Well friends, it’s time for a change.
Wheel Werks incorporated the week Apple released the first iPhone, and the pace of change since then has been astounding. Retail has altered radically. We now compete against the vendors we buy from, not to mention online retailers from both inside and outside the bike industry. As the items we sell get more technical and service expectations more urgent, the need for knowledgeable, long term staff gets more urgent, too. But these are exactly the sorts of people who no longer see a future in retail. I’ve had fantastic people working with me over the years, but that well has mostly run dry, turning me, increasingly, into a solo act.
I don’t mind. This is what it means to adapt and evolve. So I find myself in my 38th year in the industry, 25 of those with my own business, changing my focus to the things I’m best at, and the things Wheel Werks’ customers value most.
Going forward, Wheel Werks will be focusing on bicycle fitting, fit-first bike sales, made-to-order and purpose-built bicycles, along with service course level bike repair for those bikes.
I am making these changes to focus on our core customers and their needs, making it as easy to work with us as possible.
Open show room hours will be limited. These hours will coincide with shops rides. It’ll give us a chance to meet up as a group and hang out. Vendors will come out and show new products during this time, too.
Showroom hours will be Tuesday and Thursday from 4-7, and Saturday 11-3.
All services will be booked online through the Wheel Werks website (www.wheelwerksbikes.com). Choose a time that works for your schedule.
For stock bikes, we are focusing on Cervelo, Look and Parlee. For fully custom bikes we’ll look to Seven Cycles and Parlee. We do have access to other, select brands if you are interested in something different. Just ask. We are always looking for what we feel are the best-made and best value products for our customers.
We still have access to all the parts the industry has to offer. We are still stocking wheels, complete parts kits for upgrades, and everything related to fitting, along with a full stock of repair items.
As most people now research their purchases online first and then check what local dealers have, we will update the site to show what new and certified used bikes are in stock, as well as the higher end products we have.
Some of this is about quality of life for me too. These changes will allow me to fulfill a dream of riding across the USA this year.
I have been involved with RAAM (Race Across America) and Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangleo of PAC Tours since I was a kid. I crewed multiple times for them on RAAM and on many long tours. This year finds them winding down towards retirement finally, but they are supporting one more transcontinental bike ride. I have never ridden they whole way, and I am not missing this chance.
Depending on staff they shop will be closed from early August to mid-September so I can ride from Everett, Washington to Rye Beach, New Hampshire by way of the northern route. I look forward to sharing some training rides with you, as well as some stories when I get back.
Please be patient as we transition to this new format. New ways of doing things always have some kinks at first.
Thank you all for the support, trust and friendships over the last 38 years and for the next 38.
Bob