November 27th, 2024
When I entered the bike industry, I didn’t really think I would notice a change from the outdoor industry. I had heard that there were lots of men – but that was also the case in outdoor. I started to ride bikes mostly after I graduated from college and retired from ski racing. Instead of rollerskiing, I figured it would be a welcomed change. Some tried to convince me to race, but I didn’t have an interest in competing anymore. So I just rode my bike, had fun, went on adventures with friends and didn’t pay attention to the fact that so few women ride bikes, let alone work in the industry.
Fast forward to starting Bivo and participating in events and trade shows across the country – WOW. There are so. few. women. At an industry night in Portland, OR during the MADE show, I would guess I saw 4-5 women and at least 100 men. Clearly there is a lot of work to do. But I am proud to be doing it!
Today is “Women Led Wednesday,” a day encouraging folks to shop from women-led businesses. I am proud to share 3 interviews with some amazing women who own thriving bike shops around the country. We learned all about the ups and downs of running a bike shop and about their shops’ involvement in their communities. Hope you enjoy!
Cheers! Carina
When I entered the bike industry, I didn’t really think I would notice a change from the outdoor industry. I had heard that there were lots of men – but that was also the case in outdoor. I started to ride bikes mostly after I graduated from college and retired from ski racing. Instead of rollerskiing, I figured it would be a welcomed change. Some tried to convince me to race, but I didn’t have an interest in competing anymore. So I just rode my bike, had fun, went on adventures with friends and didn’t pay attention to the fact that so few women ride bikes, let alone work in the industry.
Fast forward to starting Bivo and participating in events and trade shows across the country – WOW. There are so. few. women. At an industry night in Portland, OR during the MADE show, I would guess I saw 4-5 women and at least 100 men. Clearly there is a lot of work to do. But I am proud to be doing it!
Today is “Women Led Wednesday,” a day encouraging folks to shop from women-led businesses. I am proud to share 3 interviews with some amazing women who own thriving bike shops around the country. We learned all about the ups and downs of running a bike shop and about their shops’ involvement in their communities. Hope you enjoy!
Cheers! Carina
- Gillian, Owner of BFF Bikes in Chicago
Gillian Forsyth, the owner of BFF Bikes in Chicago always stocks the best women’s bikes and accessories, and she hosts triathlon socials at the shop where anyone who is triathlon-curious can join and mingle with other first-timers and experienced triathletes.
- Gillian, Owner of BFF Bikes in Chicago
Gillian Forsyth, the owner of BFF Bikes in Chicago always stocks the best women’s bikes and accessories, and she hosts triathlon socials at the shop where anyone who is triathlon-curious can join and mingle with other first-timers and experienced triathletes.
- Breanna, Owner of Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point, WI
Breanna VanDeHey grew up in her dad’s bike shop in rural Wisconsin and, after a career in Wildlife Biology, she found herself back in Wisconsin and she bought Hostel Shoppe, a bike shop that specializes in recumbent bicycles and has customers travel from literally all across the country to her shop.
- Breanna, Owner of Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point, WI
Breanna VanDeHey grew up in her dad’s bike shop in rural Wisconsin and, after a career in Wildlife Biology, she found herself back in Wisconsin and she bought Hostel Shoppe, a bike shop that specializes in recumbent bicycles and has customers travel from literally all across the country to her shop.
-Sandy, Owner of Whitman’s Bike Shop in Miamisburg, OH
Sandy Talley worked at Whitman's in Ohio back when it was her family's business from the 1970s to the early 2000s. She and her siblings eventually decided to close their stores. Fast forward 20 years, Sandy and her wife Wendy decide to purchase a bike shop from a friend and they name it Whitman's. Whitman's is back and thriving in the Miamisburg, Ohio area.
-Sandy, Owner of Whitman’s Bike Shop in Miamisburg, OH
Sandy Talley worked at Whitman's in Ohio back when it was her family's business from the 1970s to the early 2000s. She and her siblings eventually decided to close their stores. Fast forward 20 years, Sandy and her wife Wendy decide to purchase a bike shop from a friend and they name it Whitman's. Whitman's is back and thriving in the Miamisburg, Ohio area.
