Inner peace behind bars.

I'm a sucker for a good two minute piece on Vimeo. Maybe that's because my brain can only stay focused for that long? 

It takes a business owner a few years of working for free as the sole employee of the shop; wrenching, selling, leading group rides. (If you have friends willing to help for free, that's a bonus too.) Don't forget cleaning the bathroom! All of this needs to be done before the IBD should consider hiring its first full time employee. I call this organically growing the business.

Yes there are instances when a business can prove this process wrong. Most of the time, the independent bicycle retailer who toils for their first few years with very lean overhead, maintains focus on community outreach to other cyclists through events and group rides-- ends up paying their bills on time with their bike companies and 'growing their tribe' faster than those who unlock the front door and just flip over the Open sign. I've found that this is the formula for a sustainable business-- the 3Cs.

Speaking of organic growth and nailing it with community outreach, the guys in Raleigh, North Carolina-- Oak City Cycling Project have put together my favorite shop video of 2013.



If you're in the central NC region, hit them up either late on Wednesday nights or during First Night Fridays. You will find a cold beverage and good discussion is waiting there for you.

Better than that new car smell. @bianchibicycles #semprepro

New Sempre Pro at Cycles Bikyle. First on the block for PA/MD/VA territory, getting picked up today by a very excited rider.

A : See Details(Google Map)

It has two wheels, therefor it belongs in a bike shop.

Not all Bianchi dealers have only bikes on the shop floor.

Mid-70s cafe bike at the Bicycle Stable. 60s Harley motor in a Norton frame. The frame is only 35lbs and made of Reynolds 531 tubing.

Love it.

A : See Details(Google Map)

Retail ideas that never die.

Perched outside of the DC beltway in College Park, MD is the largest retailer of Bianchi steel framed bicycles this side of NYC. New ones, not refurb classics. Come to think of it, the I-495 region is my largest selling territory for steel bikes by the brand thanks to the retailers I service. These cyclists understand the merits of a good quality steel bicycle. 


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Proteus Bicycles doesn't not carry one of the big four brands. They do not have walls of sterile white slat wall. They also do not carry parts and accessories by a brand that demands only said-brand and their brand only. (You ever walk into a bike shop and 4/5 of the merch racks are XYZ branded pumps, cages, etc?) Proteus is not staffed by employees who will snicker about your flouro riding jacket when you leave the counter after purchasing a clip-on helmet mirror. Proteus Bicycles stocks what they believe in and feels you'll like what they stock.

Helpful, kind, good karma, empathetic- would be a fist full of descriptive words for Laurie, Ben and the crew at Proteus Bicycles. They believe that cycling should be enjoyed on your terms, the way you want to interpret the bicycle- be it cyclocross, adventure cycling, mountain biking, commuting or touring.

Proteus Bicycles was a frame building shop decades ago. Despite the frame building going away, some of the old branded steel bicycles make their way through the shop doors for service or restoration. 

I've been calling on Proteus since 2008, the shop has been staffed lean and efficiently over the years and has the least amount of turnover with it's employees compared to many larger bicycle retailers in the area.

What little to no employee turnover means for a business. 
-Better customer relationships; due to the staff knowing their customer base and their needs. 
-A higher retention of product knowledge due to long term exposure of stocked goods. 
-The closure of sales are greater from a retail manager perspective due to the staff matching the cyclist with exactly what they are looking for.

Sharks find their food, goldfish wait to be fed.
Retailers need to be sharks and find their food. Goldfish die because they wait to be fed. Do this by going out and getting customers! 

This is achieved through Proteus Bicycle's group rides, Pot Luck Dinner on Thursday evenings and political involvement through cycling advocacy like the Tim Johnson's Ride on Washington. All of this outreaching, builds community for the business. When the retail selling season slows during the winter months, the faucet does not totally turn off for Proteus. Service work still comes in, bike sales still ring at the register and accessories like cold weather shoe covers and winter cycling jackets keep the local bike commuters out on their routes- all thanks to loyalty and friendship that's cultivated during Proteus events.

