NBDA: Bicycle Retail Radio

Send us a textWhat do Lycra and leather have in common? An enthusiastic, loyal customer base… composed primarily of white, male riders... Pat Hus, former director of Interbike, interviews bicycle and Harley-Davidson retailer George Gatto about what bicycle retailers and manufacturers can learn from Harley-Davidson. You’ll hear how Harley supports retailers through education and incentive programs that encourage good business decisions among their dealers. Gatto also shares how this brand that once attracted a primarily white, male customer base has created an inclusive marketing and engagement strategy to attract and serve diverse new riders. Support the show

Send us a textIn this episode, John Robinson, owner of Johnny Velo Bikes in Columbus, Ohio, and board member of the NBDA is back to interview Donny Perry, author of Leading Out Retail. In Leading Out Retail, Perry combines hundreds of hours of research, a rich trove of social science, and his counterintuitive insights as he explains a paradigm shift in the industry of bicycle retail. Within this paradigm shift, Perry teaches retailers simple strategies on how to increase profit through service, what the most important question to ask every customer is, and how to manage the dreaded Timmy Factor.Support the show

Send us a textThis week, Chad Pickard, NBDA Board Member and owner of Spoke-N-Sport in Sioux Falls, SD, is joined by John Robinson, fellow NBDA Board Member and owner of Johnny Velo Bikes in Columbus, OH, for a discussion on customers and profitability. Is the customer always right? Does saying "yes" to a customer sometimes cost more than saying "no"? Join in on the discussion and feel free to weigh in on social media!Support the show

Send us a textThis week Kat Andrus, Youth Program Manager at PeopleforBikes, joins us again to interview Andree Sanders, President of Trips for Kids Metro NY. Andree is nicknamed the "bike whisperer" based on her teaching methods when teaching people how to ride. Adree has taught over 1000 kids to ride off-road, is now a certified NICA coach, has helped hundreds learn to ride, and is a League Certified Instructor through the League of American Bicyclists. She shares with us in this episode how she approaches teaching and how she works with bike shops to get more kids on bikes.Support the show

Send us a textIn this episode, David DeKeyser joins us once again to interview Dan Thornton, owner of Free-Flite Bicycles. Dan has been in the industry for over 40 years and has a great sense of business. He talks to Dave about opening his skateboard shop in 1977, transitioning to a bike shop in 1978, opening more locations, and getting back into an active role in the business this year. Dan also shares with us how he keeps up his "continuous improvement" mentality and how he keeps his employees happy through an incredibly busy time.Support the show

Send us a textThis week, Dave DeKeyser, Business Consultant for the NBDA, returns to interview Todd Cravens, Vice President of Business Development at Quality Bicycle Products. Dave and Todd talk about trends and best practices that they have observed for running a profitable bike shop. In his position at QBP, Todd works with many bike shops at all levels and it has given him great insights into the hard numbers that he shares with us today.Support the show

Send us a textThis week, Giant Group's U.S. general manager John "JT" Thompson joins Chad Pickard, NBDA Board Member and owner of Spoke-N-Sport in Sioux Falls, SD, to talk about Giant Bicycles and the general state of the industry. Support the show

Send us a textIn this episode, Chad Pickard, owner of Spoke N' Sport in Sioux Falls, SD, and NBDA board member, returns for a very special interview with Gary Fisher. Gary has a rich and storied career and is considered one of the inventors of the modern mountain bike. Gary joins us today to talk about what he experienced during the bike boom of the 1970's and his take on whether or not the bike boom the world is currently seeing is comparable. Support the show

Send us a textIn this episode, Kat Andrus, Youth Program Manager at PeopleforBikes, interviews Sabra Davison, co-founder and Executive Director of Little Bellas. Kat and Sabra discuss youth programs in the bicycling industry, why they are important, and how bike shops can get involved.Support the show

Send us a textMore women than ever are getting into all forms of cycling, while bike shops and the industry as a whole are still largely male-dominated. But any dealer can take a few simple steps to make their shop the one women choose when buying a bike. In this episode of Bicycle Retail Radio, Heather Mason, former pro-racer and bike shop owner, and current coordinator of Bianchi USA’s women’s ambassador program shares how. If you’re a shop owner who’s skeptical about women’s programming you aren’t alone. Mason admits she was skeptical, too, until she saw the outcomes. You’ll learn how to start women-led programming even if your shop has no women on staff, and what small changes you can make that will improve the customer experience for everyone. Support the show

Send us a textIn this episode of Bicycle Retail Radio, Chad Pickard, NBDA board member and owner of Spoke N Sport in Sioux Falls, SD, speaks with Tobie DePauw, Affiliate Wrangler at People for Bikes and owner of Mordecai Book Building and Stewardship Retail. Tobie talks about the value that brick and mortar retail stores have and how powerful the human connection is in creating a community around your store. He also discusses how to make sure that your customer's experience in and out of your store is fantastic so that they fall in love with cycling and become a lifetime customer.Support the show

