiber and titanium. The two guys that run it are older, and experienced road cyclists (at the national level). You can ask them advice about training, performance, and parts, and you’ll get exceptionally good information. I had a guy in Santa Barbara tell me once that no one could fit me to a bike better than one of the guys at this shop which directly contributed to me purchasing from them. Their clothing selection sucks (I’m fairly certain that cycling clothing is a bitch to have on hand because it doesn’t sell a lot), and their prices are a bit higher. These are the guys I take my bike to for maintenance though, and I never worry about the work they’ll do on my Calfee. Most important is that these guys run a group ride every Saturday morning. 3 rides actually. 1 is for beginners, and two are for more experienced riders with a short ride and long ride that mostly just differs in the amount of time you’ll be on the bike. Basically if you give them your email address, they email you the ride profile on Thursday and you can ride with them if you like. The ride starts and ends at the shop, and from what I’ve seen, it’s brilliant business. They get to know their customers, and should any kind of mechanical issue occur on the ride, they’re there to help, and when the customer gets back to the shop, they might just buy something. They also attend (and race in) a lot of the local bike races, so they’re fairly well known. They’re happy to order you almost anything you want, but… at a higher price than I can find elsewhere. So basically I bought my bike there, and I get service there, but I generally don’t shop there otherwise.

The second shop I go to is a more general shop, with a better all around selection. They sell Trek and Specialized as well as a few other brands, and at the high-end they have the Trek high-end stuff and Colnagos. This shop has a great selection of clothes, water bottles, sunglasses, bike lighting, and many other accessories. You can probably figure out why I shop here… The owner is a nice guy who’s reasonably knowledgable about cycling in general but the rest of his staff frankly sucks. I’ve never taken a bike there to get service, and I probably wouldn’t. I like the shop for the selection, but I don’t know that I’d want to buy a bike there. (I might if I were picking up a Trek and was going to do the sizing myself based on my sizing on my Calfee).

The third shop I go to is the K-mart of bike shops… Supergo. They’re in Santa Monica and they do most of their business on their low prices and high volume sales. They have some high-end stuff, but generally it’s the same price as anything else. They seem to have a lot of clothes, but none I really like. I generally go there for two things. Endurox R4 (my recovery drink) and Accelerade (my on the bike drink).

Quick answers to your other questions:
* What do you look for in a bike shop?
See above.

* What are your expectations when it comes to sales? selection? service?
Knowledge, experience, and someone who's tried more than just one type of bike, grupo, wheel, etc.

* Why do you like your favorite shop?
Don't have specifically a favorite, but see above.

* What do you dislike about other shops you've visited but don't generally return to (unless it's an emergency)?
Shitty, piss poor selection. Arrogant staff, incompetent staff. In other words, if you hire a 16-22 year old, teach him to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out." when a customer asks a question. The ones you keep working for you are the ones that only have to ask you a given question once.

* Do you generally buy mail order or at a shop?
Mostly dependent upon the item. If it's something I can't install myself, I'll buy it in a store for sure. Almost all clothes I buy in the store. If I find a ridiculously lower price online, I'll consider it.

* Do you work on your own bike? If so what is the limit to what you can do without assistance (e.g., installing headsets / cranksets / derailleurs, truing wheels, etc)?
I only do basic maintenance and cleaning on my bike, and that's about it. I'll clean my chain myself, and adjust my front derailleur. I've done bartape, of course changing tires and tubes, seats, seatposts and brake adjustment. Anything more than that and the bike generally goes in the shop.

Regarding Mplor/Siji's comments on the level of attentiveness they want from a bike shop owner, I'd say that comes from establishing and getting to know your customer base. Try to learn your customer's names and faces and get to know them a bit. Until you have a customer base, a lot of people who wander in the store are just looking and probably don't realize a bike shop sells more than just bikes.

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I really want to make this work and the more info I get the better my planning can be!