Feb 28, 2013 Proteus Bikes/ Pot luck night.

Great low cost advertising--
Everyone likes a nice bicycle jersey and this winter Laurie and Ben are using their Pot Luck dinner nights to size up their customers for the 2013 shop jersey. The jersey fit kit is hanging on the racks. Last Thursday's Greek themed Pot Luck brought smiles, full stomachs and hopeful conversation that Spring will be here soon enough so the new jerseys will see some miles on the area roads.

Back to steel road bikes-- 
The roads are not the best in this area. Budgets are tight, spirits never fade for cycling and riders want the best ride quality and utility they can get for their money. Carbon road bikes on a non-Pro level provide the rider with almost vibration free ride at the cost of several hundred dollars more than a quality steel framed version. This is where Bianchi steel bicycles come in to play.

Steel frame manufacturing has decreased in demand over the years as the market has shifted towards aluminum and carbon frames. The bikes Bianchi has in their steel range are produced in relatively low numbers, are not cheap hi-tensile (low strength) steel like the latest outcropping of glam-euro city bikes, and are typically air hardened double butted tubing. In the case of the 2013 Vigorelli, Reynolds 631 seamlessly drawn tubes is used for construction of the frame. 

Last Thursday as I ate from my bowl of pasta and wandered the shop, I witness a terrific collection of steel bikes for the adventure cyclist (Volpe), classic road rider (Imola, Vigorelli), commuter (Campione) and the minimalist (Pista). 

All of this adds up to shopping and a test ride you need to experience. If you're there on a Thursday evening looking for a new bicycle, grab a taste of their Pot Luck. You won't regret it!

#bianchibicycles San Remo, early gen cx bikes.

The first half of this week was a bit of a surprise to me with regards to rare bike sightings. In a matter of 48 hours, I bumped into two San Remo bicycles.

The first one was at Capital Hill Bikes and is owned by one of the shop guys. Mostly stock parts, Campy Mirage, different wheels.

The next San Remo belongs to Oak City Cycling Project owner, Ken Metzger. He's up the ante with a fresh build of Campagnolo Athena. Respect.

#thepedalpusher Harrisburg, PA #bianchibicycles

This sunny day in October brings me to The Pedal Pusher in Harrisburg, PA.

#proteusbicycles pot luck dinner.

The people are gathering, eating and drinking. I'm up next for the 'cross presentation/clinic. ;)

#banjobrothers shop seat bag

I'm visiting a dealer in Cambridge, MD- On the Rivet when FedEx dropped off two boxes of seat bag love.

New dealer in Baltimore for the brand.

Started the day off w/coffee and #bianchibicycles at my new dealer #baltimorebicycleworks. Great crew, genuine interest for their cycling community and lovers of all things steel.

It takes a village to raise an idiot, it takes a tribe to develop a culture.

From the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic region, it appears that springtime has arrived. In fact, summer has poked its head out this week for us in central Pennsylvania as I made my rounds at the shops, wishing I had a pair of knickers to wear instead of jeans. Yeah, not quite ready to expose the fish-belly white legs just yet...

During my rounds with accounts, repairs seem to be flowing well, bike sales are starting to rise, and people are definitely out in packs enjoying some saddle time. As I mention to my dealers every year about this time and typically do a small post on this blog regarding the topic of the 3Cs of a bike shop, I've decided to keep it short and sweet.

I found this TED video, from a couple of years ago, inspiring, and motivational as I reflect upon my top level dealers and how successful they've become through building their 'tribe' through the 3Cs of a bike shop.

Best if served at room temperature.

A new year is here and hopefully, everyone has a new mission for the 2012 season.

For all my dealers, I wish them the best of sell-through on product, healthy growth of their dealer base, and the mental stamina to deal with all those customer's who seem like time murderers. (you never know who might come back in 3 days for that Di2 Ultegra bike, eh?)

