As Bike Use Rises, So Do Retail Sales in Thriving Market

As bike use rises, so do retail sales in thriving market By Steve Frothingham n Vancouver, bike shops are like co ee shops: ere’s one on every corner.” ‘ISo said Vancouver retailing veteran Michael eil, owner of the three-store chain Bicycle Sports Pacic. His comment was validated as the BRAIN Vancouver Dealer Tour pedaled from shop to shop around the city over three days in June. Sometimes we didn’t need our bikes: We could walk a few steps between shops. Despite the retail density, most shops appeared to be thriving; many owners and managers reported that their biggest challenge was oen getting and keeping employees in the booming economy (see related story on page DT2). e health of bike retailing in the third-largest metro area in Canada stems from several factors, but most notably from a massive investment in bike infrastructure by the city, nearby municipalities and the provincial government over the past six years or so (see related story on pages DT2-3). e fast-growing popu- lation, dominated by folks who value healthy outdoor lifestyles, is largely in full support of the investment. Bike use is up, and so are bike sales. Vancouver’s North Shore, and other nearby riding destinations like Squamish and Whistler, are re- nowned for their hard-core mountain biking, and retailers near those hot spots continue to sell big-dollar mid- and longer-travel bikes and related gear. We visited some of those shops in North Vancouver, near the North Shore riding area, on our second day (see related story on page DT3). But in the city, the market has been revitalized by sales of more utilitarian bikes for commuting, transportation and family riding. While there are retailers that specialize in trendy upper-end city bikes, like Denman Bike Shop, much of the market revolves around less-expensive but very practical machines. at’s because many residents take a utilitarian approach to their biking. With some of the most expensive housing in Canada, few can a ord a car, or a place to park it. Bikes just make sense. “In Vancouver, your rst car is a bike. And your second car is … another bike,” quipped Josh Williams, owner of Kissing Crows Cyclery, a shop we visited on the third day of our tour. e expensive real estate market also keeps shop Photo by Gary Newkirk by Photo sizes to a minimum — there are few destination stores in the city, although there are some in the fast- growing outlying communities like Surrey. Vancou- ver lacks a major expressway through or around the city — that’s good news for the biking community — and the city has distinct neighborhoods oen separated by waterways. It’s relatively hard to get around even if you have a car, so Vancouverites like their bike shops small and nearby, because they will likely be riding to the store.

ONLINE VIDEO: Dealer Tour participants and retailers share their impressions of Vancouver’s booming bike market and cycling infrastructure: http://bit.ly/Jh er. DT

Vancouver in the fast lane on expanding infrastructure By Toby Hill working to expand Vancouver’s cycling infrastructure. oon aer being elected in 2008, May- Founded in 1998, Hub (formerly Sor Gregor Robertson set a goal for the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) Vancouver to become the greenest city works to improve cycling conditions by in the world by 2020. at included get- consulting not only with Vancouver’s ting people out of cars and making the city government, but 20 other munici- majority of trips in the city by foot, bi- palities in the metro region. It also works cycle or public transit by the same date. with regional transportation authority Seems that 2020 arrived a bit early: TransLink, which oversees public tran- Recent panel survey data showed that sit and infrastructure outside of cities’ Vancouverites are making 50 percent of jurisdictions, as well as the provincial their daily trips by walk/bike/transit, ac- government, which is responsible for cording to Dale Bracewell, manager of highways, bridges and some pieces of in- the Active Transportation branch in the frastructure that connect to those. city’s Engineering Department. Early cycling infrastructure in Van- “So we’re ve years ahead of where couver included residential bike routes we thought we’d need to be. And speci - paralleling arterial streets where cyclists cally for cycling, we’re at 100,000 people were not separated from motor trac, biking a day. In 2008, we were at 50,000 but bike symbols were painted on roads people biking a day,” he said. and trac-calming measures were taken e surge in daily cycling is no doubt with a goal of holding speeds down to 30 fueled by Vancouver’s robust rollout of kilometers per hour. cycling infrastructure in recent years, in- “at allowed people to travel across cluding protected bike lanes downtown the city feeling fairly comfortable,” Hub’s and on key bridges feeding commuters O’Melinn said. “en once this current into the city’s core. council came in [in 2008], they real- Erin O’Melinn, executive director of ized they had reached a plateau, and Vancouver metro area advocacy group that in order to get more people bik- Hub Cycling, said the two protected ing they needed to access destinations lanes downtown on Hornby and Dun- with the most people, and that was job smuir Streets — separated from motor centers downtown in particular. Most The protected bike lane on Hornby Street in downtown Vancouver is separated from vehicle traffic by concrete medians, planters, bicycle corrals and car parking lanes. trac by concrete medians, planters, people did not feel comfortable riding bicycle parking corrals and vehicle park- downtown even where there were some ing lanes — have been a major boon to painted lanes. So they really took a lot of Gauthier, and the association has mod- the city’s current capital plan calls for fur- cycling in the city. political capital and put it toward this. erated its stance on the downtown lanes. ther improvements on the spans and some “ey were not an easy win, but “ere was a lot of resistance from “At the end of the day, our change of of their corresponding intersections. they’ve made a huge dierence. It allows the general public as well as business, position is that it’s part of our ve-year “If we can really improve the abil- people to access a lot of workplaces and a and we helped support the ‘yes’ side,” she strategic plan for 2012-2017 that we ity to cross False Creek and connect the lot of destinations, shopping and attrac- added. want to ensure downtown is accessible other side of False Creek [from down- tions feeling very safe,” she said. One of the most vocal opponents of by all modes of transportation. And if town] — our Broadway corridor, which Overall, the city now boasts a 270- the separated lanes was the Downtown the separated lanes increase the ability of is our second-highest employment dis- kilometer network of bikeways and Vancouver Business Improvement As- people of all ages and abilities to get into trict in the province other than our own greenways. And with the support of both sociation, whose members were largely downtown, then I think we can check downtown — and make those active a cycling-friendly City Council major- concerned about the loss of on-street that box o in terms of making down- transportation links work, we’re cover- ity and mayor who were just re-elected parking. But parking has not been an town accessible for most,” Gauthier said. ing all our bases to grow our downtown to their third consecutive terms in No- issue as the city has made alternative Protected cycling lanes added to bridg- metro core and Broadway area,” said vember 2014, advocates and transpor- parking available on nearby streets, said es crossing False Creek have made getting Bracewell, the city’s active transporta- tation planners are nowhere near done DVBIA president and CEO Charles into downtown far less intimidating, and tion manager. A WRENCHING PROBLEM Fierce demand for mechanics highlights need for training programs.

