Who's Your Bike Shop?
Where can you go to talk about your favorite sport, have a beer or a coffee, and buy gear? Your local bike shop of course.
Savvy consumers know the benefits of shopping local but the local bike shop offers so much more; there is a culture that grows up around a bike shop.
Nate Kanney, manager of Bikeway Super Store in Wappingers, talked about the what draws people into the shops.
“As a bike rider you get into riding and there is a whole subculture and the shops are a local hub for riders. We have customers who come in and hangout for an hour and have a cup of coffee to talk about a European race. They can bench race about it for hours. They talk about a race in Italy or a new trail in Stewart. It’s fun to catch up and see what experience people have on their bikes,” Kanney said.
Steve Leibowitz, owner of Revolution Bikes in Saugerties, explained that the shop has a following of devoted customers.
“They appreciate us and what we do for customer service. People really like who we are and they like supporting the store,” Leibowitz said.
It’s not by chance that this happens.
“We’re really focused on trying to develop that bike shop culture here. We are an outpost of the cycling community where people can come and relax, and relate on similar interests,” Billy Denter, of Overlook Mountain Bikes, said.
Part of the allure is brand recognition. Wearing your bike shop’s jersey creates a sense of belonging. Being part of a team is a large part of what a bike shop offers.
“These guys are cool; I want to be affiliated with these guys. It’s part of the overall vibe of cycling,” Leibowitz said.
Savvy consumers know the benefits of shopping local but the local bike shop offers so much more; there is a culture that grows up around a bike shop.
Nate Kanney, manager of Bikeway Super Store in Wappingers, talked about the what draws people into the shops.
“As a bike rider you get into riding and there is a whole subculture and the shops are a local hub for riders. We have customers who come in and hangout for an hour and have a cup of coffee to talk about a European race. They can bench race about it for hours. They talk about a race in Italy or a new trail in Stewart. It’s fun to catch up and see what experience people have on their bikes,” Kanney said.
Steve Leibowitz, owner of Revolution Bikes in Saugerties, explained that the shop has a following of devoted customers.
“They appreciate us and what we do for customer service. People really like who we are and they like supporting the store,” Leibowitz said.
It’s not by chance that this happens.
“We’re really focused on trying to develop that bike shop culture here. We are an outpost of the cycling community where people can come and relax, and relate on similar interests,” Billy Denter, of Overlook Mountain Bikes, said.
Part of the allure is brand recognition. Wearing your bike shop’s jersey creates a sense of belonging. Being part of a team is a large part of what a bike shop offers.
“These guys are cool; I want to be affiliated with these guys. It’s part of the overall vibe of cycling,” Leibowitz said.
There is pride in hearing your name called out on a mountain bike course lap- “And riding for Team Overlook…”. Or seeing three tiers of the podium filled with Team Bikeway jerseys at a triathlon.
“We have a lot of customers, team members, who are really, really loyal to us. But cyclists go to the other shops; we’re all in it together. We don’t see the other shops as competitors but as coworkers and peers,”Kanney said. “I like to go and visit other shops and hang out”.
The idea is to promote cycling, promote the culture and have a good time. Customers will gravitate to shops where the owner and employees are passionate and anybody who works at a bike shop got into it because they love bikes.
“There is passion about the sport and sharing it with the customers who become your friends, social networking, there’s a lot of that aspect, good vibes and feelings all around. It’s a neutral ground where people come and make networks with other people in the cycling community,” Leibowitz said.
Team Overlook had cyclocross riders, mountain bikers, road riders, and triathletes riding for the team at all sorts of competitive cycling events.
“There are 25 members, if not more,” Denter said. “We are ambassadors. We make an effort to be present. We have provided neutral support for the Women’s Woodstock Cycle Grand Prix for the last four years. It’s a great event with a course that is that challenge, that is not dumbed down for ladies, and that kind of aptitude, discipline and focus”.
Bikeway specializes in tri-bike and tri bike fitting.
“Team Bikeway is predominantly triathlon based, although in the past few years we’ve seen the mountain bike team grow,” Kanney said.
“We have a lot of customers, team members, who are really, really loyal to us. But cyclists go to the other shops; we’re all in it together. We don’t see the other shops as competitors but as coworkers and peers,”Kanney said. “I like to go and visit other shops and hang out”.
The idea is to promote cycling, promote the culture and have a good time. Customers will gravitate to shops where the owner and employees are passionate and anybody who works at a bike shop got into it because they love bikes.
“There is passion about the sport and sharing it with the customers who become your friends, social networking, there’s a lot of that aspect, good vibes and feelings all around. It’s a neutral ground where people come and make networks with other people in the cycling community,” Leibowitz said.