First: A group ride meeting up outside BFF Bikes in Chicago. Second, some happy customers on their recumbent bikes outside Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point. Third, Sandy and Wendy heading out on a tandem ride in Mackinaw Island.
First: A group ride meeting up outside BFF Bikes in Chicago. Second, some happy customers on their recumbent bikes outside Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point. Third, Sandy and Wendy heading out on a tandem ride in Mackinaw Island.
Gillian Forsyth owns BFF Bikes, a bike shop that caters to women in Chicago. Gillian always biked, but owning a bike shop was never what she expected to do after 20 years in corporate accounting.
I was a corporate accountant in my previous life. I did that for a very long time, 20 years or so. There were obviously some parts of it that I liked but it never really felt fulfilling to me. One year, the company I was working for was purchased and I was downsized. I wasn't really sure what my next step was going to be.
It just turned out that the owner of BFF bikes was selling the shop. It just seemed serendipitous that I wanted to find a new job at the same time. So I just thought I would give it a shot.
As for my cycling background, I've always biked: I've been a mountain biker, I've done Ironman triathlons, and then I grew into doing gravel races. I always commuted to work every day back and forth.
The shop has been around for 10 years. BFF stands for best friends forever, and it was founded by two women who felt like there was not enough representation of women in cycling in Chicago, and in terms of bike racing, there were really no women's teams specifically.
So, they started the shop geared towards women. They carried women's accessories, women's bikes, and they started a racing team.
I bought the store four years ago. I have continued its goal of getting more women in cycling. Although we do carry men’s bikes, we really try to cater to the female/female identifying customer. At our store, everyone is welcome and we offer an intimidation-free space to ask all your biking questions.
Gillian Forsyth owns BFF Bikes, a bike shop that caters to women in Chicago. Gillian always biked, but owning a bike shop was never what she expected to do after 20 years in corporate accounting.
I was a corporate accountant in my previous life. I did that for a very long time, 20 years or so. There were obviously some parts of it that I liked but it never really felt fulfilling to me. One year, the company I was working for was purchased and I was downsized. I wasn't really sure what my next step was going to be.
It just turned out that the owner of BFF bikes was selling the shop. It just seemed serendipitous that I wanted to find a new job at the same time. So I just thought I would give it a shot.
As for my cycling background, I've always biked: I've been a mountain biker, I've done Ironman triathlons, and then I grew into doing gravel races. I always commuted to work every day back and forth.
The shop has been around for 10 years. BFF stands for best friends forever, and it was founded by two women who felt like there was not enough representation of women in cycling in Chicago, and in terms of bike racing, there were really no women's teams specifically.
So, they started the shop geared towards women. They carried women's accessories, women's bikes, and they started a racing team.
I bought the store four years ago. I have continued its goal of getting more women in cycling. Although we do carry men’s bikes, we really try to cater to the female/female identifying customer. At our store, everyone is welcome and we offer an intimidation-free space to ask all your biking questions.
We often have people who were considering signing up for a triathlon come into the store to discuss an appropriate bike. They aren’t necessarily affiliated with a particular group or team , but they knew they wanted to do a triathlon, and they didn’t quite know where to start.
I wouldn't say I talked them into it, but I just got them going… And they would come back and say “you know, when I talked to you about the triathlon, you said I can do it, and that really made me feel like I could.” I try to encourage people and help them get out of their comfort zone. Whenever they would go ahead and do it and they really loved it and felt good about it, that always makes me feel good.
After a few different people started coming in, I decided I would host Triathlon Socials at BFF Bikes where anyone who wanted to come and talk about triathlons could join.
There was no agenda. It was just: let's come in and meet other people who want to do triathlons or you have done triathlons and we can just talk and answer any questions. Since a lot of our fixtures at the shop are on wheels, we just roll everything away, put some chairs up and put out some snacks and drinks.
When people go there, you can see that they're like minded individuals and they just start talking about what their fears are about trying a triathlon or anything else. Bringing people together and having people be able to share stories is a good opportunity for first timers.
We often have people who were considering signing up for a triathlon come into the store to discuss an appropriate bike. They aren’t necessarily affiliated with a particular group or team , but they knew they wanted to do a triathlon, and they didn’t quite know where to start.
