BIKE SHOPS:
WILL THEY SURVIVE?
BBIKE SHOPS HAVE ALWAYS KEPT OUR WHEELS SPINNING; BUT RECENTLY, A MATE TOLD ME HE NOW CONSIDERS CYBERSPACE HIS GO-TO PLACE FOR ALL THINGS BICYCLE. He’d bought two tyres online for the same price he’d pay for one at a bricksand-mortar shop, and a drivetrain for a fraction of the shop price. He’d also started servicing his own bike, thanks to the glut of bicycle-DIY videos on YouTube.
“Technology is disrupting everything,” he said. “When last did you write a cheque? When last did you post a letter? Video stores, one-hour-print photo kiosks, newspapers… they’ve all gone the way of the dodo, and the LBS is next.”
Yeah, right, I thought. But then, I once considered newspapers to be as solid as a steel frame. My mate’s rant got me thinking: with the world economy tanking (thanks for nothing, bankers), and technology making it so easy to chase online deals… do local bike shops really have a future?
That depends, says Marc Wiederkehr, owner of Joburg’s Dunkeld Cycles. “Bike shops are under threat – but those that accept the model is changing and roll with it, will survive.” In other words, disrupt the disruption.
“Direct retail is a big threat, and it’s critical for bike shops to realise they aren’t going to make marginsY on parts and bikes. T That’s what’s happened in the UK, and we’re heading there,” says Wiederkehr.
While he understands that many riders will seek out cheaper options online, he reckons real shops will still have their place – because they are the life force of the cycling community.
“Cyclists don’t want to be sheep, and get the same bike, kit and socks as everyone else; they want to differentiate themselves. Retail caters to a mass market – we cater to individuals.”
And most of all, people prefer a real human experience to a clinical cyber experience.
“Cycling is social, and it’s about enjoyment both on and off the bike. Customers pop into our store because we’re like barmen: we listen to all your stories, and offer you honest-togoodness advice.”
He believes owner-run stores will survive, but stores that have been delegated to a manager will struggle. Managers make the place pretty, he points out, but owners create an atmosphere.
If you walk into Cape Town’s Revolution Cycles, you’ll see owner Stirling Kotze on the floor, doing what he does best: “talking kak”, as he says, with his customers.
Kotze creates an environment that makes it fun to go into Revolution. He says bike shops’ survival won’t only depend on shops changing their model, but also on discount- seeking customers realising that bike shops are in business to stay in business. If he gave every customer the discount they wanted, he notes, he’d have to close his doors.
Me, I love walking into an LBS and smelling the bike grease. I get a kick out of looking at bike parts, and watching a mechanic perform wizardry on my bike – things you can’t do online.
The difference between an online store and your LBS is this: an online store sells you stuff; but for you, your LBS will killa da bull.
Yes, there are advantages to buying online, but your LBS has more benefits: you can test-ride a bike before you buy it, you get advice, you’re supporting local business (which keeps the economy ticking) – and importantly, you’re part of a community of cyclists.
I’ve walked into bike shops and had chats with the owner about bikes, chamois- cream rules, and what type of bike Jacob Zuma would choose (a Cannondale, obviously, because he’s a lefty who doesn’t give a fork).
If we cyclists rush online and drive bike shops into dodo’dom, it may come back to bite us. Think about that when your freewheel hub seizes the afternoon before a multi- stage race.
Real shops are the life force of the cycling community...