As I flipped through some tags of a blog I enjoy reading by Jeff Harbaugh, I came across this post of his from 2005 which hit home for me pretty hard. I'll try not to walk down memory lane too far, rather let my preface and Jeff's post do the talking but here's my relation to what you're about to read.

From stickboybike

15 years of scraping wax on snowboards, lacing up customers boots, mounting bindings, and swigging down free pints of Labatt's courtesy of Volkl Skis; it's safe to say that any activity you do from snowboarding, skateboarding, bicycling, radio-controlled car racing, has some level of 'community' involved. I'm not talking about 'community' you see at the town hall meeting, screaming about a potential Mega-lo Mart being built near their housing development. I'm referring to the 'community' that exists from like-minded enthusiasts getting together periodically to either shred, pedal, push or trade paint on the weekends.

From stickboybike

From the snowboard shop days, we always made time to shred the mountain. Being what could be best described as a Core Retailer (hand-selected boutique brands WE gave credibility to, no A-line brands, great reps who had our backs and a single store location) those who I worked with lived the lifestyle.

Our employees punched the clock, got the customer stoked on what got us stoked, did the bench/service/sales work, and if I was lucky, got to ride the lift a couple of times with that customer who just picked up a new board and bindings 3 days earlier. Or I tried to drop the comment of being up to ride Sunday morning and would love to take a run with them on their new gear in case they had questions about their new purchase. Customers love it when you showed that you generally care and are interested in their involvement in the same sport. A couple of runs later with them and a high five at the end of the lift line, you had someone who would champion the shop...word of mouth is powerful, a mouth full of words is useless...when building community.

This template goes for cycling too. As I think back now, that's how I've approached my job as a rep. Build the stoke, support those who support you and things will grow organically. I'm blessed by a great dealer base of business owners who have their heads on straight, arms open, and a smile on their face. So with that being said, remain true to the customer, lifestyle, and sport.

Here's Jeff's blog entry...[click here!] Remember, as a retailer, there's a fine line between being core and poor. Watch your step!

I Love the 80s #bikeneticVA #bianchibicycles

I stumbled upon this little gem while visiting Bikenetic in Falls Church, VA.
Zero rust at the lugs.
A new dealer with a familiar face.

Details; a mass-less arm and Ti bolts.

A trip to GA is never complete without popping in and seeing Nate and Edgemont at Outback Bikes at Little 5 Points. My ETA for the L5P location always seems to put me up against lunchtime so I'll top things off by grabbing a smoothie at Arden's Garden across the parking lot.

This shop oozes comfortable retail from the get-go. The Saturday of my visit, it was apparent that the guys had recently received a large shipment of accessories which needed tagged and displayed so I did my best to not waste any of their time.

I briefly got caught up with Nate and his race season, then with Edgemont on the latest happenings at OBB and what record player I need to buy for my next house-- Rega turntable, that's all I needed to know. Edgy is one of the few cats left I know who still appreciates vinyl. I'll admit I still have all of mine and have been waiting for the day to get the collection back in rotation at home. Thanks for the advice man.


Front and center, displayed in all it wonderfulness was a 2012 Infinito Ultegra. I really love the paint job this year; a nice update without going overboard. As well as the dark gray Shimano Ultegra 6700 build kit.


And yes, the details are something to sweat over. Nicely branded Ti cage bottle hardware patiently waits to hold your beverage in place during your next ride.

Stormy weekend approaching.

I wish the safest of passage out of this weekend for all my friends, family and dealers of the brand in the southeast territory.


Be well!

w.

Yes I have an addiction to bike kits.

The beginning of June is always reserved for a week long trip down through the southeastern territory. This year I was taking 7 days for work and the family was taking 7 days to go visit Mickey at Disney. Seemed like a fair trade, worth noting that growing up, I was more Bugs Bunny and Gumby than Mickey and Pluto so as you could guess I wasn't heart broken for not visiting the Magic Kingdom.