By Toby Hill chanic programs in the past, but some- Retailers Association (CIBRA) is looking times found them lacking essential skills at to model its own nationwide training f there was a common refrain among and experience. “We’d hire them, and they program. Ialmost every shop owner visited on were needing a lot more time before they “Where I suppose the problem is, is the Vancouver Dealer Tour, it was that were reliable and we could just let them rate of pay. It’s hard to have a dedicated reliable mechanics are extremely hard to work on bikes,” he said. “It’s a nice idea, career in something that doesn’t pay well,” nd, and even more dicult to keep long and with an in-depth enough training said Obsession: Bikes owner James Wil- term in such a competitive retail market. program it would work. But you would son, who is leading CIBRA’s committee And without any formal training pro- have to go through dierent levels like I researching mechanic training. “A person grams or certi cations oered through know they do in Europe in programs like who could be a great mechanic might be Reckless Bikes puts out the call for trade or professional associations in Can- Cytech.” interested in being an electrician, plumb- new mechanics. Owner Paul Dragan ada, shops are largely le to develop their e U.K. industry’s training and ac- er, tradesman or auto mechanic. Yet we says his model is to have an experi- own talent in their service shops. creditation program for bicycle techni- don’t even have a certi cation program enced head mechanic at each of his Bike Doctor owner Paul Bogaert has cians, Cytech is one of several curricula that backs up what we do. When you go three stores and fill in the service staff hired graduates of local grass-roots me- that the Canadian Independent Bicycle to another trade you’re issued a ticket, under that. July , DT

turing bermy, banked corners that are fun to ride. “We stepped back and took a look North Shore trails’ evolution at how we looked to the outside community,” he said. “And we needed more bal- an c e .” helps ensure their survival Today, NSMBA has more than 3,500 supporting members who provide thou- By Val Vanderpool as bikes became more sophisticated and ‘Trails for all, trails forever’ sands of labor hours and nancial back- riders developed better skills. e major- e NSMBA was formed in 1997 as a ing. About 32 trail adopters are sponsor- NORTH VANCOUVER, British Colum- ity of the trails were black, double black collective response to trail sabotage and ing the work on 28 dierent trails this bia — Around the time riders in Marin and triple black diamond. rumors of trail access being cut o on year. County, Calif., were out tting old cruisers “e motto used to be ‘Build it sick, the Shore. Wood came on board as a vol- Kelli Sherbinin, co-founder and presi- with oversized tires and railing down dirt build it high, build it skinny,’ ” said Mark unteer director six years ago, when there dent of the North Shore’s Endless Biking, paths on Mount Tam, Vancouverites were Wood, the North Shore Mountain Bike were just 68 members and the organiza- which oers tours, skills clinics, rental building trails for biking Mount Seymour Association’s program manager since tion was on the brink of implosion. and shuttles, has been riding the trails on the city’s North Shore. 2006. “Trails were high-risk, steep and Wood and others created the trail on Mount Seymour and Mount Fromme “Like the Marin boys, we were tak- advanced.” adoption program, which helped breathe since the 1990s. ing beach cruisers and retro tting them Besides giving the North Shore a new life into NSMBA and provided “ere’s a wider range of trails now, to ride on trails,” said Chaz Romalis, a and it’s interesting because all of us old North Shore trail pioneer and owner of dogs now have kids, and we’re thinking Cove Bikes and Cove Bike Shop in North about new riders,” said Sherbinin, who Vancouver. “We had no idea what was go- started Endless with her husband, Darren ing on in Marin, we were just having fun.” Butler, 11 years ago. “And creating more Romalis and others also experiment- progressive trails has helped break the ed with welding aluminum in the junk- stigma that the North Shore is all extreme. yard, which spawned the birth of some of We’ve become a stop on the map again.” B.C.’s iconic mountain bike brands. “It all As trails have evolved on the shore kind of just escalated,” Romalis said. “e and attracted a wider breadth of rid- bikes got better and we started building ers, the riding style has changed as well ladder bridges, and the trails just kept get- — which has directly aected consumer ting gnarlier.” buying habits at local bike shops. Fast forward to the 1990s, when fre- “It’s had a huge impact on the volume eride was born and popularized by rid- of people buying bikes,” said Cove Bike ers like “Dangerous” Dan Cowan and Shop’s Romalis. “We had to redesign ev- the “North Shore Extreme” (NSX) video erything to 650b and two-niners. We’re series lmed by legendary trail builder also trying to build bikes that are really Todd “Digger” Fiander. aggressive but light enough to pedal. at Digger’s movies helped put the North North Shore trail building pioneer Todd “Digger” Fiander still spends his days on seems to be the trend right now.” Shore trails on the map, and the popular- Mount Fromme, reinventing trails like Expresso, addressing erosion issues and incor- But the reinvention of some trails ity spread, rst to Whistler and then glob- porating more flowy lines. doesn’t mean that advanced North Shore ally. “North Shore” came to invoke in the lines are a thing of the past — plenty still minds of many not only a type of trail, but stigma that began to deter riders from much-needed funds to begin reinventing exist, and the NSMBA is in a position to also a culture of riding. Impossibly nar- stopping to ride on their way to Whistler, trails on the North Shore. start working on some of the classics to row, elevated bridges constructed of raw Wood said the trails became increasingly “We knew we needed to start with make them safer and easier to maintain. cedar limbs with the bark still intact be- dicult to maintain. what we didn’t have, which was owy, “Building techniques have changed, came the symbol of the North Shore style. “We get 4,000 millimeters (157 inch- progressive trails that would appeal to a and we can replace that old wood and In reality, only a few could actually es) of rain a year here, and you end up variety of riders and be easier to main- build to modern standards, by strip- ride many of the original wood features with eroded creek beds as trails, so they tain,” Wood said. “But we also didn’t want ping bark, using thicker slats, etc.,” he on the Shore. “It was pretty scary, no get progressively more technical over to compromise the integrity of what the said. “We’re excited because we feel like matter how many times you rode it,” Ro- time,” said Wood, who has been riding on Shore was either.” we’ve baked the cake, and now we get to malis said. the Shore for 25 years. “And it becomes One of the rst trails to be added was put the icing on it.” Builders continued to push the limits dicult to keep pace with maintenance.” Bobsled, what Wood calls a “loamer,” fea- and that ticket is literally your entry to sources for mechanical talent. training program and opening their foreign-trained mechanics looking to that business. But we as an industry don’t Steed Cycles owner Kim Steed, who bike shops when the outdoor retailer be- immigrate to Canada, including a master oer that.” has seven wrenches on sta during the gan selling bikes seven years ago. In that mechanic and a location service man- Wilson believes such a certi cation high selling season, recently hired a young role, he attended several bike schools in ager both trained by Cytech. As a Can- program would have a number of bene ts mechanic who completed instruction at the U.S. Although he admires those pro- nondale dealer, he appreciates the invest- for Canada’s bike retailers, including in- Bikeroom, a North Vancouver mechanic grams, Bryson decided to take a dierent ment Cycling Sports Group has made in creased consumer con dence in service, school launched three years ago by racer approach aer seeing the course materials the Guru Training Academy for bike t, more consistent pricing for repair work, and longtime mechanic Jeery Bryson. his brother received in a trade program but he wishes there was more supplier- and the ability to raise mechanics’ stan- “He an amazing mechanic,” Steed said for repairing heavy-duty equipment. provided training on the repair side of dard of living. of his new hire. “He learned how to build “Teaching how things work versus the business. “If we can normalize the product wheels, how to do a lot of the critical me- how to do it is the way to go. All the bike “I would like the vendors to help re- across the board, in this case the repair of chanic stu and what needs to be done in schools I went to, and even how I was tailers have certi ed mechanics. at bicycles, the business of bicycles is creat- a shop. Because what I explain to my me- teaching at MEC, it was, ‘is is how you would even the playing eld and clean up ing a good, trustworthy product, and the chanics is that it’s one thing to be able to do it, A to B.’ So Bikeroom came from the business,” he said. consumer trusts us and understands it’s do repairs, but it’s another thing to be able that: teaching the principle, not the pro- “Basically the parallel I see is that going to cost X to repair their bike, not X to charge $70 an hour labor to do repairs. cedure,” he said. “So if you understand the vendors are doing t training. We’re minus $30,” he said. You have to be able to stand behind it 100 how a disc brake works, you know how training people to do bike ts, but we’re Outside of CIBRA’s eort — which is percent.” they all work. en we get the mechanics not training people to assemble bikes. still in the very early research and plan- Bikeroom’s Bryson formerly worked to service as many as they can.” We’re not certifying them to service bikes, ning stages, according to Wilson — Van- as services coordinator for Mountain Bicycle Sports Paci c owner Mike which frankly to me seems kind of im- couver’s retailers can draw on other re- Equipment Co-op, developing MEC’s eil has had good fortune attracting portant.” DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

