so i started a bike shop. update 31/07/24

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Good luck luck with the venture and don't be surprised if you end up doing the high end stuff. All my bikes are physically built, and major maintainance done, by my LBS. I just don't have the time or the spanner skills to satisfy my perfectionist nature. Moreover, it's also relatively cost effective as I don't have to buy and maintain 100s of specialist tools. :D
 
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yeah the tools can be expensive, i expect most bikes to be basic to mid spec but i have got to completely re-bearing an older specialised epic frame this week, this meant buying the wheels manufacturing bearing press, something i wanted anyway but was not expecting to have to buy it now, they are £300 RRP, even at my trade price it was still expensive, the labour rate for the job i have bought the tools for will not cover the cost of the tools so on this job i will technically lose money but long term buying the tool is the correct thing to do.

when it turned up thought oh god the cost but look at it! :cool:
 

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Re: so i started a bike shop.

good luck and all the best dudey, would be grande to pop down for a yarn n a brew at some point this summer ;)
 
Re: so i started a bike shop.

I hope everything works out for you! A good bike mechanic always survives. At least you've got a good excuse to buy expensive tools.....
 
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cheers guys! i hope it works out aswel! it's costing a fortune!

my customers have been really good so far, mostly basic bikes but a few gems. i'm doing alot of services that require a new chain/cassette and chainset, although it means only 60ish for those parts as the bikes are basic it means that by the time you add a few cables and brake pads and a bit of labour it's £100 in the till and the customers have commented on the difference in the feel on the bikes, i think they ride them into the ground and have no clue how bad they are until it's sorted and then they are shocked at the difference!

i'm quoting retail prices to them and if the bill goes over a certain value i'll do a little deal and with my labour rate being less than everyone else locally (because i can afford it to be) then my repair bills come in at a very good cost, which i think they need to as a customer with a £300 bike gets worried when you quote over £100 to repair it which may be quite realistic but they don't understand why it's that much and simply because unlike us on this forum they are not cyclists like we are, they're not in to it a such, it's a bike to ride with the kids on the weekend or a commuter that they don't care about.

so education of my customers is required but that's what i want, people i can explain stuff to and they see the value in it.

anyway, it's going reasonably well bearing in mind i've only been here 4 weeks although some companies don't want to deal with me because apparently i'm too near a couple of other shops territory wise, i pointed out that the nearest shop is 7 miles away and doesn't stock their products and the other shop doesn't either that's 12 miles away and concentrates on mail order anyway, so that kind of stuff is annoying when you want the products, but hopefully that will sort itself out once they understand the area and local inter shop politics!
 
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Best of luck to you.

This is pretty much what the manager of my LBS did when that closed due to the lease on the shop running out.

I confess I've not been to see how he's getting on, but as the bulk of the shops business was servicing and repair I suspect he's doing well.

Given your skill and experience I reckon you've started an excellent business, well done.
 
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cheers Neil, one nice thing about running your own shop is that when it's quiet like now, i can have a quick look on retrobike and no one tells me to get back to work!! :LOL:
 
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