Issue 10 of peloton magazine is on newstands now, and in it you will find an article about the bicycle studio movement, a new wave of smaller, more fit and service focussed shops.  Bicycle studios tend to have less clutter, less commodity and things you can get just anywhere. Instead they feature custom brands and high end accessories for riders who live their whole lives by bike.  Think of the classic “pro” shop, then pare it down to an elegant austerity, and you have the modern bicycle studio.

The forebear of this new breed of shops was City Cycle of San Francisco under the stewardship of bike industry legend Clay Mankin.  Mankin proved that you could build great bikes and make good money out of a very small space, if only you sold the right products. That shop, which continues on after Mankin’s early passing, began selling Seven when we were just a start up in 1997.  Mankin’s loyalty to the brands he carried was off the charts. Though no longer, strictly speaking, a studio, City Cycle’s new owner Cory Farrer has kept Seven on the floor, even as other bike brands have come and gone.

In fact, here at Seven we were deeply gratified to see that, of the ten studios mentioned, seven of them are Seven dealers (ooooh, symmetry). In addition to City Cycle, those include Cascade Bicycle Studio in Seattle, owned by former Seveneer Zac Daab; Velosmith Bicycle Studio just outside Chicago, owned by another Seven alum, Tony Bustamante; Paul Levine’s Signature Cyles of Manhattan, Greenwich, CT and Central Valley, NY; Bespoke Cycles of San Francisco, Bike Effect in Los Angeles and the Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA.

In our experience, the studios are our most demanding customers.  They’re the ones pushing us toward perfection. When you take the kind of time with each customer that they take, every detail has to be correct.  Cascade Bicycle Studio and Velosmith in particular, because they’re run by former Seven employees, can be counted on for unfiltered, candid feedback on every bike we build for them.

Obviously, we are deeply committed to all the shops that sell our bikes.  The studio concept, which has only proven viable in large urban markets up to this point, simply represents a new approach to bicycle retailing, the cutting edge of high end bike sales.  To be represented by so many of these forward-thinking shops is a great validation of the work we do and an inspiration for us to keep pushing forward.

The first weekend in December found us at Get-a-Grip’s Fulton Street Fit Studio for an evening of bike chat and wine tasting.  Seven founder Rob Vandermark spoke about our customization process and fielded questions on topics ranging from steel forks – we’re working on it – to full-suspension mountain bikes – we’re working on that too.  Customers brought their Sevens, and we talked about all the decisions that go into a custom bike.

While we were there we met Erick Geer Wilcox, who makes custom bike shoes, and Mike Cacciabando, who rides the most Chicago-y bike in Chicago.  We drank wine.  We ate cheese.  It was a party.

We were thrilled, but not surprised, to see three of our retailers named to the “Top Ten Best Bike Shops in America,” by Complex website.

Cascade Bicycle Studio

Cascade Bicycle Studio in Seattle was lauded for its ability to custom build a bicycle for any customer.  CBS aims to create a rider-centric atmosphere, as evidenced by their dedication to working with each cyclist on a one-on-one, appointment-only basis.  This level of customer service creates a shop that the Seattle cycling community has come to trust as one of the most reliable and highest quality bike studios in the city.

Boulder Cycle Sport in Boulder, Colorado had a podium finish!  Complex.com gave BCS high marks for its “dedication to finding the perfect ‘body-to-bike’ connection” and excellent repair service that the shop offers.  Their efforts are paying off, as they have sold more Seven’s this year than ever before.

How did Bespoke Cycles in San Francisco  improve the customer experience when they already had forty-eight years of combined fitting experience, customer first mentality, and an incredible selection of custom bikes, apparel, and gear?  By moving into a beautiful new studio on Clay Street!  We had a chance to check out the new digs a few weeks back and thoroughly impressed with the lay out and charm.  We suspect Bespoke will be part of the top ten for many years to come.

Each of these Seven retailers shares a common trait: focus on the customer experience.  A trait that, when embraced, has some profound effects.  Making a top ten list is great press, but the real benefit is more happy customers, more evangelism, and of course, more sales.  We’re privileged to work with retailers that set the bar so high.

East Coast-West Coast Harmony: Seven and City Cycle at Biketoberfest

We spent last weekend at Biketoberfest in Marin, California with our City Cycle San Anselmo friends Cory, Tim, and Mitch.

Lots of Sevens at Biketoberfest

There was beer.  There was food.  There were bikes.  It’s good to be in the bike business on a day like that.  Big thanks to Cory and his guys for hosting us and showing us why Marin is such a legendary destination for cyclists of every stripe.