couver was shocked by the atypical incident. e alleged assailant was ar- Reckless Bikes rested nearby aer a police chase and (Fir Street location) is now awaiting trial. Employees: across three locations; about at Dragan said local residents should Fir Street location continue to feel safe. “It wasn’t as if it Sales floor space: , square feet (Fir Street) was a random shooting. He was com- Years in business: ing for me in particular,” he said. Emphasis: Transportation/commuter, rentals Dragan lost part of one lung from Main brands: Brodie, Devinci, Marin, Raleigh, the shooting and said he feels about 60 Linus, Rek-Tek percent recovered; he still tires easily. Owner: Paul Dragan He said the community’s outpouring of support was “humbling and very touching.” eckless Bikes owner Paul Dragan likens his store Reckless started out as a hub for the Rto a corner gas station. Not a modern convenience burgeoning mountain bike scene in the store/food court/gas station, but an old-timey full- late 1980s and ’90s. Many Vancouver- service garage where neighbors might stop by to chew area mountain bike brands, like Syn- the fat “and maybe borrow a hammer to x their wash- cros, Rocky Mountain and Brodie, had Dragan says his ,-square-foot space is “too big in the winter and ing machine or something.” a close relationship with the store one much too small in the summer.” “We want to engage with the community. e com- way or another: e founders of Syn- munity needs us,” Dragan said. cros, for example, worked at the store, Reckless’ tiny Fir Street store has that feel. It can’t and Reckless was Brodie Bikes’ rst help but feel cozy — the 1,000 square feet of space is dealer. e store was also on the cutting “too big in the winter and much too small in the sum- edge with its own titanium bike frame, mer,” Dragan said. sold under the Rek-Tek brand starting e warm community feeling was endangered — in 1990. but in the end But with Vancouver’s rapid ac- probably bol- ceptance and encouragement of bike stered — last year transportation, Reckless has evolved when a former to a focus on utility and urban bikes. shop employee e 7-speed upright bike is the store’s and tenant shot bread and butter. Dragan operates a Dragan outside a separate location nearby, called Reck- coee shop near less Electric, that sells and services his Yaletown e-bikes exclusively. neighborhood e Rek-Tek brand lives on in the location. Dragan form of a simple multi-purpose frame Owner Paul Dragan operates three nearly died at the that can be built up as anything from a locations, including an e-bike store. scene and Van- touring bike to a xie. Reckless prides itself on superior service.

of bikes so it leads to near continuous growth of the business.” Obsession: Bikes A three-tiered rack system maxi- Employees: mizes sales oor space, with the top Sales floor space: , square feet; , total levels lled with backup sizes. e square footage including storage, service and overflow shop’s huge basement serves as stor- mechanic bays age for repair and backstock bikes, Years in business: as Obsession: Bikes; opened as and ve additional service bays oc- The Bike Cellar in cupy an adjoining room. Emphasis: Mountain, road, commuter Obsession runs its seven service Main brands: Trek, Specialized, Scott, Pivot, Electra bays year-round, with a focus on get- Owner: James Wilson ting repair jobs done in a timely man- ner. Service makes up about 20 percent of the shop’s revenue. oused in an old bank Wilson said dedicating more Hbuilding in North Van- space for storing repair bikes and couver, Obsession: Bikes nding out what the customer’s sells no fewer than 900 bikes expectation is for turnaround time a year on the shop’s relatively are keys to providing good service Every inch of space is maximized on Obsession: Bikes’ ,-square-foot retail sales floor. small sales oor. Its average and earning consumer trust. bike sale is about CA$2,000 “When are you riding again? ($1,614), and owner James at’s one of the best questions you can ask in this busi- parts to service 7-, 8-, 9- and 10-speed drivetrains is Wilson said revenue has ness,” Wilson said. “You can sort responses constantly, tough, especially for smaller shops.” grown every year since he and you overbook sometimes, but we try to get things Even though Obsession sits on about CA$200,000 bought the business in 2000. done right and on time.” worth of repair parts, Wilson said waiting on delivery “Our aim is to sell a Besides being able to nd good mechanics, Wilson’s can still slow things down. Obsession: Bikes owner family a lifetime of bikes,” biggest challenge when it comes to repairs is getting “As an industry, we have to get the level of trust up James Wilson supports Wilson said. “at mission parts on time from centralized distributors. with the consumer by getting jobs done on time and a variety of community keeps us in line. When we’re “When it can take three to seven days to get parts, done right,” he said. “So we need to pay people better events, and the shop pro- dealing with a customer ser- that’s when the quick service turnaround gets derailed,” and start charging for the work we do. vides repair support for the seven-day B.C. Bike Race. vice issue, we stray back to he said. “I think we need more smaller warehouses be- “Selling bikes is easy,” Wilson added. “Keeping our goal of selling a lifetime cause getting parts is a challenge, and sitting on enough them running? at’s a job.” Dealer @1-800-726-2453 Service For more information contact: in North America. Now available