June marks the end of Q2, the bicycle retail selling season is well underway, and the consumers are either bringing in their bikes for tune-ups, thinking about buying their first road bike or second bike for some other segment of the sport. My interest in meeting the buyers/retailers is to receive product feedback, train any newly hired summertime help and make a excuse to get the owner out on a ride to talk business...stretch the legs a bit on the bike. At least the leg part is for me since I'd be logging 2k+ miles over the course of seven days in the Honda Element.



My first trip was to see Barry and Jan of Bikes Unltd-Williamsburg, VA. This account is one of my oldest in the territory and Barry and Jan have quite a historic collection of celeste bikes in their garage to prove it. On their floor- 2011 Sempre Veloce, one of Peloton Magazines top Italian picks for this year.


Like many long-term, faithful Bianchi dealers, the Pinella Boron XL is their favorite frame. This is Barry's personal bike, tipping the scales about 15.5 lbs with SRAM Red and DT Swiss wheels. That's crazy light for a 2002 steel bike. 2002 was also a good year for Bianchi sponsored, Team Coast with Alex Zulle claiming the ultimate prize at the Tour de Suisse aboard the EV4.


The supposed originator of compact gearing, French parts manufacturer Stronglight. I never get tired of seeing this crank on bikes. Clean lines and this reminds me of the Caramba Double Barrel cranks of yesteryear.


The other interesting feature on the bike are a pair of limited edition DT Swiss wheels that Barry snagged from QBP. Yes those are gold plated spokes, pimpin'.


More weight saving parts. This time at the brakes.

I love to see bike builds this one one. Not I don't appreciate the latest whiz bang aerospace/F1 goodies on two wheels but a touch of class and aesthetics needs to be taken into consideration once and while when building up a bike. Nice job Barry!

From southern VA I was off to eastern NC, popped into a few prospective shops to see what this side of the state has going on and then bolted northwest to Winston-Salem, NC to hook up with the crew at Mock Orange Bikes.

Once at the shop, we covered how the season has panned out for them and lightly talked about the direction the brand is taking for 2012. I got there near the close of biz so after all the formalities of work had been covered, Jay and I kit'd up and rolled out for a hot lap around W-S. Jay is one of the few Pro 1/2 guys I've ridden with who know how to do a socially paced ride.

Jay and the MOB guys have been excited with the direction the brand has taken with our Sempre and Infinito platforms. They also do an excellent job fitting the bike to the cyclist. Also having a great service and personable staff equals a victory for the brand, consumer and the shop.


In the morning, it was training time. Zach, manager at MOB, does some coaching for local racers and caught wind that I was doing my first crit 2 weeks after this trip....so, it was time for me to red-line it that morning.

I'm 6'5" and Zach is about 2 inches shorter than me. Needless to say, I can't remember the last time I sat behind the wheel of someone that tall. Now I know how other riders feel behind me, haha! Zach is giving some love to our Sempre this season too.[click here for more]

From there, I was off to Charlotte, NC to grab a high five from Gene and Carolina Bicycle Company and Bart at Queen City Bicycles. Both shops are doing well this year due to shop participation at the local short track mountain bike series and the Weekly Worlds road races. Getting your name out there in the cycling community is priceless.

With Greenville, SC on the list as my next stop, I grabbed a hotel outside of G-Vegas to save a few bucks and put me within riding distance of the only women's specific retailer in the region, Pedal Chic.

I kitted up in the morning and spun my way north into the city of Greenville to meet up with Robin of Pedal Chic. She was taking me on a tour of the Swamp Rabbit Trail (local tow-path multi-use trail) and a section of their group road ride route.


