AJ Kruesel (L) and Andy Brannon (R) in front of one of the vans.
This bike repair shop hits the road when your Cannondale can’t.
Denver bike mechanics AJ Kruesel, 29, and Andy Brannon, 42, opened mobile bike shop Beeline Bikes last week, giving the San Carlos, California-based company its first Colorado outpost. The duo runs its franchise out of two vans decked out with everything they need to bring a repair garage to the client.
“Any mechanic who’s worked in the industry for a long time has thought about running a mobile bike repair shop,” Kruesel said. “There isn’t a long wait time and you get much more one-on-one type of service you can offer them.”
Beeline also is operating in San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Angeles.
Kruesel and Brannon invested about $80,000 to outfit each van with tools and parts, Kruesel said. They financed the project through their personal savings and with capital from three investors, Kruesel said.
“It’s basically a full-service bike shop on wheels,” he said. “We have an air compressor, seats, chains, locks – pretty much everything.”
Riders buy services a la carte or in packages, according to the company’s website. A standard tuneup costs $80 and includes a brake adjustment, chain lube and inspection for further issues. Kruesel and Brannon also offer a “pro” tune for $130. That’s the standard tuneup plus a drivetrain clean.
Clients can make reservations at Beeline’s website (beelinebikes.com) or over the phone. Kruesel and Brannon are on call from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. seven days a week and accept same-day appointments, Kruesel said.
Appointments last between an hour and 90 minutes, Kruesel said.
The co-founders have decided to divide and conquer the metro area, Kruesel said. He’s handling the Boulder area while Brannon tours Denver, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Littleton and Lakewood.
The next step in their business plan is to service a more lucrative business market.
“We’re starting to reach out to corporate clients to include us as a perk to their employees,” Kruesel said. “We come out once a month or so to do service on their bikes. Plenty of people bike to work.”
Kruesel and Brannon, who are the franchise’s only two employees, met after they separately contacted Beeline to open a franchise. Kruesel said he heard about the company through bike industry blogs.
Kruesel, who’s from Wisconsin, began working with bikes at a neighborhood shop when he was 13, he said. He specializes in bike fitting and suspension work, according to the Beeline website.
Brannon, a Colorado native, worked for cycling-focused nonprofit Trips for Kids Denver/Boulder for the last 10 years.
Read More
Mobile shop franchiser Beeline Bikes gets $2.6M in funding from Backcountry.com
AJ Kruesel (L) and Andy Brannon (R) in front of one of the vans.
This bike repair shop hits the road when your Cannondale can’t.
Denver bike mechanics AJ Kruesel, 29, and Andy Brannon, 42, opened mobile bike shop Beeline Bikes last week, giving the San Carlos, California-based company its first Colorado outpost. The duo runs its franchise out of two vans decked out with everything they need to bring a repair garage to the client.
“Any mechanic who’s worked in the industry for a long time has thought about running a mobile bike repair shop,” Kruesel said. “There isn’t a long wait time and you get much more one-on-one type of service you can offer them.”
Beeline also is operating in San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Angeles.
Kruesel and Brannon invested about $80,000 to outfit each van with tools and parts, Kruesel said. They financed the project through their personal savings and with capital from three investors, Kruesel said.
“It’s basically a full-service bike shop on wheels,” he said. “We have an air compressor, seats, chains, locks – pretty much everything.”
Riders buy services a la carte or in packages, according to the company’s website. A standard tuneup costs $80 and includes a brake adjustment, chain lube and inspection for further issues. Kruesel and Brannon also offer a “pro” tune for $130. That’s the standard tuneup plus a drivetrain clean.
Clients can make reservations at Beeline’s website (beelinebikes.com) or over the phone. Kruesel and Brannon are on call from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. seven days a week and accept same-day appointments, Kruesel said.
Appointments last between an hour and 90 minutes, Kruesel said.
The co-founders have decided to divide and conquer the metro area, Kruesel said. He’s handling the Boulder area while Brannon tours Denver, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Littleton and Lakewood.
The next step in their business plan is to service a more lucrative business market.
“We’re starting to reach out to corporate clients to include us as a perk to their employees,” Kruesel said. “We come out once a month or so to do service on their bikes. Plenty of people bike to work.”
Kruesel and Brannon, who are the franchise’s only two employees, met after they separately contacted Beeline to open a franchise. Kruesel said he heard about the company through bike industry blogs.
Kruesel, who’s from Wisconsin, began working with bikes at a neighborhood shop when he was 13, he said. He specializes in bike fitting and suspension work, according to the Beeline website.
Brannon, a Colorado native, worked for cycling-focused nonprofit Trips for Kids Denver/Boulder for the last 10 years.
Read More
Mobile shop franchiser Beeline Bikes gets $2.6M in funding from Backcountry.com
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