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port that market on its own very easily, but now it’s changing and Bike Doctor it’s awesome. We have a lot of Employees: About people coming in to the store Sales floor space: , square feet who are telling us they haven’t Years in business: been on a bike in like 27 years. It’s exciting to help these people Emphasis: Commuting, touring, family get a chance to get cycling or Main brands: Norco, Devinci, Raleigh cycling more,” he said. Owner: Paul Bogaert e store’s neighborhood is crowded with bike retailers — you can see at least three aul Bogaert is passionate about bike transportation, from the sidewalk in front of Pand has been since before it was cool. In his early years Bogaert’s store, including an of retailing at Bike Doctor, he got involved in local bike MEC location directly across advocacy and o ered transportation bikes even when the street. ere are several Vancouver’s market for that kind of bike didn’t yet exist. more around the corner. His passion and a long-term approach have paid “It gets harder and harder. o . e store is now thriving as Vancouver leaders and Online sales are growing and residents have adopted bike transportation with a pas- it seems like everyone and his sion of their own. dog wants to open a bike shop “e business has evolved. It’s become a very big thing in Vancouver these days,” Bo- Bike Doctor was ahead of the curve on catering to commuters, who are now a to bike commute now. For a long time, you couldn’t sup- gaert said. prime market in Vancouver. Bike Doctor still loves to sell commuter and transportation bikes, but the store also ees to other shops. o ers higher-end drop-bar bikes and some pricey city Meanwhile he has bikes. But Bogaert said he sometimes discourages cus- redesigned the store tomers from buying a too-expensive transportation bike. website to o er more “It would just be a the target, and then you wouldn’t information for rid- use it to go to the restaurant or bar because you are ers and to add some afraid it will get stolen. Everyone should have a bike they e-commerce. He has can use for short trips without worrying about it being hired an employee locked up outside.” who spends half her Like many Vancouver shops, Bike Doctor is hav- time taking care of ing a hard time hiring and keeping qualied employ- site content and social Owner Paul Bogaert ees. In recent months Bogaert has lost three employ- media.

members with an annual bonus. Like REI’s Novara bike about MEC’s business Mountain Equipment Co-op brand, MEC has its own house brand, simply called MEC. model. One Vancou- (North Vancouver location) ere are di erences, however. For one, MEC didn’t ver dealer referred to Employees: at North Vancouver store; about in begin o ering bikes until about seven years ago, while the stores as “MEC- bike department REI has had them for decades. MEC also seems to at- mart.” As with REI’s tract a higher-end cycling clientele than REI. e North dividend, some deal- Sales floor space: , total; bike department is to percent of sales floor Vancouver store we visited had Stages and Garmin ers see MEC’s annual power meters on display, as well as Castelli, Pearl Izumi member credit as a Years in business: ; began selling bikes years ago and Race Face clothing. delayed discount, al- Emphasis: Adults and families who do a range of out- e two co-ops have another thing in common: Ghost. lowing the co-op door sports; midrange to high-end enthusiasts for road, touring, mountain biking and cyclocross. REI made waves this year when it became the Ac- to get around some cell-owned brand’s exclusive U.S. retailer. Now we might brands’ minimum ad- Main brands: MEC, Ridley, Ghost know where the Seattle co-op got the idea, because MEC vertised price policies Owner: Member-owned co-op has been Ghost’s exclusive Canadian retailer for four (which MEC is careful Tim McDermott, MEC bicycle years now. And if those in the U.S. industry are curi- to honor, McDermott product manager ous about how well REI might do with the German bike said). or those unfamiliar with Mountain Equipment Co- brand, they can look to MEC’s success. Fop, especially Americans, the shorthand description Tim McDermott, MEC’s bicycle prod- is: “It’s Canada’s REI.” uct manager, said Ghost “has been a Indeed the operations are similar. Both are multi- home run for us.” store co-ops that o er products for hiking, camping and McDermott worked at Rocky outdoor sports, including bikes. Each rewards co-op Mountain Bicycles for 13 years before joining MEC. He said the MEC-brand bike program has evolved. “When we started the MEC brand it had to be everything, because it was the only brand we had across all our stores. But now with Ghost and Ridley, the MEC brand has evolved to ll in the gaps le open,” he said. ose gaps include urban bikes, sport road bikes and kids’ bikes, including a new line of road bikes for youngsters. As with REI in the U.S., some tra- ditional specialty bike shop owners MEC is the exclusive Canadian retailer for German bike brand Ghost. It also don’t have a lot of nice things to say sells its own MEC-branded bikes and road and ‘cross bikes from Ridley. SUGOI’s cycling bottoms offer the ultimate in performance comfort. ULTRA AERO: OUTER Our fully re-engineered RS Pro Bib Short combines AERODYNAMIC a 3-way fabric design to increase rider comfort to a SURFACE new level. The outer legs feature a dimpled fabric that provides a slippery, aerodynamic surface. Slim front panels use an ultra-thin fabric for extra breathability. The robust fabric on the inner legs and chassis provide durability. Each short is equipped with our industry leading chamois padding, exclusive to SUGOI that is molded and welded for superb fit. Our flat seam construction reduces bulk and friction and multi-panel design creates a low profile, contoured fit.

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SU15_1SPR_2TRA_8AD_Bicycle_Retailer_60_Day_10.5X12.125_P3.indd 1 2015-06-29 1:17 PM DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

Mighty Riders is now located a few blocks away from its original Mighty Riders digs in a 1,400-square-foot shop with Employees: a no-frills vibe. It’s a niche shop that Sales floor space: , square feeet deals mostly in drop-bar bikes and, Years in business: increasingly, the growing category of “adventure” models. Luciano said Emphasis: Road, cyclocross, custom builds, service sales of Salsa’s Fargo and the o -road Main brands: BMC, Argon , Look, Brodie, Salsa, Surly drop-bar Surly Straggler have grown Owner: Ed Luciano over the past year. “We’re mostly asphalt-oriented, but because we carry Surly and Salsa he majority of Mighty Riders’ customers are dedi- we have to do some of the weirdo Tcated cyclists who spend at least six hours per week stu like fat bikes and plus bikes,” in the saddle. Since opening as a service shop in 1998 in Luciano said. “at’s about as much a 200-square-foot space “about the size of a nice bath- as we get into dirt besides cyclocross room,” owner Ed Luciano has also made a name for and expedition type of stu , a cat- Mighty Riders as a go-to shop for Vancouver’s racers. egory that’s going o .” “We’ve been heavily involved in the race scene, pro- But Luciano has a so spot for viding neutral support for events,” said Luciano, who steel, and aluminum is the least rep- Mighty Riders specializes in service and custom drop-bar builds for avid has worked in the industry since the late 1980s. “We resented material in the store. Steel cyclists and racers. “Adventure” bikes have come on strong lately. only sell 50 or 60 race bikes a year, but in terms of ser- touring models from local brand vice and sales, a lot of bike racers come in here.” Brodie make up about 40 to 50 percent of Mighty Rid- we don’t talk specically ers’ bike sales, while Argon 18 and Cinelli road options about models until a t satisfy the carbon lovers. is done,” Luciano said. Custom builds make up anywhere from 30 to 40 “is place looks percent of the shop’s bike sales, despite Luciano’s e orts like a pig at because to lower that number. we’re always tearing “I’ve been trying to minimize it, but it just won’t go shit down to put it back away!” he said. “Especially when the Canadian dollar together to make sure it goes shitty, there is no point ordering complete bikes ts the customer. You out of the States when I get hit with 13 percent duty should see the pile of and other fees.” handlebars every year But custom builds have also become the norm be- we have in a box that Mighty Riders leaves apparel and soft good sales up to its cause Luciano takes a t-rst approach to bike sales. Cus- have to go somewhere. Owner Ed Luciano opened sister business, On the Rivet, located next door. tomers rarely walk in to buy a bike o the oor, he said. It’s an eternal problem.” Mighty Riders in . “We might talk vaguely about material and cost, but

