Your Next Bike Shop Might Drive to You
Your next bike shop might have four wheels and park in your driveway.
Mobile bike shops are popping up across the country, with Velofix and Beeline Bikes being the largest players. Velofix CEO and co-founder Chris Guillemet believes that the convenience of mobile maintenance plays a large role in this expansion.
“Lack of time is a major issue for most people” when it comes to getting a bike fixed, he says. “To be able to book online and have the mobile shop come right to them allows people more time to work, spend time with their friends and family, and, [of course] ride.”
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Velofix offers many of the same services as your local shop, including tune-ups, repairs, and bike fits. But it also charges a minimum fee of $69, so be sure you have at least a few things you need done to your bike before you give your local company a call. (If it's only a minor repair, teach yourself to do it with Bicycling's Quick & Easy Bike Maintenance course developed by test editor Mike Yozell.) I you have a complicated repair or know that fixing your bike requires a special tool, you should give the Velofix mechanic a heads up so they can be sure to have everything they need on-hand.
Local bike dealers have long claimed that more customers are buying gear online and aren’t as loyal to any one local shop—making it a great time for a company like Velofix to expand. Velofix claims to be the largest fleet of mobile shops in North America, with 36 franchises sold. Currently, the company has a presence in every major Canadian city and has made substantial inroads into the US, with vans appearing in cities along the West Coast, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, and Ohio. Guillemet hopes to double that number by the end of 2016, as well as get a foothold in the UK and Australia. With companies like Trek and Canyon using full or partial consumer-direct models, Guillemet plans to partner with bike manufacturers in the near future to deliver, build, and fit new bikes.
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Velofix has been appealing to potential franchise owners. Entrepreneur and amateur cyclist Brian Brackemyre considered purchasing a Velofix franchise, but ultimately decided against it. He declined to say how much a franchise costs, but said with the limited riding season in the Midwest, it was too much of a risk. Even established bike shops with multiple revenue streams see a precipitous dip in customers during the winter months. A new business, especially one with such a unique concept, can struggle.
“I’ve got nothing bad to say about Velofix; in fact, the concept is incredibly cool,” Brackemyre said. “They’ve developed a complete mobile shop that can do almost anything a traditional bike shop can do. But as a former CFO, I didn’t think I could make it work financially with only seven or eight months of great weather a year. A place like California, where the riding season is 12 months a year? It’s a no-brainer.”
Customers seem impressed by the new model.
“It was ridiculously easy booking the appointment online and the convenience of them coming right to your house is great, as it’s not fun to cart multiple bikes to a shop,” said Howard Chang, who has used the Toronto Velofix several times. “The mechanic was super helpful and explained everything he did while he worked on my bike in his van right in my driveway. I enjoyed a coffee as we chatted bikes, decided on some service options, and pretty much had a great couple of hours."
“On another occasion, he came and picked up the bikes and came back the next day with the work complete. Sure beats dropping a bike off at a shop and waiting three weeks to get it back.”
Despite the convenience factor, even Velofix’s biggest fans say they won’t give up their local brick-and-mortar shop; Chang enjoys the “great clothing, equipment and chit chat that goes on” in his local shop too much to give it up. And Velofix's tiny work area does have one key drawback: Until the company masters TARDIS technology, it will be impossible to fit a traditional shop’s parts, apparel, and bike inventory into a Mercedes Sprinter van.
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