I wouldn't say I talked them into it, but I just got them going… And they would come back and say “you know, when I talked to you about the triathlon, you said I can do it, and that really made me feel like I could.” I try to encourage people and help them get out of their comfort zone. Whenever they would go ahead and do it and they really loved it and felt good about it, that always makes me feel good.
After a few different people started coming in, I decided I would host Triathlon Socials at BFF Bikes where anyone who wanted to come and talk about triathlons could join.
There was no agenda. It was just: let's come in and meet other people who want to do triathlons or you have done triathlons and we can just talk and answer any questions. Since a lot of our fixtures at the shop are on wheels, we just roll everything away, put some chairs up and put out some snacks and drinks.
When people go there, you can see that they're like minded individuals and they just start talking about what their fears are about trying a triathlon or anything else. Bringing people together and having people be able to share stories is a good opportunity for first timers.
It's a lot of work, especially for a small shop. I don't have a manager, so I wear all the hats. I'm a bookkeeper, I'm HR, I'm shop manager and inventory “everything.” Right now I'm doing the social media part of it too, which I can't stand. So there's parts of it that you do that you're just not a fan of.
It’s also very unpredictable. You have to order bikes ahead of time and you're on the hook and you're crossing your fingers sometimes. With Chicago’s winters, you're just slowly watching your bank account go down and it can get a little bit worrisome for sure.
But, before you know it, spring is here and you're doing tune ups again. While it’s a lot of work and I don't get to ride my bike as much as I would like to anymore, it's not thankless. I do get a lot out of it.
I still get that really, great feeling when I walk in, when I walk up to the store and open the door, like, I just feel like, “Oh my God, I own the store. This is crazy. What the heck, how did this happen?”
I never in a million years would have said “when I leave my corporate job, I'm going to own a bike store”- that never crossed my mind. So to me, it's still like a dream. And I'm very grateful to the previous owner who really helped me and showed me the ropes.
Des Plaines River Trail - This trail goes all the way to Wisconsin and back. It's a long ride, but it's very pretty and I never get sick of it.
North Branch Trail - For a shorter light ride, this trail is really nice. It goes up to a botanical garden, the Chicago Botanic Garden. You can ride through the garden, come back and that's about 45 miles. We're very lucky to have that trail.
Support BFF Bikes! See their website and events and their Instagram.
It's a lot of work, especially for a small shop. I don't have a manager, so I wear all the hats. I'm a bookkeeper, I'm HR, I'm shop manager and inventory “everything.” Right now I'm doing the social media part of it too, which I can't stand. So there's parts of it that you do that you're just not a fan of.
It’s also very unpredictable. You have to order bikes ahead of time and you're on the hook and you're crossing your fingers sometimes. With Chicago’s winters, you're just slowly watching your bank account go down and it can get a little bit worrisome for sure.
But, before you know it, spring is here and you're doing tune ups again. While it’s a lot of work and I don't get to ride my bike as much as I would like to anymore, it's not thankless. I do get a lot out of it.
I still get that really, great feeling when I walk in, when I walk up to the store and open the door, like, I just feel like, “Oh my God, I own the store. This is crazy. What the heck, how did this happen?”
I never in a million years would have said “when I leave my corporate job, I'm going to own a bike store”- that never crossed my mind. So to me, it's still like a dream. And I'm very grateful to the previous owner who really helped me and showed me the ropes.
Des Plaines River Trail - This trail goes all the way to Wisconsin and back. It's a long ride, but it's very pretty and I never get sick of it.
North Branch Trail - For a shorter light ride, this trail is really nice. It goes up to a botanical garden, the Chicago Botanic Garden. You can ride through the garden, come back and that's about 45 miles. We're very lucky to have that trail.
Support BFF Bikes! See their website and events and their Instagram.
Breanna VanDeHey owns and runs Hostel Shoppe, a bike shop in rural Wisconsin that specializes in recumbent bikes and trikes. Recumbents have a seated-back position with your legs out, as opposed to the traditional seated-upright position on a bike. Breanna’s store, Hostel Shoppe, is one of the largest recumbent bike dealers in the country. Her first experience with bike shops was her dad’s bike shop in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
It was great. I loved it. It was my daycare. That's where I hung out, riding the bikes, terrorizing the employees and “pretending to help.”
