Glacier Cyclery and Nordic: Best Bicycle Shop Profiles

Glacier Cyclery and Nordic were founded in Whitefish, Montana, in 1982 by Ron and Jan Brunk. Over the last year or so, three longtime employees have been transitioning into the business owners. Vanessa Gailey, Mike Meador, and Tyler Tourville will be taking over the business’s reign as the transition is complete, and currently are running the operations with Ron still being in the shop three days a week. I spoke with Mike for our interview, and he expressed that they enjoy having Ron around to help during the transition. For those reading this as either long time employee(s) or owners of a business, frequently this an excellent way for an owner to retire and employee(s) who may not have had the ability to open their store but have the longtime experience in a business to make the transition possible.

Small Town, Big Time Cycling

Whitefish is a smallish town of about 6,000 people, which doesn’t feel like much of a population base. Still, there is enough surrounding population base, combined with the fact they sit at the crossroads of several essential funnels of cyclists to their business. First, they are on the Adventure Cycling’s Northern Tier cross country touring route. Mike was quick to proclaim that Adventure Cycling is a “wonderful organization’ and I concur. Many touring cyclists would not have nearly as productive of experience without their work. Second, the Tour Divide route passes within a block of their shop. New singletrack has been built with more in the works accessible right from town, combined with a lift-accessed trail system at the nearby Whitefish Mountain Resort, It gives fills out a full mountain bike town’s amenities list. Organizations like Whitefish Legacy Partners and the Flathead Area Mountain Bikers have been instrumental in the proliferation of trails. Finally, near the entrance to Glacier National Park and the famous Going To The Sun Road, which is a must ride according to Mike, is now firmly on my list of places to visit after our conversation (see you guys this summer!). All of these touring and mountain bike opportunities bring in a massive swell of a seasonal business and lays the groundwork for operating a 100 bike rental fleet as well. Last, they have the Nordic ski component to their business, which helps keep things interesting during the winter months and a junior rental program that serves around 100 grade-schoolers each year, which is a boost to creating future outdoor silent sport enthusiasts.

The Future Means Refinement

Plans for the future are simple: basically, they are working towards refining the model they have operating at this point. Business is good, and there is no need to try and change what is working, beyond continuously improving upon the current and keeping the focus on margins and excellent service. They have purchased and outfitted a mobile repair van, which they would like to utilize more fully, but as we will see below, staffing can be an issue, and it’s hard to send someone out the door when the store is already busy.

Challenges

When I asked about challenges, Mike was quick to focus on staffing challenges common with highly seasonal business and the widespread complaint of lack of enough qualified mechanics. Somehow everything gets done, but it is challenging to manage the needs of an explosive tourist season and locals’ needs. Being a week or two behind in the service department is not acceptable when the folks they are serving need help now. Between servicing their 100 bike rental fleet, assembling and reboxing tourists bikes who are visiting to do Backroads and Adventure Cycling tours, amongst others. Also, the fact hat Glacier National Park continues to set record attendance numbers each year, Glacier Cyclery’s issues seem like good problems to have, even though they are not easy to solve. Somehow it all gets done, however, and that’s what makes a good shop great.

Opportunities

If there was an overriding theme to our conversation about the Glaciers business, it was tourism. I was impressed with the varied categories of riders that Glacier Cyclery services. It was nice to hear that touring is alive and well and that the creation of trails and bicycle routes drive business. Glacier Cyclery sits in an excellent position because most of their challenges are not about trying to drive business, but also to find ways to get it all done! A quick search of their online ratings shows that their customers feel they are doing a great job, and that’s what matters. I also need to point out that anything a shop can do to be near or to help create more opportunities to ride will always be rewarded. Access to good riding equals more business.

And with that, we wish to congratulate Glacier Cyclery and Nordic on being named one of America’s Best Bike Shops for 2019!

Words by David DeKeyser

Now, more than ever, it is time to stay engaged in your business and look to others for support and guidance. The NBDA is here to help you with innovative solutions for today’s challenging environment. Please consider joining, renewing, or supporting the only bicycle industry organization with your best interests.

The NBDA has been here since 1946, representing and empowering specialty bicycle dealers in the United States through education, communications, research, advocacy, member discount programs, and promotional opportunities. As shops are facing never-before-seen circumstances, these resources offer a lifeline. Together, we will weather this. We at the NBDA will not waver in our commitment to serving our members even during this challenging time, but we need your support

Now is the time to become a member as we join together to make one another stronger. Whether you’re a retailer or an industry partner, your membership in the NBDA is one of the best investments you’ll make this year.

Learn more about the benefits of being a member and join now.