Glen Campbell has never been one to sit still and let opportunities pass him by – the story of Cycle Boys bears testimony to this.
He was one of the first qualified spinning instructors in the country, and one of very few (if any) to transform a spinning studio into a burgeoning retailer.
He still recalls taking on the venture some 12 years ago.
“Spinning was very new in the country, so I started the studio at home. Within a few months we had to move to a shopping centre to accommodate the growing numbers.”
Campbell says it then became a no-brainer to add a retail component to his business.
“It just made sense. Spinning started to fall away after a while and cycling, specifically road cycling, became more popular.”
He remembers opening up shop with a mere R8 000.
Today, road cycling is still his core business, bucking the trend set by so many bicycle shops that cater more and more to a growing mountain biking clientele. He estimates that as much as ninety per cent of Cycle Boys is geared towards roadies.
“With everyone else stocking mostly mountain bikes these days, there’s definitely a gap in the market,” says Campbell, who continues to focus his energy on carving out this unique niche.
“We mostly stock the French brand CKT (which they import), as well as some smaller ones like Avalanche and Titan. You won’t easily find these in the larger retail chains.”
His road-focused strategy also extends to providing top local pro outfit Team Bonitas with an after-market service for their CKT bikes.
“Although their team mechanics do the tech support, we take care of warrantee-related issues.”
His shop – which is situated in Kempton Park, Johannesburg – also offers the full complement of services and setups. Campbell, with his hands-on mentality, does many of the services himself.
He is now planning to roll out a virtual retail store to service this need in the marketplace.
“We’ll cater for everyone from total novices to professionals – everything in one place.
“It will allow us to offer our wares at a lower price than we can at a bricks-and-mortar shop.”
Along with the planned online shop expansion, Campbell has a tandem development team in the pipeline.
“Everyone is into developing road and mountain biking, but no one is putting riders on tandems.”
His love affair with the sport can be traced back to when he started cycling in his matric year and since then he has plied his trade with various pro teams.
Last year, he won the national title in the tandem category, but his triumph was followed by devastating news.
“I was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer.
“It changes your life in a big way – you want to spend time with your family and at the same time you need to think about the future of your business.”
Campbell is maintaining a positive frame of mind and, as always, is focused on turning opportunity into oppulence – virtually speaking.
To contact Cycle Boys, phone 011 391 8144 or e-mail cycleboys@absamail.co.za.
Issued by:
Full Stop Communications
Coetzee Gouws
082 575 7991
041 368 4992
coetzee@fullstopcom.com
www.fullstopcom.com
On behalf of:
Cyclingnews & ASG Events