“At rst we worked hard to source equal representa- always been there — it’s just that nobody served it.” tion for men and women,” Luciano said. “Availability of Besides availability and product consistency, Mc- On the Rivet women’s product started to fall about four or ve years Carthy said another challenge is balancing the shop- Employees: ago, and women’s casual is dicult to maintain in bulk.” ping habits of men and women. Sales floor space: square feet Part of that has to do with some vendors’ level of “Women are more likely to buy casual stu on a Years in business: long-term commitment to women’s lines, Luciano said. whim. Men come in with a focus,” said McCarthy. “You Emphasis: Apparel and accessories “Companies need to commit to it, because we spend need to have four di erent things for women to choose Main brands: Giro, Chrome, Mission Workshop, Gore, all this time showing things to customers, getting it out one. It’s a big investment.” Parker Dusseau there and talking about it,” he said. “So when it’s no lon- Even though On the Rivet sells a lot of its women’s Owner: Ed Luciano ger available a year later, the e ort was kind of a waste.” apparel o the sale rack to keep it moving, the store still Four years ago, Luciano hired current manager averages about CA$350 ($283.90) per square foot in Karen McCarthy, who agreed that despite industry sales. And sales are growing. claims the women’s market is booming, women’s prod- “at’s a big number,” said Luciano. “My grand plan ighty Riders owner Ed Luciano had bounced uct is still a tougher sell. is for Mighty Riders and On the Rivet to trade places to Maround the idea of opening a women’s cycling ap- “Everyone is talking about women’s cycling, and it’s give the so goods room to breathe.” parel store for some time, so when the space next door funny to me because I’ve been a cyclist became available, he pulled the trigger. He opened for so long and it’s just cycling,” Mc- clothing boutique On the Rivet in 2008. Carthy said. “Everyone’s just trying to Luciano also brought men’s products into the mix. get a piece of the pie. But the pie has On the Rivet stocks a wide selection of shoes, helmets, casual and technical apparel, bags and accessories — everything Mighty Riders doesn’t sell next door.

On the Rivet manager Karen McCar- thy keeps the shop well stocked with On the Rivet opened in to complement sister business men’s and women’s soft goods and Mighty Riders’ service and bike sales. accessories. A wide selection of shoes is always in stock at On the Rivet.

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10.25x11.875_Bicycle_Retailer_Gazette_Ad.indd 1 5/28/15 11:44 AM DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

Cove Bike Shop Employees: Sales floor space: , square feet Years in business: Emphasis: Mountain Main brands: Kona, Cove, Devinci Owner: Chaz Romalis

stablished in 1981, Cove Bike Shop (originally Deep ECove Bike Shop) has become synonymous with Van- couver’s North Shore mountain biking scene. Owner Chaz Romalis was 18 years old back then, and had already logged a lot of time riding o road aboard multi- speed Schwinn cruisers he and friends built up with drum The Cove Bikes frame brand brakes and motorcycle parts. dates back to . “My parents were on my case about not doing anything with my life, so I started Deep Cove to get them o ing and in the aernoon we’d go my back,” he said, laughing. “We were only open from 12 ride bikes. It was a pretty casual Kona accounts for more than half of the shop’s bike sales. to 5 ve days a week. In the mornings we went water ski- lifestyle, but then it got serious quick because we were the only Street. When the motorcycle shop next door on the corner [mountain bike] shop around.” became vacant a year and a half ago, Romalis jumped on Deep Cove was ground zero for the explosion of the it, turning the ground oor into his bike sales oor and North Shore freeride scene in the 1990s and early 2000s, service shop, and the upstairs into an apparel section. and the shop designed the rst purpose-built bikes for And with longtime general manager Sasha Tomchen- Shore riding under the Cove Bikes brand, which launched ko minding the new store and moving lots of Kona and in 1992 with the Hummer titanium hardtail. higher-end Devinci mountain bikes, Romalis still gets in “ at gave us the good name for virtually unbreakable his trail time like back in the day. bikes. We were pretty much the rst guys to build frames “We’ve really got the place running like a clock, so al- with long, sloping toptubes and short stems. at was most every weekday I can take o for ve or six hours and sort of the leading edge for the Shore, and now everyone’s ride my heart out, then come back and check in on the doing it,” Romalis said. shop,” he said. “I just like coming here and seeing all the He moved the shop out of Deep Cove 12 years ago to guys and talking to customers. But I do get a lot of riding a more accessible location on North Vancouver’s Main in. at’s why I got into this.”

With the help of several partners, including Wry, changed over the years, Speed eory still caters to the owner Paul Anderson expanded his Calgary, Alberta, multisport crowd. It oers bike ts and stocks wetsuits Speed Theory store Way Past Fast, which opened in 2003, to Vancou- and other swim accessories, but doesn’t dabble in the Employees: ver in 2006 under the Speed eory name. Anderson run category. Service is an important part of the shop’s Sales floor space: , square feet later bought out the other stakeholders, and rebranded business, with the repair shop located right inside the Years in business: the Calgary store as Speed eory. front door. Emphasis: High-end road and multisport e shi toward the road category dominating Speed eory also sponsors two large tri clubs, to Main brands: Cervélo, Argon , Cannondale, BMC Speed eory Vancouver’s sales was a natural pro- which it oers a merchandise discount, free clinics and gression. Wry speculates that it’s due to the fact that in-store spin classes in winter months. Owner: Paul Anderson triathletes don’t tend to change their tri bike very e shop’s reputation for being friendly also at- oen. tracts repeat customers, and a large number of women. “ e repeat business we get is for road bikes be- “I think we are quite approachable,” Lee said. “People hen Speed eory rst opened, its main focus cause people upgrade those every couple of years,” he aren’t intimidated and we encourage people to come in Wwas triathlon. But as the Vancouver market has said. “We’ve got customers who have one tri bike but and just chat about bikes.” evolved, so has the shop’s product mix. they’ve got four road bikes. “We used to be 70 percent tri and 30 percent road. Due to real estate constraints, Now it’s ipped,” said manager Mike Wry. “When we rst Speed eory stocks mostly high-end opened, the concept of a multisport shop was still new.” models. e shop’s buyer, Erin Lee, said Speed eory’s location in a high- rent neighborhood has resulted in a quality-over-quantity approach. “When you look at the amount of space we have and guring out dollars per square foot, it’s hard to sell that $800 bike,” she said. “ ere are a lot of shops that already do that.” Shop buyer Erin Lee stocks Manager and former co-owner Although its Speed Theory has seen its business shift from majority triathlon to mostly high-end models. Mike Wry product mix has majority road, since road cyclists tend to change over bikes more often.

DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

e sleek, brightly lit road studio — which features a Guru Bicycle Sports Pacific t station, Trek Project One Employees: custom program, and product Sales floor space: , square feet (downtown information on electronic tab- showroom and studio next door); , square feet lets — reects eil’s focus on (North Vancouver); , square feet (Langley) heightening the in-store expe- Years in business: rience. “It’s the kind of shop I Emphasis: Full-service three-store chain want to shop in, so this is the Main brands: Trek, Cannondale place we built,” he said. Unlike many shops in Van- Owner: Michael Theil couver, eil doesn’t cater to niches. All three of his stores — North Vancouver and the suburb of Langley are his other locations — stock a full oering of bikes from Cannondale and Trek. “We’re not a road shop, but we sell road bikes,” he said. “We’re not a mountain shop, but we sell mountain bikes. We’re not a kids’ shop, but we sell kids’ Bicycle Sports Pacific’s downtown location includes a high-end road studio. bikes.” In April, eil relocated outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment his Langley store from a rent- Co-op and mountain bike specialist ed space in a shopping mall Cove Bike Shop, the latter of which to a 7,500-square-foot build- refers a number of road customers to ing he purchased and spent BSP, said store manager Danie Coe- icycle Sports Paci c owner Michael eil has been CA$250,000 ($204,000) upgrad- tzee. e location does a substantial Boperating in downtown Vancouver for 27 years — ing. Given the high costs of op- family business, moving a large vol- 22 in his current location at the nexus of several bike erating in a mall, eil gures ume of hybrids, cruisers and kids’ lanes, including the highly tracked Burrard Street he’s saving about CA$8,000 a mountain bikes like the 11-pound Bridge. Over time, he has fanned out to four separate month in his new location. Trek Supery 20-inch-wheel model. storefronts on his block to include not only his main His North Vancouver store “e easiest way to sell it is to ask sales oor, but also a high-end road studio, bike rental is on Main Street amid a clus- people to pick it up. It’s a done deal,” business and busy service shop. ter of bike sellers that includes Coetzee said. Owner Michael Theil

reknown, Steed Cycles opened as a mountain-only shop, with an emphasis Steed Cycles on downhill and freeride. Steed, 24 at the Employees: (during high selling season) time, funded his new venture with a credit Sales floor space: , square feet card that he overdraed by about $3,000. Years in business: Growing his pro ts proved challenging, however, so in 2005 Steed Emphasis: High-end mountain, road and commuter downsized from his 3,000-square-foot Main brands: Specialized, Giant, Santa Cruz, Devinci building to a 2,000-square-foot space Owner: Kim Steed ve blocks away. “It was time to get lean and mean,” he recalled. Over the past 10 years, his sales have doubled. Although the shop was 100 percent MTB in its early days, Steed has diver- si ed his product mix, focusing on the midrange and higher end of the road and mountain markets while also stock- Steed packs a wealth of bikes into his ,-square-foot sales floor. ing hybrids, commuters and kids’ bikes. His customer base has also become I’m absolutely blown away by the number increasingly female, with sales cur- of people who have gone from being strict- rently split about 50/50 between men ly downhillers, shuttling every ride, getting and women. Since Steed has found into road biking, cross-country and doing that women are more willing than men cross-country and enduro races — even to spend on high-end mountain bike cyclocross racing. It’s exciting to see people clothing, he has arranged his apparel opening their minds to dierent aspects of section so that women’s clothing and cycling,” he said. bikes are right next to each other. “It makes the industry and the sport ike Cove Bike Shop owner Chaz Romalis, Steed And just like the North Shore’s rid- much more enjoyable,” Steed added. LCycles’ Kim Steed is closely tied to the North Shore ing scene has evolved in recent years “When I started I was 24, and what was mountain biking scene. A downhill and trials rider, Steed from “hucker” trails to more climb- Owner Kim Steed really cool to me at the time was down- was featured in the rst three installments of famed trail ing and ow trails, Steed has seen his hilling. And I realized as I got older there builder/ lmer Todd “Digger” Fiander’s “North Shore mountain bike sales shi away from long-travel down- was a wider range of riding. I was able to bring that in- Extreme” video series, which would inspire imitators hill rigs and toward 5- and 6-inch-travel trail bikes. terest to the business itself. You can’t pigeonhole your- worldwide both in trail building and freeriding. “A lot of people are aging. e guys who in their 20s self into one category of cycling. In our area that would In 1997, as the North Shore shot to international were doing the big huck drops are more into the climbing. really limit the range of business you can have.” July , DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

Denman Bike Shop serves Vancouver’s urban market, with women and couples making up a Denman Bike Shop large portion of its customer base. It sells bikes Employees: across two stores from Linus, Electra, Opus and several other Sales floor space: square feet at Denman brands, as well as a growing number of Evo e- store; , square feet plus , square feet of bikes and conversion kits from BionX. storage at Main Street store Service makes up about 25 percent of its busi- Years in business: ness, while accessory sales are the shop’s bread Emphasis: Urban/transit and butter. Sales generated by Denman’s online Main brands: Linus, Electra, Opus store account for 10 percent of its revenue. Morginn and Bischo opened a second store Owner: Justis Morginn, Julie Bischoff two years ago just o Vancouver’s 10th Avenue bikeway. e shop is housed in a 110-year-old building with a basement that provides much- ulie Bischo went into Denman Bike Shop looking needed storage. A larger retail sales oor has al- Jfor a bike and walked out head-over-heels in love. lowed Morginn and Bischo to expand the shop’s “I like to say that rst I bought the bike, then I selection. bought the owner,” she said. Bischo said that listening to customers’ at was nine years ago, and since then, owner Jus- needs helped them decide which categories to tis Morginn and Bischo have become partners in life add. Denman caters to the urban rider with a broad selection of city and commuter bikes. and business. “We used to be famous for our cruiser bikes “It was a turning point when Julie came in,” said that got a lot of people into riding,” said Bischo , Morginn, who opened Denman Bike Shop in 1999. “ a former trapeze artist whose family has owned bike We had one basket shops in England since 1904. and she said, ‘You’re “Now all those customers are coming back and going to have to get want something lighter and faster. So we started look- more baskets.’ So I ing for other brands that had upright aluminum city got one more. bikes with hand brakes and good colors.” “As you can see, Although his two stores are located in neighbor- she’s had a big e ect hoods littered with bike shops, Morginn said that when on the business,” he it comes to competition, it’s not other retailers that added, pointing to worry him. the array of baskets “Our competition is a rectangle, it really is,” he said. and accessories lin- “It isn’t other bike shops; it’s a computer or an iPad. If ing the store’s col- there’s a mouse in the house, they’re going to click be- Denman Bike Shop’s second store is located just off Owners Julie Bischoff and Justis Morginn orful walls. fore they brick.” Vancouver’s th Street bikeway.

