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NEXT GENERATION
New Owners Revive Cutting Edge Sports
by Julie M. Kailus

Bikes are personal. It’s easy to see why: When people spend an outrageous amount of time in the saddle, as so many locals do, they demand a two-wheeler that fits right, rides smooth and looks good. And they want to buy it from knowledge salespeople who can fix it when something starts to squeak.

That’s just what the new owners at Cutting Edge Sports are promising loyal locals: two locations (Boulder and Lafayette) featuring quality bikes, polished retail environments, superior service and active owners who walk the shop floors. “We want customers who have patronized this business for the last 12 years to know that they still have status here,” co-owner David Wert says. “They don’t have to start over.”

Cutting Edge’s ownership transition was completed this winter in low-key Boulder fashion. The old owners needed a break after more than a decade in the business, and two youthful entrepreneurs from Indianapolis wanted into the Boulder market. The new owners’ enthusiasm for renovating and reviving the shops shines through their laid-back personalities. As passionate road cyclists and longtime bike-industry insiders, they’re stuck to the cycling community like mountain goats to a 70-degree pitch. It’s in their nature.

“You can’t differentiate yourself from the big-box retailers by outspending them on inventory or advertising, but you can be there, you can be active in the business and you can try to create a good environment for your employees and your customers,” says Wert. Co-owner Brian Bauer agrees: “I want our customers to know that they can always talk to the owners, that they can always deal directly with an owner, and that we will always make time for them, whether it’s to sell a bike or solve a customer-service problem.”

Cutting Edge’s strategy is to emphasize the benefits of an independent bike shop. “We really hope to customize our service in a way that you might not be able to do when you’re taking direction from corporate headquarters,” says Wert. “That’s one thing I like about this community—people pick up on that very quickly. It’s a very community-focused area, and we’re trying to create a shop that blends in with that.”

Cutting Edge regulars will notice some upgrades at both stores. Wert, who has an MBA and years of experience in bike-shop layout, merchandising and construction, has re-envisioned the store. He’s reconfigured floor design; hand-built product racks and displays; rerouted foot traffic in a more intuitive pattern; and created separate sections for women’s and men’s bike and clothing lines (Pearl Izumi, Nike and Descente). Other infrastructure improvements, such as brand-new communications technology and renovated bike-repair and ski-tuning areas, won’t be as visible, but should enhance the overall customer experience.

Service: The Backbone
Some of the same service gurus are still doing what they do best at both locations, but Cutting Edge has added four highly qualified technicians and other mature full-time employees to better cater to customers’ needs. “We want our customers to know our staff’s names and our staff to know our customers’ names,” says Bauer. He pledges that employees, whether veteran or newbie, are getting better tools and more training than ever—something that longtime patrons will appreciate. “We’ve hired two head mechanics for each store with over 20 years of experience between them working in shops,” says Wert. “Both of us feel that a strong service department is the backbone of a good bike shop.” Bike fits will also play an important role in the store’s new approach. The owners are establishing a bike-fit area that will tap into at least one technician’s degree in exercise physiology for more detailed custom-fit analysis. “We’re really focusing in on customer service so that everyone that comes in not only feels welcome but gets good, solid information,” says Wert.

While Cutting Edge relies on bicycle sales for profitability, the shop also services and rents bikes and skis. In keeping with the owners’ passion and industry trends, the store will carry more road bikes than in the past. “Road bike sales have grown all across the country in the past few years,” says Wert. “At one time in the early to mid-‘90s it was all mountain bikes. Now it’s about 50-50.” The Lafayette store is a Trek headquarters, with a full line of entry-level-to-high-end carbon fiber rides. “Trek’s higher-end bikes are made in the U.S. with handmade parts and tighter tolerances than a lot of the companies out there,” says Wert. “They’ve had No. 1 market share for the last several years, so they’ve been able to reinvest a lot of that money in the details of putting together a really quality bike frame.” Bauer says Trek’s lifetime warranty on every bike is also a key selling point.

Both stores also carry Cannondale, KHS, Klein and Lemond in a thoughtful mix of road and mountain bikes to accommodate each shop’s diverse clientele. In the upscale Lafayette store, a hard-core soccer mom can find a suitable triathlon-worthy bike for herself and a toddler’s first training wheels, all in the same place. The Baseline location serves lots of college students, keeping these active twenty-somethings geared up for Colorado’s paved steeps, rugged trails or simply the green commute to class.

Wert and Bauer admit the Boulder bike scene is a little more competitive—and more crowded—than the one in the Midwest. “Obviously I don’t want to see a bike shop on every corner, but everybody does something a little different,” says Bauer. “I think there’s enough business to go around.”

One thing is clear: These methodical, energetic proprietors are up for the challenge. Like their shop’s name, Bauer and Wert are on the cutting edge of the bike market, just trying to find their niche in this cycling-centric town.

Photo by Jeffrey V. Smtih.