I'm not sure how much help I was or not, but I started out sweeping the floors and taking out the garbage. Slowly, I started learning my way through the computer systems and learning the different bikes and gear.
It was fun. You didn't have to wear a suit and tie. I got to hang out and it felt like you were playing around most of the time.
After high school, I went off to college to be a wildlife biologist. I majored in wildlife ecology, got a master's degree and traveled the country doing endangered species research.
Then, I got married and my husband got a Professor position here in Stevens Point, WI. I ended up moving back to Marshfield (40 minutes away) and started managing my dad's store, but I didn’t buy it then because my dad just wasn’t ready to retire at that moment.
Eventually, I bought Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point. I had grand schemes: I'll buy Hostel Shoppe and when dad’s ready to retire, I'll buy his store. But as I got more invested in Hostel Shoppe, I realized that it definitely needed my full attention and it wouldn't have been fair to either store to try to run both. I wanted to really focus on Hostel Shoppe and the recumbent side of things as much as possible.
Breanna VanDeHey owns and runs Hostel Shoppe, a bike shop in rural Wisconsin that specializes in recumbent bikes and trikes. Recumbents have a seated-back position with your legs out, as opposed to the traditional seated-upright position on a bike. Breanna’s store, Hostel Shoppe, is one of the largest recumbent bike dealers in the country. Her first experience with bike shops was her dad’s bike shop in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
It was great. I loved it. It was my daycare. That's where I hung out, riding the bikes, terrorizing the employees and “pretending to help.”
I'm not sure how much help I was or not, but I started out sweeping the floors and taking out the garbage. Slowly, I started learning my way through the computer systems and learning the different bikes and gear.
It was fun. You didn't have to wear a suit and tie. I got to hang out and it felt like you were playing around most of the time.
After high school, I went off to college to be a wildlife biologist. I majored in wildlife ecology, got a master's degree and traveled the country doing endangered species research.
Then, I got married and my husband got a Professor position here in Stevens Point, WI. I ended up moving back to Marshfield (40 minutes away) and started managing my dad's store, but I didn’t buy it then because my dad just wasn’t ready to retire at that moment.
Eventually, I bought Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point. I had grand schemes: I'll buy Hostel Shoppe and when dad’s ready to retire, I'll buy his store. But as I got more invested in Hostel Shoppe, I realized that it definitely needed my full attention and it wouldn't have been fair to either store to try to run both. I wanted to really focus on Hostel Shoppe and the recumbent side of things as much as possible.
We are a little bit different from a traditional bike shop. Our primary focus is recumbent bikes and trikes. The previous owners took a risk in diving in head first into that demographic. It's definitely a niche category in the cycling industry. But they decided that they wanted to own it and be the leaders in it.
Recumbents are getting more and more popular, especially as we have more of an aging demographic. More bike shops are starting to dip their toes in it, but very few bike shops carry the parts and accessories and the service and support that the previous owners have built up and that I've been able to maintain at Hostel Shoppe.
We have typically about 90 recumbents in stock at any time. And so it's one of the few places where people can go and try a whole bunch.
We're in central Wisconsin and it's not uncommon to have people travel long distances to come in. They'll spend a whole day or even a few days test riding some bikes and making a purchase. Then, we have a really awesome bike trail in our community that they'll go ride their new bike on and maybe pop back in the store before they hit the road again, just to make any last minute adjustments.
In fact, we have people coming in today from Michigan. We have people coming in from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. We actually had people this spring drive up from Arkansas to come to the shop.
We are a little bit different from a traditional bike shop. Our primary focus is recumbent bikes and trikes. The previous owners took a risk in diving in head first into that demographic. It's definitely a niche category in the cycling industry. But they decided that they wanted to own it and be the leaders in it.
Recumbents are getting more and more popular, especially as we have more of an aging demographic. More bike shops are starting to dip their toes in it, but very few bike shops carry the parts and accessories and the service and support that the previous owners have built up and that I've been able to maintain at Hostel Shoppe.
We have typically about 90 recumbents in stock at any time. And so it's one of the few places where people can go and try a whole bunch.
