Meet Andy Johnson, Owner of the Bike Shop

The last time that I remember being in the was in the mid 1990s to have a flat fixed for my son's bike. When I read recently that the bike shop was moving to South Windsor, I wanted to visit with Andy Johnson before he left Manchester, and he agreed to an interview.

Timothy Becker: Andy, how did you become the owner of the Bike Shop?

Andy Johnson: I was the Treasurer of Connecticut Natural Gas in Hartford. All the officers including myself were laid off when CNG was purchased in 2000. I was not ready to quit working at age 53. I looked at a number of businesses before I made a deal to buy the Bike Shop in 2001.

Timothy Becker: What interested you in a bicycle business?

Andy Johnson: I liked bikes when I was a kid. I tell my customers that if you liked bikes as a kid, you will like them now.

Timothy Becker: Did you have any prior experience with a retail business?

Andy Johnson: No, this is my first retail experience. I grew up in a family manufacturing business. I was a Navy pilot during the Vietnam era.

Timothy Becker: Over the 10 years that you have run the Bike shop, what buying trends have you seen.

Andy Johnson: Mountain bikes are losing popularity and street bikes are gaining popularity. At there used to be large crowds of mountain bikers. Now there are more walkers. The baby boom generation is now less willing to get beat up in the woods and the younger generation does not have the money to spend on bikes due to the economy.

Timothy Becker: What is the most difficult part of owning the Bike Shop?

Andy Johnson: To run a small business you need to juggle things all the time. It makes life interesting, but I need to be a computer savvy dealmaker, a mechanic and clean the rest room.

Timothy Becker: What type of repair and maintenance services do you offer at the Bike Shop?

Andy Johnson: We offer a full range of maintenance and repairs for most bikes. We also now are taking trade-ins and offer used bikes. You are much better off buying a quality used bike than a new department store bike. We don't repair low-end bikes. It is just not cost effective for the customer.

Timothy Becker: What happens at the Bike Shop during January and February?

Andy Johnson: There is not a lot of business. We build bikes and prepare for the season. We are open for parts and birthday sales and for people who want to look at the latest models.

Timothy Becker: Do you have a typical customer at the Bike Shop?

Andy Johnson: We have historically been a family store. There are fewer purchases of kids bikes. The people that are buying are over 30 or retirees. Our typical customer is someone that already owns at least one bike. The Appalachian Mountain Club offers bike rides all over the state almost every day.

Timothy Becker: Leaving downtown Manchester must have been a difficult decision for you. Was there one thing that prompted your decision?

Andy Johnson: There wasn't one thing that helped me make the decision to move the shop. My lease was up in October. I called a realtor to look at potential new locations. The location in South Windsor seemed like a good fit. About 20,000 people shop at that plaza every week.

Timothy Becker: What are you looking forward to at your new location in South Windsor?

Andy Johnson: We hope that our customers will follow us and that we will meet new customers. South Windsor is becoming a bike friendly community, and we plan to be active in supporting that effort.

Timothy Becker: Are you planning a year end sale?

Andy Johnson: Our sale is going on right now. We have special pricing on Giants and Raleigh's and some of the high end specialized models. We will be open here on Main Street through Dec. 31.