Located in Greenside JHB Mikes Bikes is a store that specialises in MTB bikes and services. Their shop stands out in many ways, from the high end bikes and components they stock, to the unusual layout, and also the great attention to detail they put into all their work. I was really impressed with the service I received when I bought my bike from them so I thought Id shoot them a few questions about their shop…

The Mikes bike staff: From left to right – Gail, Mike, Brad, and Jason

How long has Mikes Bikes been around? And have you always been situated in these premises in Grenside?

We have been open since the 10 November 2006. We were initially next door in a super small shop. We moved in June 2007 into our current, much bigger shop. Space is always an issue and it seems like we need more all the time!

Your store is based in an old house that you guys converted into a retail space. The whole feel is so different from any other bike store and really makes for a great atmosphere. Was this your idea from the outset? or did it all just work out that way?

In fact it was never really our intention to open a “normal” retail type of shop but we wanted to rather open a Bicycle Service centre only. But it just turned out to be easier to open a retail/service shop in the end. We looked for a location for a long time and we were fortunate to find an awesome spot in the hub of Greenside. We initially wanted to open in our current shop but at that point it was being used as a commune and we had to take the smaller shop next door. This was actually a blessing in disguise as it helped us “find our feet” in a shop of our own, which may have been more stressful if we had been in a bigger premises from the get go. We wanted to create a shop that had a different feel than the other bike shops around. There is nothing worse than walking into a bike shop and being bombarded with the smell of tyres/tubes! We wanted to create a shop that felt personal and specialized in the maintenance of the more top-end bicycles. Being an old house has definitely added to the more “boutique” feel of the shop which has added to our original vision.

When was the last time you saw wooden floors and leather couches in a bike store?

Although Ive seen the odd road bike in your workshop you pretty much only have MTB bikes on the floor. What made you decide to only work with MTB’s and not sell road bikes as well?

To be honest, when we did our first big bicycle order we ordered 3 road bikes, we only just sold the last one! We knew we wanted to specialize in the MTB side of bicycles but weren’t sure how the public would respond to this. That’s why we ordered 3 road bikes, but it turned out that the real MTB’ers liked the idea of a MTB specific shop just as much as we did. Lots of our customers have both a road bike as well as their MTB, so we service both of their bikes. Also Mike and Jason have a great reputation with regards to their mechanic skills so many of their previous road customers followed them to MIKES BIKES!

Another thing ive noticed is that the vast majority of the products and bikes you sell are high end items. At any given time your store is full of Santacruz and ibis bikes, and your parts cabinet looks like a booth at interbike! hahahaha. Most stores these days are full of entry level bikes and just a few high end items, however yours is the complete opposite. Was this also something you set out to achieve right from the start?

Yes. We knew we would have to have the “bread-and-butter” items to sell to the person wanting to start cycling and we also did not want to come across as a shop that’s “too good” for the beginner. When we were trying to decide what brands to stock there were 3 key factors Mike and I decided on – they were: 1- ride quality. 2- value for money & 3- after sale service. But at the same time its an amazing feeling to build-up a unique, high-end bike. It’s an art. You can’t just throw together the most expensive components and expect it to look/ride perfectly. You have to sit with the customer and really learn about him/her and what type of rider they are. Only then can you go about building the best bike for them and their specific needs.

Your workshop is also very different to other stores. It literally sits in the middle of the shop and is opened up so that customers can see you working on their bikes. Most stores hide the workshop at the back but yours is more of a centre piece. Where did this idea come from?

Well since we wanted to work on high-end bikes, we knew that the workshop would be a key area to our business. Also when a customer has spent a lot of money on a bike, they like knowing that its not thrown in the back and forgotten about. Its also very important that each bike here for servicing has its own rack to stand on/ hang on. The last thing you want as a customer is to see your bike stacked against other bikes- no matter how expensive it is. It is important that customers see how we treat all bikes that are here for servicing and having the workshop as a centre piece inspires confidence in the customers.

Santa Cruz, Ibis, Hope, and Chris King are just a few of the brands you will find at Mikes bikes.

When I bought my bike from you guys I paid for it and expected to wheel it out the door. Next thing I knew it had been wheeled into the workshop and Mike and Jason started completely stripping it down. They literally rebuilt the entire thing, refacing the head tube, BB, and linkages, rebuilt the brakes, dialled in all the mechs, and even put sealant in the tubes. I was completely blown away. This level of attention to detail is something that you rarely see these days. What motivates you guys to go to these lengths even though most customers probably dont even expect it?

You can’t leave anything to chance. Mike always says that “assumption is the mother of a F%#@ up’s” so we don’t assume that the bike has been put together correctly at the factory. We like to make sure that the bike is PERFECT when it walks out the door, there is nothing worse than someone coming back, unhappy. It is one of the most fulfilling parts of our job- to have a happy customer!

Everyone who works at the shop also has really dialled bikes. Does everyone who works at the shop ride?

Yes we all ride. Jason comes from a road background and raced seriously for many years. Mike started out in BMX- (I recently found a whole box of trophies!)- then road, and now ALL-Mountain/Free ride. I only started riding when I met Mike and I thoroughly enjoy it. I just wish Mike and I got to ride more. As for Brad… he is currently building up a super DH bike which is gonna be awesome!

You used to have a little pump track out back behind the store. What happened to that?

Honestly, im not really sure. I think we all kind of lost interest/motivation, it also needed a lot of maintenance, which we just didn’t have the time for.

I heard you guys have some plans for a new setup behind there. When are you looking at getting that up and running?

WE want to but we need some serious cash to get it up and running.

View from the showroom looking into the workshop.

You guys are also located pretty close to Emerentia as well as “the spruit” which has some pretty fun trails and routes to ride. Do you think being located close to this area has benefited you guys compared to other stores that are located in the city?

Absolutely!!! Vide e Caffe also draws in the cyclists (hahaha) without fail we have riders coming in with a small problem that they “just quickly” need fixed.

The shop also organises group rides. Tell us a little more about those and when they take place.

We are affiliated to 2 clubs. Swampdogs and Trailriding.co.za, they each organize rides which are usually sent out via sms/email. Occasionally they are from the shop.

What do you think of the current state of MTB in the Johannesburg area? I dont keep up to date with most of the events but it seems like the scene is pretty lively and doing well up here.

The MTB scene continues to grow at an alarming rate. Many roadies are moving to the Mountain bike scene which is also increasing the numbers. I only wish we had more places to ride. The Spruit is like a highway on the weekends. We are attending meetings though to keep the Spruit open, safe and clean to ALL persons who would like to use this greenbelt.

Heading into 2009 do you guys have any new plans for the shop?

RIDE MORE!!! We will continue with what we currently doing and we’re also looking at hiring a new mechanic so our bookings won’t be so far in advance… this means we will need more space… as I said we always need more space!!

Mikes Bikes can be contacted at the following:

41a Gleneagles Road
Greenside
Johannesburg

Tel: 011-888-8868

Shop hours:
Monday to Friday Nine Thirty to Sixish
Saturday 08h30 – 13h00 Sharp

Directions GPS -26.146072, 28.012009

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 9:31 am and is filed under Features, Interviews, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.