We're in central Wisconsin and it's not uncommon to have people travel long distances to come in. They'll spend a whole day or even a few days test riding some bikes and making a purchase. Then, we have a really awesome bike trail in our community that they'll go ride their new bike on and maybe pop back in the store before they hit the road again, just to make any last minute adjustments.
In fact, we have people coming in today from Michigan. We have people coming in from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. We actually had people this spring drive up from Arkansas to come to the shop.
To support our recumbent riding community, we host an event called the Pedal Point Rally every year that now partners with an organization called Spokes Fighting Strokes. This is a non profit founded by a gentleman that was affected by a very severe stroke in his 40s. He ended up losing his business, his ability to walk, to talk and all this, and he was in a really dark place. During his recovery process, he was introduced to recumbent cycling. And he has now, years later, regained the ability to walk, talk, and now he travels the country hosting adaptive bike and trike clinics all over the country.
So we host this fundraiser event for him every year to help support his cross country tour. Nearly 200 riders from all over the country come up for a full weekend ride. A lot of our recumbent trike and accessory vendors, both US based and international, come in for the weekend. It's a great way for recumbent riders to get to meet some of the manufacturers.
I had a customer a couple weeks ago that came in and told me “I fell last year and my balance isn't what it needs to be. I'm never going to ride my bike again.” He was super depressed and he wanted to know if I would buy his bike back.
And I said well, let's sit down and talk. I didn't sit him on the couch, I sat him on a recumbent trike. And, by the end of the day, he had ridden a couple miles on our test track riding and he realized, okay, so there are other options! He was pretty excited to know that his riding days weren't over and that there were options.
I'm never just one thing. I'm a business owner, I'm a wife, I'm a mother, I'm a daughter, and so it's definitely been a learning curve to give myself grace to try to know that you can't be all things at once. And so making sure that you're committing to the thing that you have in front of you at the time and not being distracted by the other things. It is a really important lesson that I'm still not awesome at, but I am working on it.
Especially in the cycling industry, there's getting to be more and more women in it and it's really awesome to see but it's still a male dominated sport or an industry and I tend to feel like I have more empathy for some of my employees that have kids, just because of the life experiences that I’ve had and the hats that I already wear.
Elroy Sparta State Trail - It’s a pretty, relaxing ride. I’ve done it with my kids, and I did it with my family growing up. It is the original rails to trails system in the United States. This trail passes through three different train tunnels, one of which is half a mile long. On really hot days, you can't even see through to the other end, because of the heat and humidity. End to end round trip, it’s 38 miles.
Support Hostel Shoppe! Check out their website and events and Instagram page.
To support our recumbent riding community, we host an event called the Pedal Point Rally every year that now partners with an organization called Spokes Fighting Strokes. This is a non profit founded by a gentleman that was affected by a very severe stroke in his 40s. He ended up losing his business, his ability to walk, to talk and all this, and he was in a really dark place. During his recovery process, he was introduced to recumbent cycling. And he has now, years later, regained the ability to walk, talk, and now he travels the country hosting adaptive bike and trike clinics all over the country.
So we host this fundraiser event for him every year to help support his cross country tour. Nearly 200 riders from all over the country come up for a full weekend ride. A lot of our recumbent trike and accessory vendors, both US based and international, come in for the weekend. It's a great way for recumbent riders to get to meet some of the manufacturers.
I had a customer a couple weeks ago that came in and told me “I fell last year and my balance isn't what it needs to be. I'm never going to ride my bike again.” He was super depressed and he wanted to know if I would buy his bike back.
And I said well, let's sit down and talk. I didn't sit him on the couch, I sat him on a recumbent trike. And, by the end of the day, he had ridden a couple miles on our test track riding and he realized, okay, so there are other options! He was pretty excited to know that his riding days weren't over and that there were options.
I'm never just one thing. I'm a business owner, I'm a wife, I'm a mother, I'm a daughter, and so it's definitely been a learning curve to give myself grace to try to know that you can't be all things at once. And so making sure that you're committing to the thing that you have in front of you at the time and not being distracted by the other things. It is a really important lesson that I'm still not awesome at, but I am working on it.
