188 – Owning & Running A Bike Shop Over Covid Times with Bikeology
Today’s Guest:
Nigel Glynn: Founder and Owner of Bikeology
On episode #188 it was awesome to have a chat with Nigel Glynn about everything mountain bike related. We dive into supply issues of getting bikes, components and accessories that are affecting the complete bike industry. We chat about why he decided to start Bikeology and the growth he has seen in the industry over the years, plus why Ireland is such an awesome place to ride bikes and why we have such great talent for such a small island.
Nigel is a top dude, he is totally in love with mountain biking and is still well ingrained in his local biking community. At this time of year Nigel is normally getting ready to race across the three disciplines he enjoys, XC, Enduro & DH, but things have played out a little differently this time around. If you have been looking at buying a new bike or upgrading components this year you will understand why Nigel’s racing passions have been put on hold and you will not find it hard to guess the reason why. Yep, you got it COVID.
Of course the Covid pandemic has changed everything in the bike industry, from bike repairs to bike purchases to even race events. Nigel is in a great position being the owner of a popular bike store based out of Co KIldare in Ireland, to tell us a little more. We chat about how the shortage of bikes and components etc has affected his business, how he loves being busy but hates the fact that he has to turn customers away because there simply is very little bike supply and how he is seeing a younger customer getting into the sport.
Join us as we chat about bike supply, what the industry may look like after Covid and why Ireland has it all (and getting more) for this thing we love called mountain biking.
Thanks for tuning in!
Find Out:
- Why Nigel decided to open a bike store
- How he founded his new venture
- How he has seen the industry change over the years
- Why Nigel has no bike at the moment
- Why he has no time to race this season (even if he had a bike)
- The reasons behind supply problems
- Why bike prices will most likely see a price rise very soon
- Why we can’t get bikes
- How popular mountain biking has become around the Dublin area
- Now Nigel sees the scene after Covid
- What Nigel thinks about bike supply going into the future
- His thoughts on the 2022 models and when we will see them
- Why Nigel is still in love with mountain biking
- Why he believes the Irish bike scene is super healthy at this time
- Where to find NIgel and learn more about Bikeology
Nigel opened Bikeology almost 10 years ago and the store has been going from strength to strength over that time, but things have changed dramatically over the last year or so due to the Covid pandemic. Bikeology has seen a nice rise in sales and has never been busier, but for Nigel it is not all about the sales or getting money in the till, for him there is more to running a successful local business.
Nigel from the first day of opening Bikeology has been focused on the long term running of the business, concentrating on customer service, attention to detail and educating the public about a sport a lot of them are new to. This has been made more difficult with the supply and demand issues seen across the board regarding new bikes, parts, maintenance and the general service that can be provided to his customer base, as you can now be waiting upto 8 months for a new bike order, but unfortunately this id the world we are living in at the moment.
However, Nigel is positive about the future of the industry and is very excited with the number of new people he sees getting interested in the sport and keen to hit the trails. He also believes (as I do) that we will not see a massive falloff of people exiting the sport when Covid is over, so if you are thinking there may be a glut of second hand bikes hitting the market you may be disappointed.
Nigel sees this as a great opportunity for the Irish mountain bike scene and is super stoked with the interest from local councils and private owners alike in building new trail networks and making the experience more accessible to more people. And this is what we need, new people and young people finding mountain biking, bringing youth into the scene and keeping it alive for the unseeable future. All sports need this to survive and not simply die away as a fad or a phase. I think things are looking healthy for the future.
So join us as we chat about the health of the Irish scene, why ebikes are playing a larger part in the bike industry, what the future looks for new bike sales and what the future holds for Bikeology, plus tonnes more!
Thanks for supporting the show and for being here!
To Connect with Nigel & Bikeology:
Website: www.bikeology.ie
Instagram: bikeologynaas
Facebook: bikeologyireland
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Thanks so much to Nigel for coming on the podcast, having a great chat and sharing his story!
And thank you once again for tuning in!
Join me next week for another MTB TRIBE Podcast show!