The Biking Solution
What Our Members Have To Say...
About TBS…
“Because of TBS programs, Cheryl and I have more time for our family, staff has a higher quality of life, and our store is giving back to the community. Russell’s Cycle is sponsoring school bike safety programs in six counties. We are blessed to offer “Operation Christmas Bike” and a community Thanksgiving meal for those less fortunate.
Friends: for over thirty years Russell’s has had the privilege of selling fun and a healthier lifestyle. There is not a better “gig” on the planet. The Biking Solution is the real deal. They have been where we are going. We would like you to be part of the family. Please call us anytime or stop us at the trade shows; we would love to tell you the rest of the story.”
Joe & Cheryl Russell, Russell's Cycling & Fitness (Washington, IL)
“After many years in the bicycling industry, Crank Daddy's has finally partnered with a company that understands every aspect of our business. At first, we were hesitant to sign up. But after talking to other stores with success stories of how much TBS had helped them, we decided to join and we're glad we did.”
Eric Kuhagen, Crank Daddy's (Milwaukee, WI)
“John and I started Madera Bike Shop in 2002. Because we started the shop as enthusiasts and not businesspeople, we felt slightly hindered in our ability to fulfill our vision for the shop. We were surviving and growing, but we still weren’t serving our customers to the best of our ability. We joined The Biking Solution in late 2006 and quickly realized that TBS was the missing link to getting the guidance and business training we needed. We had the passion, enthusiasm, and bicycle knowledge part down pat; we needed help with budgeting, human resources, and marketing. By helping us become more efficient as a business, TBS has allowed us to spend more time serving our customers. We are no longer overwhelmed with the operational aspects of our shop and have much more energy to put into customer care. Since joining TBS, our sales have continued to grow, despite our concerns about the economy. Our growth is definitely due to our alliance with TBS combined with lots of hard work and a dogged determination to constantly improve ourselves for our customers. At no point in five years of growth and success have we become complacent and happy with where we are. We have a vision: we want to be the preferred bike shop in the Central Valley...and TBS has given us the tools to make that vision a reality. The rest is up to us!”
John & Vanessa McCracken, Madera Bike Shop (Madera CA)
About Training…
“New to The Biking Solution, my brother and I attended Best Practices training with one goal: to return to the store with one great idea that will pay for the trip. We left this seminar with more than ten 'best practices' to implement, most of which we have successfully used and profited from! TBS' Best Practices training is a great example of TBS helping bicycle retailers reach the next level!"
Alan Davis, Princeton Sports (Baltimore, MD)
"The seminars on Best Practices and GEAR Sales were excellent. After hearing them, we could not wait to get back to the store and start implementing changes right away."
Eric Kuhagen, Crank Daddy's (Milwaukee, WI)
"Ensuring positive interaction between our staff and customers is critical to surviving in our competitive market. We've attended other sales trainings before, but In-store GEAR Sales Training has had the greatest impact on our business.”
Daniel Wallis, South Mountain Cycles (Phoenix, AZ)
"I really enjoyed the TBS Time Management seminar. I was inspired to apply the techniques I learned to both personal and professional aspects of my life. The Time Management seminar provided me with essential tools needed to make my days productive and make the most of the time that I have. I have renewed inspiration and motivation!"
Ashleigh Nelson, All-Star Bike Shop (Raleigh, NC)
"Our staff has been very receptive to the introduction of the GEAR sales process. Personally, I have been closing more sales, feeling more confident and motivated to close the higher-ticket sale. Next year, I will be taking more of my staff to GEAR training, as I see it as one of the best investments I can make in my staff. The proof? We had a $12,000 day this past January, using a lot of what we learned at GEAR."
Chris Padavana, Eden Bike Shop (Castro Valley, CA)
About Marketing…
“TBS marketing has catapulted our store up to the level of unbelievable sophistication, and we now utilize the marketing tools to bring more customers in the door every month.”
Joe & Cheryl Russell, Russell's Cycling & Fitness (Washington, IL)
"Last year at Interbike, I spoke with TBS about how our advertising approach with circulars wasn’t effective in the way we had been distributing them. TBS’ advertising team looked closely at my market and recommended we try insertion into our local newspaper instead. We tried it and saw improved results. The circulars generated more business than I could handle. It's a problem we can deal with!"
Bruce Thalheimer, Chainwheel (Little Rock, AR)
About Consumer Financing…
"Financing has put my store into a new orbit! Financing used to be a defensive strategy to salvage a lost sale. Now it is an every day, every customer sales tool that maximizes sales tickets, while allowing a customer to purchase exactly the right product for their needs. TBS' Freedom to Ride card encourages repeat business that is exclusive to my store. This fosters a sense of loyalty with our customers. I can't imagine my business without financing; it is simple and fast to use, and has put our business on the same playing field as other retail sectors."