The morning was crisp and clear as we discussed the 2011 season and what's in store for PC for 2012 . One thing that Robin enjoys doing is putting on events that surround the business. Fashion shows, maintenance clinics, and the occasional 'how-to fit a sports bra' seminar have been keeping her a very busy retailer. Love that Infinito Robin is on as well!

The coast of South Carolina has Bluffton Bicycle Shop giving Bianchi some new coverage. After the 4 hour drive to see Dan of BBS, I was greeted by a brilliant yet classic looking Imola.


This bike has been one of my top 5 selling bikes for the territory. This is due to a buying shift of the $1000-$1300 consumer. After proper explanation from a shop that stocks and loves steel bikes, the cyclist realizes they'll have a more pleasurable ride experience on a steel bike frame versus an aluminum. And the visual this bike puts off is very classic and draws many an eye from other classic bicycle fans and Bianchi owners on any disease ride, bike tour, etc.

After a night in the Bluffton area, I rolled out to ATL to see Edgemont at the Outback Bikes location in Little 5 Points.


L5P is sort of an artsy, hipster district and to say that they do well with the Bianchi steel bikes is an understatement. In fact, any Bianchi they put on the floor sells well for them as their customer base for the brand spans from the commuter on a Torino , a 5'4" female looking for her first road bike, on up to the Infinito Ultegra which has sold well for them in the celeste livery. Edgemont does a fantastic job educating the consumer about the bike for their specific needs as well as the history of the brand...should you care to hear about that.

After reviewing a bit of the goods for the 2012 season with Edgy, assisting customers and putting together a glorious parts and accessories order on the iPad, I pointed the Element northwest and drove towards Nashville, TN.

This week of traveling was anchored by the Harpeth Bicycle Club's, Harpeth River Ride. I planned on assisting Gran Fondo Cycles at the ride's Bike Expo on Friday evening and Saturday, after the actual Harpeth ride. (Saturday morning was chamois time with some of Gran Fondo's club members.)


On the way to Nashville, I stopped at an all you can eat Sushi restaurant near Murfreeboro and lets just say...they lost money on me. After loosening the belt a couple of notches I drove to the hotel.

On the way to Brentwood, TN I passed the Bonnaroo Music Festival. I should have known something was going on by the number of cars I passed on the highway, pulled over with guys 'watering the bushes' while nervously turning their heads looking for the cops. I would have like to have caught the Arcade Fire performance but alas, duty calls.

The next morning, we put the plan into motion at GFC; get the box truck and load up the goods for the bike expo.


Me driving the box truck. Let's just say I was not enjoying watching the temperature gauge bounce up and down like my daughter on a pogo stick. Luckily the truck made it the next two days of use.


Vida Greer of Gran Fondo Cycles fame working the table at the Harpeth River Ride bike expo. Friday afternoon was when the participants picked up their event packets. Along with that, they purchased last minute items; tires, insulated water bottles, etc. We had some Bianchi Bicylces on display for those looking for the latest from us.


A three pack of GFC finer selling bikes. Infinito, Vigorelli and the Sempre Ultegra.


Another Infinito and our limited edition Nero Oltre build with Campy Record 11. The Oltre received the most drooling over the two day event.

The actual ride kicked off at 7am sharp and the organizers highly recommended you be at the start at 6:45am. I knew that would be a struggle to hit that time window so I did the best I could to get ready and leave the hotel by 7am.

I popped into the bike expo tent at Gran Fondo's table and picked up my wrist band for the ride. With no breakfast, I knew I'd be eating it on the bike instead. Vida took me out the back of the route as to avoid the congestion of the starting riders and see some of the finer points of Tennessee's roads without a cluster of recreational cyclists in front of me.

After delivering me to the first rest stop, Vida matched me up with some of the shop's club riders; mostly guys 10 years older than me on custom bikes twice as much as mine and looking pretty fit. I knew then it would be a good ride that morning.



A fellow unknown Bianchi rider, yes I had to park my bike next to theirs. Custom built celeste Sempre with Ultegra and Ksyrium SR wheels.

