A version of this article was published in the April issue of BRAIN.

Milwaukee (BRAIN)-Here is a list of the best bike shops and the "top 100" bike shops in the United States. However, BRAIN is a business magazine that pays for what you pay for. We set out to determine the largest in the United States: The Big BRAIN Ten.

There are no subjective reviews, no ranking or voting or store selection fees. And, sorry, retailers will not put stickers on their windows. It's not that there are problems with these methods. This is just a different type of project.

How did we do it?

First, we defined what we were looking for: the 10 largest retailers that sell IBD quality bicycles primarily through physical stores.

BRAIN’s mission is to become a news source for the entire industry, including mass merchants, e-commerce, sporting goods stores, non-profit organizations, and the smallest and best independent operating organizations. We all like them, and we have other BRAIN 10 features under development.

So yes: we know that some large e-commerce retailers are not in Big BRAIN's ten. All the retailers on our list do some e-commerce, but they are mainly physical businesses.

And, look: REI and Scheels are on this list. Although bicycles are only a small part of their business, they sell and repair IBD quality bicycles (Scheels used to be Trek's largest retailer).

But, sorry: Wal-Mart, Target and Dick's (and Amazon) are not on the list, although they may sell more bicycles than Big BRAIN 10. Walmart and Target generally do not sell IBD quality bicycles. Although the quality of bicycles sold by Dick's and some regional sporting goods chains is close to IBD, the industry has long regarded sporting goods retail as a unique channel with products and plans that are completely different from professional channels.

To propose Big BRAIN Ten, our employees brainstormed and listed 40 large retailers. We believe that the 10 largest will come from 40.

We then sent an online survey to approximately 40 suppliers, retailers and other industry players. The group includes representatives of all the largest bicycle brands, largest distributors, trade association leaders, consultants, and others. We asked them to select the 10 retailers with the largest revenue from the list of 40 retailers. (We also gave them the opportunity to add any names we missed).

We checked the consensus response and we have to say that no heavy mathematical calculations are needed: the 10 biggest ones clearly stand out. After we introduce Big BRAIN 10, we will also share the names of the two retailers that are tied for 11th place.

It is important to note that we did not try to rank the list. The following descriptions are arranged in alphabetical order.

Year of establishment: 1957 Number of locations: 15, located in Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Brands operating: Specialized, Cannondale, Orbea, Pinarello, Santa Cruz, BMC Owners: David Conte and Wayne Souza

Charles Conte Sr. opened the first Conte bike shop in Newport News, Virginia. His son David Conte grew up in business and learned the trade on his father's right hand. Later, David took charge of the family business and in 2014 joined forces with his lifelong friend Wayne Souza (Wayne Souza) to form the Kande Bicycle Group and carry forward the family tradition.

David continues to be inspired by him as the chief operating officer of the chain every day. "First of all, it is'Happy Retail'," Conte said. "There are not many retail sectors in our economy that can change people's lives every day."

From a broader perspective, Conte sees an opportunity to become part of the U.S. transportation structure, especially with the rise of electric bicycles. "The current inventory headwind will weaken over time, but since the early 1970s, the public's rediscovery of bicycles will continue to maintain the greatest interest in bicycles. This is a good time for our industry," Conte concluded.

Year of establishment: 1989 Number of locations: 21, all operating brands in Florida: Trek, Electra, Salsa, Catrike Owner: David Sanborn

David's World has grown from the original Orlando store to 21 stores. Sometimes owner David Sanborn bought a "tired or failed" store; sometimes, when he saw a market that he thought could support the store, he would start from scratch.

Until last year, when Sanborn opened stores in Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville, his stores were all along the I-4 corridor. Locations range from 1,000 to 8,000 square feet. Sanborn said: "We can enter the bedroom community and open small shops six or seven miles away."

Sanborn still treats every store as a start-up company, allowing him to quickly transform. Sanborn pointed out: "This year, we saw a rebound in sales in March, ran a series of scenarios, and began to postpone ordering bicycles in April." "Now we postpone the product (order) to 2023."

It was his passion for cycling and involving others that allowed Sanborn to move on. "The smiles on the faces of people who come back from the test drive will never get old!" he said.