Especially in the cycling industry, there's getting to be more and more women in it and it's really awesome to see but it's still a male dominated sport or an industry and I tend to feel like I have more empathy for some of my employees that have kids, just because of the life experiences that I’ve had and the hats that I already wear.
Elroy Sparta State Trail - It’s a pretty, relaxing ride. I’ve done it with my kids, and I did it with my family growing up. It is the original rails to trails system in the United States. This trail passes through three different train tunnels, one of which is half a mile long. On really hot days, you can't even see through to the other end, because of the heat and humidity. End to end round trip, it’s 38 miles.
Support Hostel Shoppe! Check out their website and events and Instagram page.
Sandy Talley owns Whitman's Bike Shop in Miamisburg, Ohio with her wife Wendy. Sandy grew up working in her family's shop in the 70s and ran it with her siblings until the early 2000s. 20 years later, Sandy and her wife bought a friends bike shop and immediately put the family name back on the store. Whitman's is back and some people think they never left!
It happened quite accidentally. My family was in the bike business, six of us brothers and sisters: the Whitman’s. My dad started our business officially in 1971. We ended up having five stores. But around 2000 and a little prior, the industry was not super healthy. We planned in advance that we would let the leases run out the different stores and close the business.
Fast forward to five years ago. I walked into a bike store in Miamisburg and saw Rick John, a man who had worked for us in the 90s. He owned the shop and he ended up saying he needed my help.
I had just taken a job at the airport, but it was four days a week, and so I said I’d help him at least one day a week just because I came from the bicycle business and it seemed like fun.
I helped Rick for about a year and he asked if I wanted to take over the business. Eventually, we negotiated and it was almost too good of a deal not to do it.
So I was like “okay, well I'm going to have to quit this job.” And then Wendy, she didn't know anything about bikes and so I said “I'll teach you about bikes!” And that's how Whitman’s became back in business for the second time around.
We're a big e-bike dealer and we sell hundreds of e-bikes every year. We’re proud that we’ve been able to quadruple the business just in the last four years, sales-wise.
We have a great head mechanic, Carene, but we call her Bean. We first met her when she was selling a bike; the way she picked up the bike and spun the wheels, I knew she had been in the bike business. And I asked, “what bike shop did you work at?” And I talked her into just helping us one day a week. And now she's full time. Actually, every day she drives about 50 minutes back and forth from Cincinnati to Miamisburg to work at Whitman's.
We recently did a historical tour ride for Miamisburg, so that was kind of a trial run. We got together with the Miamisburg Historical Society to do a 10 mile bike ride with stops to talk about different points of interest across town. While it might not be something somebody would do over and over again, it’s great for people visiting from town or if they just want to know a little history about the area.
Sandy Talley owns Whitman's Bike Shop in Miamisburg, Ohio with her wife Wendy. Sandy grew up working in her family's shop in the 70s and ran it with her siblings until the early 2000s. 20 years later, Sandy and her wife bought a friends bike shop and immediately put the family name back on the store. Whitman's is back and some people think they never left!
It happened quite accidentally. My family was in the bike business, six of us brothers and sisters: the Whitman’s. My dad started our business officially in 1971. We ended up having five stores. But around 2000 and a little prior, the industry was not super healthy. We planned in advance that we would let the leases run out the different stores and close the business.
Fast forward to five years ago. I walked into a bike store in Miamisburg and saw Rick John, a man who had worked for us in the 90s. He owned the shop and he ended up saying he needed my help.
I had just taken a job at the airport, but it was four days a week, and so I said I’d help him at least one day a week just because I came from the bicycle business and it seemed like fun.
I helped Rick for about a year and he asked if I wanted to take over the business. Eventually, we negotiated and it was almost too good of a deal not to do it.
So I was like “okay, well I'm going to have to quit this job.” And then Wendy, she didn't know anything about bikes and so I said “I'll teach you about bikes!” And that's how Whitman’s became back in business for the second time around.
We're a big e-bike dealer and we sell hundreds of e-bikes every year. We’re proud that we’ve been able to quadruple the business just in the last four years, sales-wise.
We have a great head mechanic, Carene, but we call her Bean. We first met her when she was selling a bike; the way she picked up the bike and spun the wheels, I knew she had been in the bike business. And I asked, “what bike shop did you work at?” And I talked her into just helping us one day a week. And now she's full time. Actually, every day she drives about 50 minutes back and forth from Cincinnati to Miamisburg to work at Whitman's.
