does anyone actually on a bike store here?

[clockworked]

A mate and i are spitballing opening a bike shop. Is there anyone on here that owns a shop and is willing to discuss trade and business specifics over PMs?
Total wanker vanity project for sure.

 

[bear the bear]

I have had two mates and an ex's parents who have owned bike stores, they have all ended in tears....

 

[clockworked]

Yeah they seem like a quick way to lose a fortune. Thats why I'm interested to know about the machinations of a functioning business

 

[rextheute]

I’d go one ... as someone who had their own business for almost 10 years and ran someone else’s for 8 .
(Not Bike Related)

But I would give it a go , however it prob wouldn’t be all shop dogs , skinny jeans and lattes .
with a lazy arvo ride thrown with your trail bro‘s .
I suspect it may be more challenging customer , hard arsed distributors and crappy leases .......

But I would still give it a go !

 

[caad9]

I’m close to a family that own a big shop in Vic.
Sales are high, money making is very low.

Incredibly fickle customer base and products that do not stand up, it’s a tough gig

 

[rextheute]

Could go niche brands - however contrary to popular opinion ( pfffft ) you would need at least one e- mtb , some sort of e- commuter and then hard core gravel as well as mtb - enduro , trail and cycle paths stylin .
e- scooters in the mix also .
Count on a shit hot mechanic across all the e - engines - fault finding and repairs , great contacts with suppliers - keeping in mind many are geo locked .

Now the special part - cos you are dealing with customers and they are special - all of them , just ask them
expectations are high and Aussies don’t do great customer service .
Product as caad has suggested are not always receptive to being hurled down a trail , or jumped into a creek.
soooo, I would run a rental business as a sideline - their seems to be a thing in Adelaide ? Not so much in Melbourne.
Then sell those units after a short 3-6 month timeframe - keeps cash flow and always new stock
( yes , I had a rental business too )

Dont forget The endless cups of coffee - single origin blah blah , but it makes for a welcoming feeling - I refuse to call it a vibe .......
Then get involved with a local trail group , organise demos - shit gonna get broken , hope you sell a couple of bikes at least .
yeah , I’d totally do it !

 

[caad9]

Said bike shop has a very extensive rental fleet, would have most of vic covered.

 

[rextheute]

That wasn’t meant to be negative .

But running a business is a tough gig - and that’s not including the regulations , insurance and general brain damage .
Rewards are there , but is a long road , not a “ I’ll be right in 12 months gig “

My Suggestion , make some contacts in the business , and see if it suits your lifestyle / reward based inputs .
3 year plans work well , meaning you can chop and change , leases are relatively cheap at present - but not in high traffic good locations .
All food for thought .

 

[rextheute]

Said bike shop has a very extensive rental fleet, would have most of vic covered.

Ah good , I’ve been researching a new bike and the Adelaide ones seem to offer that service and maybe coz bikes aren’t cheap , after pay and finance as a ‘thing’ on the main page .

 

[clockworked]

I want to run it at break even, until volume gets high enough. I'm banking in aussies not wanting to pay for service.
I've got a building on a main road already, but it is in glenorchy (ie: penrith, frankston, elizabeth, logan) so people would need to travel to it from town. I hope to sell volume.

 

[nathanm]

I want to run it at break even, until volume gets high enough. I'm banking in aussies not wanting to pay for service.
I've got a building on a main road already, but it is in glenorchy (ie: penrith, frankston, elizabeth, logan) so people would need to travel to it from town. I hope to sell volume.

Glenorchy tas?

 

[clockworked]

Yeah bud

 

[nathanm]

Yeah bud

That'd be sweet. I'd love to have a lbs close.

Biggest issue you'd face would be locking down a major brand to retail. New Town cycles and that place in Derwent Park are good examples of lbs that have failed simply due to having lesser brands, namely Focus and Apollo.

It's a bloody good time to open a store though given how many newbies have bought bikes. But you'd need to be able to build a reputation fairly quickly and would need a well known mechanic to being existing business in.

Location would be good, big populations in the area and parking in town is a pita so you could pick up business just with that.

 

[hifiandmtb]

That'd be sweet. I'd love to have a lbs close.

You are very mean.

 

[slowmick]

It's gotta be hard for some bike shops at the moment. When to my fave lcoal yesterday. They had about 8 adult mountain bikes on the floor. Have been waiting for orders since August. Have been told that they won't see 2021 stock, that stock will be going to the North American summer. Next batch of stock will be 2022 models in August. Not sure how you feed the machine and yourselves when there is very little to sell this year.

 

[HamboCairns]

I hope you have a lot of cash on hand, you need to place big forward orders for stock at the moment based on conversations with many bike shop owners.

Here's an Aus industry website which might be worth delving into - https://thelatzreport.com.au

Me personally? I'd love to own a niche hardcore hardtail shop selling Ragley, Box, Microsohift, Magura etc.

 

[Scotty675]

Are you open yet? I need a wheel built, I would also like to buy some air for my tyres

 

[Scotty675]

In all seriousness it would be a tough gig but not impossible to crack into market. Location wise not bad and people will come if you can build a good name and provide good service. As you know running a business is a tough gig but long term I can see it working.
Rental bikes would be essential as well as a good mechanic.
Your close to Trail network and like everywhere the northern suburbs are growing. I take my hat off to you if you give it a crack.

 

[Elbo]

Never owned a shop, but was a mechanic in 2 over 6 years, one in Sydney and one in regional NSW.
It's a tough gig. If you know how to manage customer expectations and are a good communicator, that will help you a lot. You can do the best job 99% of the time, but 1 grumpy customer can undo a lot of good will.
You probably won't be selling a tricked out Santa Cruz every day. If you're not stoked at the idea of most of your sales being kids bikes and commuters for inexperienced riders, you may need to adjust your expectations.
Working in a good shop is fun, but, IMHO, if you're not careful, mixing work and play can really affect your love of bikes. You will be exposed to the money grubbing side of the industry and bullshit marketing, day in, day out, suppliers can try and strong arm you into stocking more than you want to, or fitting out your shop differently.
Having said that, I've been out of the industry for 4 years, but regularly find myself thinking about spinning some spanners on the side. There is something wholesome about bikes and working with them. Just protect yourself against all the bullshit and defend the reasons you go into it in the first place.

 

[SummitFever]

Also mixing business and mates can have its issues. You will need some pretty clear ground rules agreed upfront to make sure everyone pulls their weight.