The rest stops were well stocked and assisted by the Harpeth Bike Club members. It was blazing hot by 9:30am and they had a garden sprinkler going in the parking lot at the second rest stop. Let's just say that if you add a sprinkler to a hot day with grown adults on bikes, they'll turn into little kids real fast. The sprinkler felt great as I skimmed the edge of it as we left the rest stop.

Nashville has some beautiful roads and as I've mentioned before, are very similar to the roads in south central Pennsylvania; rolling, lot's of agriculture, and rural. We averaged just a tick over 19mph for the duration of the 100k which felt good considering the intensity of the heat. I knew my radiator was ready to boil over when I broke out in chills and goosebumps with 2k to go to the finish. A great ride with great company!


Back at the bike expo, I stopped by to check in with the GFC crew and then headed back to the hotel to shower and later return to work the expo booth the rest of the day. The hotel was a mile down the road; an easy trip by bike.


You don't see many Pico Crono bikes let alone at a club event. This one is probably one of 8 in the entire US market. This would make Jim Stevenson proud.


I love this build done by Gran Fondo Cycles. 2011 Infinito decked out with SRAM Red-black edition and Mavic Ksyrium SR wheels. This bike started it's life as an Infinito 105 and was stripped of it's stock components in favor of lighter, greater, faster, more!


Another great trip does down in the books and I've added another kit to my collection. This one is from Barry of Bikes Unlimited in Williamsburg, VA and made through Hincapie Sportswear's shop custom program. Barry is a fan of the celeste so the pantone 333 for our color graces the logos on this kit. I love mi sum Hincapie Custom. Their fabric and fit feel so good and they use a monster truck size YKK zipper that never quits!

#blufftonbike rolls on @bianchibicycles Sempre.

Dan of Bluffton Bicycle Shop is now on something new and something blue.

Enjoy the Sempre Ultegra!

--posted via iPhone.

Steel goodness @bianchibicycles Pinella.

55cm Pinella at On The Rivet in Cambridge, MD. Shop owner, Matt Beletsky, owns this beauty built with Campagnolo Record.

--posted via iPhone.

1 yr anniversary party for Just Riding Along Bike Shop.

Travis and the guys at JRABS celebrated turning the big, '1' this month.

Here's a clip from the event, [...more]

In addition to a few photos I snapped during the well attended party.


Everyone had lots of food thanks to the Laytonsville District Volunteer Fire Department. The Potomac Peddlers launched a group ride early in the afternoon. When the ride ended at the shop, beverages provided by Sierra Nevada brewing were waiting to be sampled.


Travis is probably explaining to his customer what his new flavors of Clif-Bar would be if he ran the company.


JRABS mechanic. 'nuf said.


(l-r) JRABS crew Chad, Barry, and Travis. Getting ready to cut to the cake. What you can't see out of the frame of this photo... the showroom was packed with more party people. There was a raffle that evening and Bianchi kicked in a San Jose frame set. Sierra Nevada had some t-shirts, and various bike maintenance swag was given away too.


John has a knife and is starting to regret not paying closer attention to fractions in middle school. How many pieces do we need here?


This had to be the best cake I've had in a long time. (sorry babe). Straight up devils food cake, not your bland chocolate or vanilla cake.


(l-r)Chad, Mike, Travis, Barry, me, and John. The Bianchi Bowling Team?

Thanks Travis and Mike for a wonderful first year out of the gate. You slayed it man!

The Sun is out and it's time to start bike shopping!

Here's a brief walk through at Just Riding Along Bike Shop in Laytonsville, MD. Repairs are rolling along well for the guys!

Incognito Bike Emporium-GA. 1 year already?

My trip through the southeast territory last November netted some swag for my gear bag.

Aside from being the owner of Incognito, James has a long history of being an artist too. For the shop's one year anniversary, he made up some t-shirts to commemorate this special occassion.


One for me. Thanks James!