We recently did a historical tour ride for Miamisburg, so that was kind of a trial run. We got together with the Miamisburg Historical Society to do a 10 mile bike ride with stops to talk about different points of interest across town. While it might not be something somebody would do over and over again, it’s great for people visiting from town or if they just want to know a little history about the area.
I've always joked that, at times, we could have at times used a soundproof room, for when we were open for business and we weren’t agreeing, especially when we were all at one time, at one location before we branched out.
Obviously with siblings, you're not always going to see eye to eye. For the most part, it made us the close family we are today because we did all work together.
From a very early age, we learned to work together. As we grew, it just fell into place. We all had our own responsibilities. I ended up being the buyer. My sister was the overall bookkeeper of the store. My brother was the optimist. My other brother was a great salesperson.
There were certainly some challenges, and we might've had our little fights and feuds, but at the end of the day, we all had a cookout together and it was over with.
I've always joked that, at times, we could have at times used a soundproof room, for when we were open for business and we weren’t agreeing, especially when we were all at one time, at one location before we branched out.
Obviously with siblings, you're not always going to see eye to eye. For the most part, it made us the close family we are today because we did all work together.
From a very early age, we learned to work together. As we grew, it just fell into place. We all had our own responsibilities. I ended up being the buyer. My sister was the overall bookkeeper of the store. My brother was the optimist. My other brother was a great salesperson.
There were certainly some challenges, and we might've had our little fights and feuds, but at the end of the day, we all had a cookout together and it was over with.
The first time round, Whitman’s was in business for almost 30 years. So I knew that we had made a presence on the whole Miamisburg area where we live. I can tell you that I'm honored every single day. Almost daily, somebody says either their parents bought bikes from us or they bought bikes from us in the past. I had a customer say that Whitman's is synonymous with bikes for the Dayton area. You know, some people think we've still been in business all this time!
A lot of our business comes to us by word of mouth just because they know these guys will treat you right. Matter of fact, one of our customers is going on a cruise with myself, Wendy, my brother and other friends! I've had other people ask us to go on vacation with them actually. And we're not wild and crazy or anything. I think of us as just nerdy old ladies!
My dad always said, if you just treat people right, then by word of mouth, you're just going to continue to grow the business. And so that's the way we handle the business from when it was my siblings and I to Wendy and I today. We just try to be really nice to people.
Great Miami River Trail - It’s a great paved path that winds along the river. Go out and back either direction as far as you want to.
Support Whitman's Bike Shop! Check out their website and Facebook page.
The first time round, Whitman’s was in business for almost 30 years. So I knew that we had made a presence on the whole Miamisburg area where we live. I can tell you that I'm honored every single day. Almost daily, somebody says either their parents bought bikes from us or they bought bikes from us in the past. I had a customer say that Whitman's is synonymous with bikes for the Dayton area. You know, some people think we've still been in business all this time!
A lot of our business comes to us by word of mouth just because they know these guys will treat you right. Matter of fact, one of our customers is going on a cruise with myself, Wendy, my brother and other friends! I've had other people ask us to go on vacation with them actually. And we're not wild and crazy or anything. I think of us as just nerdy old ladies!
My dad always said, if you just treat people right, then by word of mouth, you're just going to continue to grow the business. And so that's the way we handle the business from when it was my siblings and I to Wendy and I today. We just try to be really nice to people.
Great Miami River Trail - It’s a great paved path that winds along the river. Go out and back either direction as far as you want to.
Support Whitman's Bike Shop! Check out their website and Facebook page.
Tim Eliassen
November 27, 2024
Great piece.
If more women owned bike shops we wouldn’t have the problem of customers, not just women, being terrified to go into a bike shop for fear of having to deal with the arrogant gearhead behind the counter.
And a shout-out to Red Clover Bikes in Fairlee, VT, started and run by Sarah Pushee. She has loyal customers from miles around, and she carries BIVO bottles. How enlightened is that?
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Melanie Fry
November 29, 2024
What a wonderful article! Love these ladies and what they are doing for the bicycle industry.