Year of establishment: 1980 Number of locations: 30, located in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, Kansas, and Missouri Operating brands: Specialized, Diamondback, Santa Cruz, Haro, Cervelo Owner: Erik Saltvold

"When I was 13 years old, I received my first bicycle, and it sparked my interest in bicycles," Saltvold said. "My first'bicycle shop' was in my parents' barn, with a simple homemade sign in front of the door to bring business to the door. By the age of 18, I successfully opened my first retail store!"

Today, Erik's has more than 400 employees. Saltvold points out: "I attribute our success and growth to being able to take calculable risks and being willing to constantly test real effective methods-this becomes more and more important during the COVID pandemic." "Most importantly, We invest in the training and support of our employees, and they are what drives our success."

"I like the enthusiasm and energy people bring to this industry," Saltvold concluded. "I have never worked a day in my life, and I am proud to say that many of Erik's employees might say the same thing. We love our work!"

Year of establishment: 1922 Number of locations: 7, all operating brands in Massachusetts: Trek, Specialized and other brand owners: transition to 100% employee ownership

Landry's is one of the longest-running bicycle shops in the United States. The company was founded by the Landry family and has been owned by the Henry family since the mid-1970s; it is now transitioning to 100% employee ownership.

In the past few years, Landry's leadership has gradually transitioned from Peter and Tom Henry. The next generation has assumed responsibility for the company's current and future operations. As co-owners, Landry employees have a vested interest in collaborative teamwork and excellent customer service. The staff ranges from 80 people all year round to 200 people during peak seasons. MacGray is the general manager and leads the company's leadership team.

"We certainly hope that the bicycle boom will continue, and we know it will break at some point," Gray said. "If we are doing a good job of building trust with new customers now, the surge will continue for decades. Helping people discover and enjoy cycling is our core mission," Gray concluded. "We have a long history in this area, and we have been learning."

Year of establishment: 1998 Number of locations: 12, all located in Northern California Operating brands: Specialized, Santa Cruz, Public, BMC, Salsa Owners: Ken Martin and Matt Adams

Mike's Bikes has 260 employees in its retail locations, distribution centers, and online fulfillment facilities, making it the youngest company among the top ten brains. Ken Martin is the store manager of the original Sausalito store. He established the business through a combination of acquisitions and opening of new stores.

"In the 30 years I have been selling bicycles, I have never seen a market like ours now," Martin said. "All the work we did to create great systems and procedures and build sustainable infrastructure really paid off during the cycling boom."

"It's so fun to see thousands of newcomers riding bicycles. My only hope is that we have just started this wave," Martin continued. "If we can normalize supply, keep our employees happy and motivated, and get all these new riders to participate and enjoy the sport, then the future is very bright."

Year of establishment: 1938 Number of locations: 168, operating brands in 39 states and DC: Cannondale, Electra, Tern, Co-op Cycles, Salsa, Ghost, Pure Cycles Owner: 19 million cooperative members

In its stores, REI owns dozens of top bicycle brands, including its own Co-op Cycles brand, which is designed by its in-house bicycle team based on the insights of REI members. The cooperative continues to add high-performance bicycle and electric bicycle brands to its product portfolio to meet customer expectations. Each REI location has a full-service bicycle shop.

“More people fell in love with cycling last year than ever before. At REI, we are committed to providing them with the best bicycle equipment, clothing, service and friendly expertise. We are always looking for ways to make our customers easier Go out for a ride," said Nate Nielsen, general manager of REI's bicycle department. "We have invested heavily in product variety and customer experience to ensure that it is easier than ever for you to get everything you need to enjoy the ride."

Incidentally, R​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Then example Over" online bicycle sales be a lot of bicycle sales.

Year of establishment: 1962 Number of locations: four, all operating brands in Texas: Trek, Specialized, Giant, Electra, Cervelo Owner: Ken "Woody" Smith

Richardson Bike Mart has always been an organization for cyclists from all walks of life in North Texas. Its 27,000-square-foot "Mothership" store in Richardson is one of the largest in the world. Owner Ken "Woody" Smith started participating in BMX competitions in 1979 and joined the industry in 1983.