prodded him about his interest in opening a bike shop. is now 20 to 30 per- “He asked, ‘Why not just do it now?’ e clouds parted cent more. A bike Kissing Crows Cyclery and I saw gold,” Williams said. that was CA$3,000 is Employees: Williams opened the small neighborhood shop in now CA$3,900. at’s Sales floor space: , square feet 2011. While searching for a location, the store took on a huge di erence.” Years in business: its own name. “ere were crows ghting over scraps “It’s meant that Emphasis: Neighborhood shop, with focus on service in front of this spot, so we were referring to it as the higher-end Spot and repairs place of the kissing crows,” said Williams. that we love and Main brands: All-City, Spot, Handsome Cycles Given his background as a mechanic, Kissing sold well, with a Owner: Josh Williams Crows Cyclery naturally emphasizes service, which customer willing to accounts for about half its business. “We have enough buy at CA$2,350, is hands on deck to do spot repairs, with four days’ maxi- not willing to buy at mum turnaround,” Williams said. CA$2,800. It’s de- Owner Josh William opened or Josh Williams, owning a bike shop was the dream Sales make up 25 to 30 percent of business, mostly nitely changed our his small neighborhood shop Fthat was supposed to happen when he was 65. But he from casual city bikes. e rest of the business is tting. buying.” in . felt compelled to start much earlier. “We’re a full-service shop. As Williams studied microbiology at school but was long as it’s pedal driven, we’re uninspired by the work. “I found it soul-sucking and into it,” said Williams, noting mindless. I found myself moonlighting at bike shops that he is seeing more people to keep sane,” Williams said. trying to get out of the car, and He was traveling to NAHBS with a friend who a number of families using Xtracycle cargo bikes to get around. Williams said the shop is successful, though he has been surprised. “I thought more people would be like me just dying to customize, but people are more sensible with money,” Williams said. at conservative nancial approach has been challenging of late since the Canadian dollar has slipped. “Our lines are all Ameri- All of Kissing Crows’ bike lines are American, which has made the recent slide of can,” said Williams. “e cost the Canadian dollar tough on business. “We’re living in a whole new world, and I go to Interbike to gure it all out.”

I will have dozens of important conversations over three days – conversations that are critical to where I will place my bets in the coming months. What’s hot? What’s the biggest change for you? What has surprised you so far this year? I could walk around Interbike doing nothing but asking those questions and the trip would be worth attending for me.

I am really searching for industry consensus on where things are going. Not a published consensus, but the kind of vibrant, buzzing conversation that only unfolds when all the bees come home to the hive. Only when everyone comes together can you see all the different angles of perception and begin to form a picture that will affect your planning. For me, the things I learn on the show oor are critical and go straight into my off season planning. That’s the most interesting part for me – that alone is the reason I attend.

Tom Henry, Co-Owner and General Manager Landry’s Bicycles, Natick, MA

AMERICA’S SHOW

Interbike International Bicycle Expo September 16-18, 2015. Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV OutDoor Demo September 14-15, 2015. Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City, NV interbike.com

IB15_BRAIN-TRAIN Ad_Tom Henry.indd All Pages 4/29/15 3:05 PM “We’re living in a whole new world, and I go to Interbike to gure it all out.”

Tom Henry, Co-Owner and General Manager Landry’s Bicycles, Natick, MA

AMERICA’S SHOW

Interbike International Bicycle Expo September 16-18, 2015. Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV OutDoor Demo September 14-15, 2015. Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City, NV interbike.com

IB15_BRAIN-TRAIN Ad_Tom Henry.indd All Pages 4/29/15 3:05 PM DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

Graffiti art brightens the service area at Denman Bikes details services offered Steed Cycles in North Vancouver. and their corresponding prices.

Dealer Tour videographer Chris McKillican keeps Steed Cycles owner Kim Steed in focus.

Supporting sponsor Sugoi provided custom Dealer Tour Vancouver jerseys.

Reckless Bikes assures customers that the shop wrenches are ready to serve. Photos by Gary Newkirk by Photos Cove Bike Shop proudly displays the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame statues for shop owner Chaz Romalis and co-founder Ashley Walker. Obsession: Bikes is located in a -year-old former bank building on a picturesque corner in North Vancouver. July , DT DEALER TOUR VANCOUVER

Discarded parts become art at road and tri specialty shop Speed Theory. Tour attendees were treated to plenty of waterfront views on the way back from the North Vancouver shop visits on the second day. Photo by Chris McKillican by Photo The BRAIN staff flew into British Columbia early to Top banana: Retailer Bike Doctor offers these go mountain biking in Squamish with Dealer Tour Banana Guards for riders looking to keep their sponsors and industry friends including Cycling Sports snack fresh and un-mushed. Group’s Bill Rudell.

Gary Schreiber, manager of custom operations for Sugoi, Left to right: Dorel Sports’ Michael DeLeon, Sugoi’s Nat Tschoban and Dimitar Karabov (high-fiving) and was impossible to miss among the Dealer Tour pack as he Sombrio’s Ashley Turk unwind at the industry reception following the final day of Dealer Tour. Sugoi and took high-viz to the next level in his company’s wares. PeopleForBikes co-sponsored the party. DT GUEST EDITORIALS