Send us a textNow is an uncertain time for retail. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing retailers to make difficult decisions like whether to close their store or not, whether or not to lay off employees, whether to ask for rent deferral or not, etc. We think that now it is more important than ever to come together and share ideas and practices between retailers all over the nation.For the fourth episode in this series, Fred Clements interviews Gayle Shanks, owner of Changing Hands Bookstore with locations in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona, and former president of the American Booksellers Association. Gayle has cultivated a passionate community around her bookstore and while talking to Fred, finds the similarities between the struggles that both bike and booksellers have faced for the last 20 years. You can see some of the programs discussed in the episode at Changing Hands' website www.changinghands.com.Support the show

Send us a textNow is an uncertain time for retail. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing retailers to make difficult decisions like whether to close their store or not, whether or not to lay off employees, whether to ask for rent deferral or not, etc. We think that now it is more important than ever to come together and share ideas and practices between retailers all over the nation.For the third episode in this series, Ray Keener interviews Lester Binegar, General Manager/Operator/Bookkeeper for University Bicycles in Boulder, Colorado. Ray and Lester discuss why University Bikes has stayed open and the shifts in business practices that they have made in order to do so.Support the show

Send us a textNow is an uncertain time for retail. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing retailers to make difficult decisions like whether to close their store or not, whether or not to lay off employees, whether to ask for rent deferral or not, etc. We think that now it is more important than ever to come together and share ideas and practices between retailers all over the nation.For the second episode in this series, Fred Clements interviews Peter Henry, owner of Landry's Bicycles in Boston, Massachusetts, and NBDA Board Member about what he is experiencing in Massachusetts at this time and what procedures he has put in place for his business. Peter shares his concerns with being so close to the "hot spot" in New York as well as how he communicates procedures to keep all 7 Landry's stores informed and safe.Support the show

Send us a textNow is an uncertain time for retail. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing retailers to make difficult decisions like whether to close their store or not, whether or not to lay off employees, whether to ask for rent deferral or not, etc. We think that now it is more important than ever to come together and share ideas and practices between retailers all over the nation.For the first episode in this series, Brandee Lepak, Owner of Global Bikes in Pheonix, AZ, and President of the NBDA interviews Tim Krone, owner of Pedal in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and NBDA Board Member about what he is experiencing in Michigan at this time and what procedures he has put in place for his business.Support the show

Send us a textEach customer comes to you with a different story. As a retailer, you have the choice of how you interact with your customer and how to influence how they feel when they leave your store. Brett Flemming, owner of Efficient Velo Tools, joins Fred Clements in this episode to share his insights and advice on how to meet every customer with aggressive agreeability and ensure they leave your shop with a smile.Support the show

Send us a textKristi Mohn is a gravel coach, a champion for women’s cycling, and one of the original organizers of Dirty Kanza. She fell into cycling organically when she and her husband were looking for a way to stay fit. As a Kansan seeking adventure, finding her way to gravel and Dirty Kanza was a no-brainer. In this episode of Bicycle Retail Radio, Kristi shares her thoughts on how and why gravel cycling has grown and what she’s doing to increase women’s participation in the sport. You’ll also learn what barriers women face as they try to get started in cycling, and how bike shops can help. Kristi also offers a peek behind the scenes of Dirty Kanza, from gratifying finish line moments to the joys and challenges of pulling off the event.Support the show

Send us a textIt’s no secret that the relationship between dealers and vendors can be filled with tension. A strong relationship, however, can give shops a competitive edge as vendors go the extra mile to help you to keep your customers happy. From product advice to supply chain insights, your vendors are an essential part of your success.In this episode of Bicycle Retail Radio, James Ayres, Domestic Sales Manager at Haro Bicycles, and Phil Cohen, NBDA board member and owner of Chain Reaction Bicycles, throw open the doors on their thriving dealer/vendor relationship so that you, too, can enjoy the benefits of a match made in heaven. Support the show

Send us a textIan Christie was a teenager when he cleaned bathrooms and did basic bike builds in a bike shop in exchange for parts. He eventually worked his way to a paying gig on the sales floor and realized this was the career path for him. He acquired Summit Bicycles when it had two locations in the Bay Area, and he’s expanded it to five, with a staff of 45-60 full-time-equivalent staff members across the company. In this episode of Bicycle Retail Radio, Ian talks about the challenges of expanding your business and managing your shifting role as an owner when your business grows. You’ll hear Ian’s thoughts on how good bike shops (even your competitors) are good for the industry as a whole, and the opportunities he sees for his company in the coming years. Support the show

Send us a textMike DuVarney, Executive Director of the BMX Foundation, has the best job in the world: putting kids on bikes—and his enthusiasm for it is contagious. In this episode of Bicycle Retail Radio, you’ll learn how the BMX Foundation is igniting passion for cycling by bringing STE(A)M programs and BMX athletes into schools across the country. Even if your shop doesn’t stock BMX bikes, you can still work with your local schools and camps to bring a Read to Ride, Track Modeling, or BMX STEM Program to your area, because kids on bikes today become adults on bikes tomorrow. The BMX Foundation is creating a pipeline of future cyclists while enhancing STE(A)M education and buildingkids’ confidence on and off the bike. Support the show