crazzywolfie

locally there use to be this one bike shop that someone ran out of there basement. it seemed to be fairly popular for such a small shop but it was pretty much the only bike shop that would work on anything. there is one bike shop in town that will only work on what they sell. like everyone else has said customer service is key.

AltheCyclist

There's a bike shop near here called 'Road 34 Deli and Tavern'

A bike shop with a bar and food!

tessartype

Around here, there are dozens of plain bike shops without a thing to set them apart. They get their business from parents buying whatever's cheap for their kids and the occasional lock or tyre purchase.

The successful ones, however, specialize. One shop specializes in fixed-gear conversions, but they do restorations as well. There's one Trek flagship store stocking nearly everything they offer. Then there's "Time Trial", specializing in racing gear - their cheapest offerings are CAADs. There's a shop specializing in Cervelos and Pinarellos - all models, in all sizes.

Why did I list those? I used every one of these shops. I used the fixed-gear guys to convert an old steel frame I had, and a while later, used to fix that frame after an accident bent the rear triangle. I bought my Trek 1.2 from a Trek dealer in another city, and been using these for repairs, tuneups and parts. I bought my pedals, shoes and clothing from the Time Trial shop. And the last one does my mother's tune-ups ahead of big races - we picked her TT bike up with new bearings ahead of an Ironman this summer - and it's simply awesome to walk through this store.


Get a niche. All the pros in the city use all these stores, located next to each other, because each has a specialized niche.

jockotobling

My LBS is staffed by a couple of 20 something guys that are good mechanics, and are into bikes. They are honest, intelligent and nice guys. The owner has been working on bikes since his early teens. He is also honest, smart, compassionate and willing to help someone work on their own bike. They work on any bike that comes through the door, Murray or Pinerello. Their prices are very reasonable. They stand behind their work and products. In short Alpha Bicycle Co. rocks.

rawhite1969

quick repairs. nothing worse than having to leave the bike for two days for a repair that really only takes 15 minutes. The coffee shop idea is good but adds a lot of logistics to the mix, but maybe offering cold drink selection in a fridge would help. As has been said, a solid business plan with a good marketing plan is really the key.

Floyd

In the small town where I am the niche market would be having a bicycle shop, let alone trying to specialize in anything....we do not have a LBS and the closest is an hour away...
peace

Stubby

A lot depends on what the bike scene is in your area. I have three large bike shop that are an easy walk from where I live, plus a few other smaller shops (if you consider Eric's small, but it is compared to the others). One of them has part of their store that specializes in recumbents and used bikes but other then that they are generic. Doesn't really matter which store you go to as they carry the same bikes.

When I went looking this spring for a commuter bike with all the goodies as in fenders, chain guard, dynamo lighting, upright riding position etc, I couldn't find anything despite the thousands of bikes in the shops. I ended up ordering on-line even though I really didn't want to. If you live in an area with other established bike shops you will not be able to compete if you carry the same old same old, even with good service.

Look for an unserviced niche and go with it. Another advantage is you will not have to carry the hugh inventory the big stores do. A small space can do quite well if it is carefully thought out. Set up would also be a lot less expensive.

robi

Kind of sad you folks in the USA are so worried about law suits..... liability... come on, is it really that bad these days?

I was born and raised in the US... and have live my entire adult life in Hungary and I just find this law suit mania ridiculous....

I would love an LBS that lets me work on my bike on myself... in fact there is one... it is not an advertised service, i just asked him once if I could use his tools when he was busy and he said sure... since then I do it often, patching a flat, adjusting my brakes whatever... if I happen to whack off a finger cutting through some metal or sg, then I would just go to the hospital looking like a fool... and that is exactly what I would do back home in Boston!

Robi

Artkansas 

I'd have clinics where you could get your chain cleaned and lubed and tires inflated. Its seems simple enough, but cleaning chains is something that as an apartment dweller, I'm not equipped to deal with. Easy stuff like this could get new customers in.

Snydermann

Open a shop after you win the lottery or a large inheritance, or only if you can run it as a hobby, not a paycheck.
Make sure your wife has a good job.
Locate your shop where the money is located.
Remember you now are working/worried about your shop 24-7-365.
Remember you now get no paid vacation, holidays or health insurance.
Plan to live on a restricted budget for 5 years.
Take a business management course.
Hire a great accountant, insurance guy and lawyer.
Employees can ruin your life, even the best ones eventually want something more.
You will spend more time running the business than enjoying a bike shop.
No matter how great you are or how hard you try, someone will always think you suck.

I ran a very successful auto shop for 20 years, it all but killed me.

Captain Blight

Used-bike stores are a license to print money. Buy 'em at garage sales, police auctions, church rummage sales, and make a deal with the guys at the metal scrappers. Fix them up and sell at a handsome profit.

Storage is a problem, bikes take up a surprising amount of room. Although given the economy you should be able to get a good deal on a retail space, and if you could lock in the lease for 5 years that would be a big moneysaver.

KD5NRH

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5195818

Successful or not, it costs the defendant a lot of money to go to court. It's even worse for a one-man shop, since the business will most likely have to be closed during court appearances.

AltheCyclist

I agree people worry about lawsuits too much - especially for a bike shop. That said, there are always liability concerns for any business - a lot of small biz owners skimp on insurance and get a rude awakening when a legal issue arises. If you have proper coverage, this likely won't be an problem. If you run into a legal concern (and if you own a business, you will at some point), you should be able to work with your insurer for remedies.
If you can't afford the insurance, you have business issues and shouldn't be running the company.