Smith continues to be inspired and inspired by the industry. "The bicycle saved my life in many ways," Smith said. "I like the way bicycles change people's lives. Seeing this situation motivates me every day."

In terms of the challenges facing his success, Smith cited competition from his suppliers and shrinking profit margins. The secret of his success includes "God's grace, let active, diligent and grateful employees surround him, and have a heart of service."

Smith described the business environment of his store as "It's great now and very good before COVID." He plans to open a few more stores in the next 18 months and bring his online sales into the 21st century.

Year of establishment: 1902 Number of locations: 28, located in 13 states in the central United States Brand: Trek and some children and BMX brand owner: 100% employee owned

A small hardware and grocery store founded by the Scheel family, the company opened its first all-sports store in 1986. Although these stores have more than 80 product categories, "bicycles are always the focus," Branden Scheel said.

Scheel, the director of the 250,000-square-foot bike shop in Johnstown, Colorado, points to the passionate promise of employees and customers. "We sponsor racing teams in many markets, and we also organize Strider events for children. Our employees go to work, and we will meet and encourage people on the trails."

Scheels and Trek have established a strong partnership and commitment. "Partnering with Trek has allowed us to launch excellent bicycles with a highly personalized service," Scheel said. "At the same time, we attach great importance to creating a comfortable experience through our enthusiastic, open shopping environment and stress-free sales staff."

Year of establishment: 1976 Number of business locations: at least 100 Operating brands: Trek, Electra Owner: Burke family

Trek declined to accept interviews about this feature. In recent years, industry sources have told BRAIN that Trek has 125, 150 or even more stores in the United States. Not all stores with the word "Trek" in their names are owned by Trek, so in order to estimate the number of locations, we looked at acquisition news articles we reported or found in local media. We also looked at retail workplaces advertised by Trek Bicycle. We counted 98 locations and we may have missed some (although we suspect that we missed 50). We do know that Trek has added approximately 25 stores in the past 12 months alone. In 2021, it added Mike Olson's 13 Trek Superstore and Bike Gallery stores in three states-if it had not been acquired, Olson's team would definitely enter the Big BRAIN 10 list. (Editor's note: Since we finished this article, Trek has added at least two more stores).

When Trek acquires a store, it usually provides jobs for all employees, and the most recent minimum wage is $15 per hour. Many sales and service employees and store managers say they like to work for the company, which provides many benefits that independent retailers cannot provide. After the acquisition, Trek usually abolishes local senior and middle managers, as well as warehouse and administrative positions. Employees in these positions will leave soon, even if they are offered a lower-level position. The Trek acquisition can significantly change the retail market because these stores will stop selling other brands, and these brands will have to rebuild their dealer base there. At the same time, independent Trek distributors in the same market are often cautious about competing with one of the suppliers.

Year of establishment: 1973 Number of locations: 10 locations in Wisconsin and Illinois Operating brands: Trek, Electra, Felt, Salsa, Giant, TerraTrike, Riese+Muller, Tern, Yuba Owners: Amelia and Noel Kegel

"Wheel & Sprocket is our family business. It exists in our DNA and is closely related to our identity in this world," said Noel Kegel. "Our father Chris Kegel asked us to make a 20-year persuasion plan. In the end he won. The bike shop is so interesting."

Kegel brothers and sisters and their employees follow two basic principles: 1) Be a good person: balance passion and discipline; pursue self-improvement; show kindness. 2) Run a good business: understand how money works; win-win or no-deal; invest in relationships.

"Our 50-year legacy can only be properly respected by growing and succeeding in new ways," Noel concluded. "We sincerely believe that when Wheel & Sprocket is part of it, the community will be better. Although we are a large bicycle shop, we have the soul of a small business. We work together like family, we work hard, we With courage, we strive to win the trust of our customers."

As mentioned earlier, Big BRAIN 10 stands out in our consensus survey, but two other retail businesses are close behind: Jax Bicycle Center, which has 10 stores in California, and Sun & Ski Sports in Texas. 30 stores, in addition to 11 stores status. If Trek (or others) buy more stores from the Big BRAIN 10 list, Jax's and Sun & Ski will soon take their place. stay tuned.

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