Team Overlook had cyclocross riders, mountain bikers, road riders, and triathletes riding for the team at all sorts of competitive cycling events.
“There are 25 members, if not more,” Denter said. “We are ambassadors. We make an effort to be present. We have provided neutral support for the Women’s Woodstock Cycle Grand Prix for the last four years. It’s a great event with a course that is that challenge, that is not dumbed down for ladies, and that kind of aptitude, discipline and focus”.
Bikeway specializes in tri-bike and tri bike fitting.
“Team Bikeway is predominantly triathlon based, although in the past few years we’ve seen the mountain bike team grow,” Kanney said.
Events are another large part of what bike shops offer.
Yoga Wednesdays are the biggest of the in-house community events at Bikeway. There are Saturday mornings group rides of about 2.5-3 hours, a week night ride, seasonal rides, and adventure dirt-road rides.
Revolution Bikes has a ride at the O Positive Festival, puts on Global Fat Bike Day, along with weekend group rides ending with pizza, beer and hang out.
Overlook has Thursday snow or mountain bike ride in the off-season, and a road ride starting in April. The Thursday night road ride has been going on for 26 years. Overlooks chaperones it and give it life, according to Denter.
The Saturday morning road ride goes off all year round at 9am. It’s an open and friendly, no drop ride, speeds around 13-14 miles per hour. The ride has helped develop a lot of women cyclists. Also on Saturdays a much hardier, fast paced, ride goes into Hunter and Tannersville. It’s 18 plus miles per hour, an elite-hammerfest. The ride leaves at 8am for 53 very hilly miles. This ride will start up again in a few weeks.
There are a lot of aspects at work in bike shop culture, loyalty to a certain brand of bike, being part of a team, rides, new parts, but it’s the atmosphere of the shop that keeps the culture together.
Online shopping can be great for the new rider who needed to buy the cheapest thing to get them started, but then maybe they’re not comfortable coming into the shop or hanging out.
“We offer, and we give our, customers and riders a reason to shop with us. We offer more value. Often it’s the experience. Like mountain bike suspension, you can buy it online but setting it up is impossible. Experience is a huge value factor,” Kanney said.
“I’m a bicycle therapist. Their bike is their baby and if that thing’s not working they’re all upset,” Denter said.
“Weekends are valuable and riders want their bikes to work,” Leibowitz added.
If that’s not enough reason to go hang out at your local bike shop there is always the mysterious connection between bike shops and dogs.
“Where there was a fork in the road and we could have taken the fork of elitism or community. We took the fork of community; that has made all the difference” Denter said.
Check the Peak Magazine EVENTS page for more rides.
Yoga Wednesdays are the biggest of the in-house community events at Bikeway. There are Saturday mornings group rides of about 2.5-3 hours, a week night ride, seasonal rides, and adventure dirt-road rides.
Revolution Bikes has a ride at the O Positive Festival, puts on Global Fat Bike Day, along with weekend group rides ending with pizza, beer and hang out.
Overlook has Thursday snow or mountain bike ride in the off-season, and a road ride starting in April. The Thursday night road ride has been going on for 26 years. Overlooks chaperones it and give it life, according to Denter.
The Saturday morning road ride goes off all year round at 9am. It’s an open and friendly, no drop ride, speeds around 13-14 miles per hour. The ride has helped develop a lot of women cyclists. Also on Saturdays a much hardier, fast paced, ride goes into Hunter and Tannersville. It’s 18 plus miles per hour, an elite-hammerfest. The ride leaves at 8am for 53 very hilly miles. This ride will start up again in a few weeks.
There are a lot of aspects at work in bike shop culture, loyalty to a certain brand of bike, being part of a team, rides, new parts, but it’s the atmosphere of the shop that keeps the culture together.
Online shopping can be great for the new rider who needed to buy the cheapest thing to get them started, but then maybe they’re not comfortable coming into the shop or hanging out.
“We offer, and we give our, customers and riders a reason to shop with us. We offer more value. Often it’s the experience. Like mountain bike suspension, you can buy it online but setting it up is impossible. Experience is a huge value factor,” Kanney said.
“I’m a bicycle therapist. Their bike is their baby and if that thing’s not working they’re all upset,” Denter said.
“Weekends are valuable and riders want their bikes to work,” Leibowitz added.
If that’s not enough reason to go hang out at your local bike shop there is always the mysterious connection between bike shops and dogs.
“Where there was a fork in the road and we could have taken the fork of elitism or community. We took the fork of community; that has made all the difference” Denter said.
Check the Peak Magazine EVENTS page for more rides.
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