Mesa Cycles is a One Stop Shop for All Your Cycling Needs

This week, we head to Richmond Heights as part of our weekly series on profiling haunts in the Central Corridor. 

Mesa Cycles is a one-stop shop for all of your cycling needs. As a former avid runner (I hope to return now that the kids are in school), the concept of a whole store devoted to bikes and cycling apparel is a foreign one to me. I was amazed to see that Mesa Cycles offers a wide variety of services including new sales, special orders, apparel and accessory sales, as well as maintenance and repair services.  In addition, the owners at Mesa Cycles offer customer service beyond what I have experienced before. 

Russ and Adrienne Murphy, owners of Mesa Cycles put their passion for cycles into business in 1991.

Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch: How did starting Mesa Cycles come about?

Russ Murphy: My wife and I started Mesa Cycles in 1991. We started from scratch and borrowed money from family and were able to open our store. Our love of cycling is what prompted it. It was not a vocation but avocation. 

Patch:  How would you describe your business to potential customers?

Murphy: Well, I would say we offer a pretty broad range of cycling-related services. We offer repair, maintenance, new bike sales, apparel and accessory sales, and product/sport knowledge. We love helping cycling enthusiasts make choices about our products (and their uses) as well as offer general practical experience advice to help someone taking up cycling as a new sport. We are able to shorten the learning curve for someone just taking up cycling and provide insight and advice, so they are up to speed on what may have taken them 10 years to figure out. We have sponsored national competitive junior cycling teams and continue to help kids and young adults. 

Patch: What do you offer that is different or unique?

Murphy: We can get people to where they need to be quicker with our experience. St. Louis is blessed with exceptional bicycle retailers.  People that move to St. Louis from other cities and come into our store comment on the caliber of the stores here. We strive to minimize the personality conflicts. You see enough people in the door, you do not want to rub them the wrong way. I would like to think we will spend more time with people on a one-on-one basis to figure out their individual needs and make the right fit. We are made up of staff that have been here long-term and share the same goals. Taking care of people is our goal. We also have repair technicians that have over 50 years of combined experience in the industry.

Patch: What do you like about running a small business?

Murphy: I would say autonomy, which is certainly a double-edged sword. You are also chained to it. It becomes part of you.

Patch: How has the economy affected your business and sales?

Murphy: Our two best years have been recently. People have made the choice to forgo a vacation to Europe and instead purchase bikes and stay local. I know of several people locally that have made this cost-cutting measure. That type of decision has helped our business. 

Patch: Who is your target market?

Murphy: I would say anywhere from leisurely to competitive cyclists.  Certainly, we see more road or mountain bike enthusiasts because they need more repairs, maintenance, and accessories. They also upgrade their bikes after time. One of our goals is to service the regular cyclists and not scare off the leisurely cyclists. 

Patch: What were you doing before you opened Mesa Cycles? 

Murphy: My wife and I raced bicycles. I worked in bike shops to support my racing habit.

WHAT:    Mesa Cycles

WHERE:  1035 South Big Bend Blvd.

                St. Louis, MO.  63117            

STORE HOURS:  Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
                          Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
                          Closed Sunday for product testing

MORE INFO:  314-645-4447

                      mesacycles.com