Randy Clark, BGI (Indianapolis, IN)
About Customer Loyalty…
"We are very impressed with The Biking Solution's Ride Club Customer Loyalty Program. We used to have a hand-written customer thank-you program, which was time- and labor-intensive. The Ride Club program is professional-looking and able to be customized with our messaging. We're now playing in the big leagues, using email and direct mail communications to contact our customer base. The look of the pieces we're distributing makes us professional enough to compete not only with other bike shops but with larger retailers; we're capturing our customer's discretionary income away from the sporting goods shops, electronic chains, and other retail venues. The TBS Ride Club is obviously a time saver. We'll be looking to implement the rewards portion of the program over this coming Winter. The Ride Club program is just one more reason why TBS is so forward-thinking. "
Rick Gurney, Plano Cycling (Plano, TX)
"When I first learned about the TBS Ride Club, I was a bit skeptical about how it could apply to my shop's marketing strategy. I thought that we were already sufficiently targeting our customers during and after a sale. During the sale, we cover various add-on programs and accessories, but often, amidst the excitement of purchasing a new bike, the customer is too distracted to think about their riding needs down the road. The Ride Club loyalty program has helped maintain regular contact with our customers after the purchase, reminding them about accessories, service, and sales. The program is very easy for me to use, and it encourages loyalty and repeat business. Several customers have even returned to purchase a new or second bicycle!"
Chad Pickard, Spoke-N-Sport (Sioux Falls, SD)
About Credit Card Processing…
"As much as 95% of purchases in our store and online are purchased via credit card. By using TBS' rates with Chase Paymentech, we've saved a significant amount of money in processing fees. I'm delighted to be a part of the TBS Group. It's a big part of the difference between owning a bike shop...and having a really successful business!"
Beverly Lucas, Bend Bike 'N Sport (Bend, OR)
"I was with my old credit card processor for more than ten years, so I was skeptical about saving any significant money by changing to another processor. Not only am I saving thousands per year on those costs with Paymentech, we now have a terminal that can accept financing, gift cards, and credit cards in one easy-to-use terminal. Making the switch over to Paymentech was seamless and easy."
Michael Maxwell, Arapahoe Cyclery (Littleton, CO)
About Insurance…
"I have utilized many of The Biking Solution services during the past several years, including their insurance savings program. As a TBS member, I had access to top insurance expert Brenda Prindiville; I simply provided her with my existing insurance pricing information, and she took it from there, shopping for better rates, and ultimately finding a better insurance package for my business and employees. It's difficult retaining good employees in my market without a competitive benefits package that matches what larger retailers provide outside the bicycle business. With The Biking Solution's guidance and expertise, I was able to obtain improved health, business, and workman's compensation insurance for my store, Finish Line. The improved coverage, offered at a lower cost, has been a great improvement to my business - particularly the stability of my staff. The Biking Solution did all the research for me, and provided a quote within a week's time. I am really grateful for the assistance they provided me in this complex and expensive area of my business. If insurance is an issue in your business I strongly encourage you to look at this program from TBS."
Alan Bradley, Finish Line (Bakersfield, CA)
About KPP Extended Warranty Programs…
"We’ve been using the KPP program for the past 2 years and it has really worked well. Our guests love the option and it has helped us put money to our bottom line. We’ve had several guests use the program and they are thrilled at how easy it is. I’m also happy with how easy it is to submit a claim and to enter new programs into the system. We were hesitant to sign up for the program at the beginning because we really thought it was going to be a lot of work and hard to track, but it’s been awesome."
Mike Simmons, Bicycle Warehouse (San Diego, CA)
About Business Savings Programs…
"The money savings services have been great. We thought we were getting a good rate on our processing because Trek Bicycle Company negotiated it for us, but TBS was still able to save us thousands of dollars. It's hard to calculate the exact amount of money TBS has helped us to save, but we've cut some of our operating costs, and foot traffic in our store is way up, so we're very happy we decided to join!"
Eric Kuhagen, Crank Daddy's (Milwaukee, WI)
About Performance Summaries…
"Constantly analyzing our performance as a bicycle retailer is paramount to growing our business. The TBS performance summary provides key performance indicators on many important factors to the success of our business. It's great to have the ability, with this report, to compare to ourselves and other cycling retailers throughout the country. The real value in this report can be realized by taking action based on our shortcomings in performance, compared to the average of our peers within the industry."
Dale Phelps, Village Bike Shop (Jenison, MI)
About Mystery Shopping…
"Mystery Shopping provides several very important measurables for our business. First, it confirms the effectiveness of our sales training. After compiling several Mystery Shopper evaluations, we have the ability to analyze the data and find trends that would otherwise be difficult to uncover. We can then praise and reconfirm the positives with our staff, as well as concentrate our continuous training program on the areas that resulted in less than favorable or inconsistent responses from the Mystery Shoppers. Just as important, Mystery Shopping gives us a fresh eyes evaluation of how we are perceived by new customers. The evaluation helps us understand everything from how visible our store is to a passerby, to helping refine our store's layout in an effort to improve a customer's ability to flow smoothly through the various departments and bicycle segments throughout the store. Mystery Shopping is a very important tool that we utilize to stay ahead of the competition."
Daniel Wallis, South Mountain Cycles (Phoenix, AZ)
About Real Estate Services
"We needed to expand our square footage and wanted to take over the space next door to us. We were also looking to extend our lease term. Using TBS' real estate program, we worked with a realtor expert who helped us understand the technical ins and outs of lease terminology. He was able to negotiate on our behalf with the landlord. We ended up doubling our store space, increasing the leasing term to five years and paying about the same as what we intially were paying for the shorter lease term!"
Reed Haley, Spokes Cycling & Fitness (Oldsmar, FL)
About In Store POP…
back to top"The POP materials provided by TBS have been great. We use them to highlight the added value items like KPP and Financing, and create the atmosphere that the event is something special, encouraging our customers to buy."
Ron Schmidt, Fraser Bicycle (Fraser, MI)