Tour reveals opportunities Dedication to service creates for growing the industry customer bonds for retailers recently had the pleasure of participating in cycling culture by harnessing the voice of he Dealer Tour nally went international, and it was amazing! Vancou- IBicycle Retailer’s Dealer Tour in Vancouver. the people and using the support of great Tver is truly a city built for cycling. e number of protected lanes and As well as being one of the most beautiful cit- groups such as Hub and BCCC to support multi-use paths gives cities like Portland and Seattle a run for their money. ies in the world, Vancouver has a fantastic cy- that. How do we use this model to expand e most incredible part was riding through the city during rush hour. e cling culture supported by a network of bicy- more rapidly in the U.S.? stream of commuters heading to and from work on their bikes seemed like cle lanes and trails allowing for safe and easy • Retailers continue to face complexity, not it never ended — just one continuous line of bikes going through the city. riding. With support from such great cycling only from market conditions, but also To support the large number of cyclists was an even more impressive advocates as Hub Cycling and the British managing the service and support levels number of shops. One thing was certain at every shop in Vancouver: Ser- Columbia Cycling Coalition, it’s easy to see brands provide. How can we better partner vice was key. Every shop we went to, whether they were selling $10,000 how this city has transformed itself into the on the tools to support retailers through dream rides or $300 commuter bikes, put a focus on service knowing that cycling-friendly city it is today. technical and product training, expedited it was the key to building a lifelong customer. As we traveled throughout the city we parts shipments, marketing and merchan- A majority of the shops we went to either showed basic maintenance were fortunate to meet a wide variety of dising support, and assistance on how techniques like cleaning and lubing the chain and how to make small retailers — each with their own unique style, retailers support their local communities? mechanical adjustments when the customer picked up a new bike, or of- position and aspiration for their business and fered monthly maintenance classes. ese classes provide the retailer a per- cycling. I am a believer that retail remains the • ere’s growing opportunity for casual fect opportunity to not only get the customer back in the shop, but to also hardest job in the world. We as brands and riders, recreation and tness riders, help build a relationship and create a lifelong customer who will always manufacturers must earn our dealers’ busi- women’s cycling and other categories, come back for essential consumables like lube, degreaser, cleaner, nutri- ness every day by being easy to do business but we need to better understand how tionals and tubes. ese shops knew that spending a few minutes with a with and having an understanding of how our to provide to the right products and new customer can build a strong bond and that oering to continue their actions can help or complicate their day as re- services to win these consumers. education through classes would keep them tailers. As it is with every dealer visit, the con- It was a great tour and reinforcement coming back for more. sumer always comes rst and that we still have so much op- From the perspective of someone in the they don’t come on a schedule. portunity to grow the cycling maintenance category, it was great to see so As I started the tour I was business. many shops focusing on service and teaching. uncertain what I might take anks to everyone at As a cyclist, I found Vancouver an amazing away from the event. As the Bicycle Retailer and PeopleFor- city to ride in and explore. I cannot wait to event concluded with a dealer Bikes for supporting the tour. go back. reception and I boarded a dreadful red eye back east, I Dave Manchester Derek Goltz reected on several takeaways: Senior vice president of sales Marketing manager and marketing North America, Finish Line Technologies Inc. • Vancouver has made sales and operations planning incredible progress in its Cycling Sports Group Hometown apparel brands Infrastructure, advocacy look to promote local IBDs keep shops rolling strong he Sugoi and Sombrio teams were thrilled that Bicycle Retailer chose our his edition of the BRAIN Dealer Tour over the city for many years to come. Thometown of Vancouver for the Dealer Tour this spring. We intimately Tproved to be something of a unique ex- Looking speci cally at the advocacy know what the city and its surrounding areas have to oer cyclists of all styles perience. Other than being the rst interna- eorts of the shops we visited, all seemed — from the hard-core roadies, the Shore’s mountain culture and everyday tional edition of the event, we were also treat- to share another resounding truth between devoted commuters to recreational seawall cyclists. It’s the reason we choose to ed to miles and miles of fantastic bicycling them: Making every bike ride better is essen- make Vancouver our home and company headquarters for both brands. Even facilities. is interconnected network of tial to their business. Whether this is done more so, it helps shape the apparel we create. It is the wide-ranging playground protected bike lanes, paths and other cycling through donating bikes and helmets to other of B.C. that provides the perfect environment for Sugoi and Sombrio to perfect infrastructure not only ensured that our trips local groups in need or voicing their opin- our products — the only thing that stands between an athlete and the elements. across the city to each shop were a smooth ion in the local community when bicycling We were even more thrilled to show o the amazing IBD shops that ride, but also that bicycle retailers are our- issues come to the forefront, these retailers make up the varied landscape of Vancouver’s cycling marketplace. We ishing from the increased bike trac that is understood that their advocacy eorts are understand that they are the backbone of our cycling culture and the gate- bringing riders right to their shops. crucial for bicycling in their back yard. way to growth in our market. Even though we visited a wide variety of rough the combination of the in- We took away some valuable insight on how we can help create customer shops ranging from high-end road to moun- crease in cycling infrastructure and the ad- satisfaction in store with useful merchandising tools that are attractive and tain-speci c and everything in between, all vocacy eorts of retailers — coupled with include eective product information and strong branding that promotes have bene ted in some the amazing bicycling us as a Vancouver brand. Also, as a brand, we can oer event support to form or another from culture that has been cul- dealers hosting events within their communities. is enables them to de- the growing network of tivated over the years in velop more visibility and establish themselves bicycling infrastructure. Vancouver — it’s safe to as the “go to” shop for services, product advice, rough the work of Van- say that these shops will value-added promotions and local trail intel. couver’s metro area advo- be able to keep their cus- Our goal is to partner where we can with cacy organization, Hub tomers happy for miles retailer initiatives and events, as well as pro- Cycling, and their eorts and miles to come. mote these events through our channels. to help connect every corner of the city for cyclists, Mitch Marrison Jaime Williams bicycling facilities will Retail program coordinator Director of marketing continue to ourish all PeopleForBikes Sugoi and Sombrio High powered business education for Bicycle dealers • Interbike 2015 Mandalay Bay Convention Center • Las Vegas • September 15 - 17

Pre-Show Seminars Day 1 Day 2 Tuesday, September 15 Wednesday, September 16 Thursday, September 17 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. How Technology Is Transforming You Can Compete! Death by Discounting Retail As We Know It Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor Donny Perry, SBCU Program Manager Jim Dion, Dionco Inc. 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Removing the 8 Obstacles to The Five Areas of Retail Delivering Exceptional Customer Apparel Success Excellence Service While “Having a Great Day Dan Mann, The Mann Group Chris Kegel, Wheel and Sprocket Everyday” Steve Beck, The Brandt Group, Ltd. 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Retail Design Review: Designing Leading Out Retail: The Future of Bike Shops 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. the Customer Experience Donny Perry, SBCU Program Manager Do You Have A Digital Shoplifting Problem? Alison Medina, design:retail magazine Jim Dion, Dionco Inc. 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Creating Real Value in Your Bike 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visual Merchandising for Sales Shop When the Carrot Doesn’t Work Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor Jeff Koenig, Big Poppi Bicycle Lori Richman, Quality Bicycle Products 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Uncovering The BRAIN Retail Creative Practices for Service The Importance of Capturing Remodel: Now Bikes & Fitness Department Management Customer Information Holly Wiese, 3 Dots Design and Brett Flemming, Efficient Velo Tools Charlie Cooper, PeopleForBikes Mercedes Ross, Merchandizing Werx 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Secrets from the NBDA Profitability Project Revealed A panel of bicycle retailers devoted to improvement Visit NBDA.com for more details.

THE 2015 SUPER SEMINARS PLUS AT INTERBIKE LAS VEGAS ARE PART OF INTERBIKE UNIVERSITY.

NBDA seminars full.indd 1 6/12/15 4:32 PM