Today we’d like to introduce you to Cris Adame.
Cris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started working on bike shops since 2011, I started in a high end bike shop during the weekends as a sales person I got the job to take care of the Spanish speaking customers who will relate to me due to my background racing in Mexico. I always wanted to wrench on bikes however I wasn’t a mechanic, I knew the basic stuff so when the owner will leave instead of sitting in front of the computer, I will help the mechanic to wash bikes, fix flats and all the easy stuff I already knew how to do. When the bike industry was really bad, the mechanic left, so there was no option to start wrenching on bikes, doing most of the repairs, except when there was a more complicated task, the owner will finish wrenching on the bike. I lasted there for three years until the shop close its doors, I was part of the deal to wrench and sale for the new bike shop who took over, until they started cutting my full-time position for three days a week. I stared looking for a job, I got another full-time position in another local bike shop and still working during the weekends. There was a point where I work for three bike shops at the same time in all of them as a mechanic. I notice that couple customers of mine were following me to which ever shop I will work for. That obviously woke me up to start my own project, until I started doing only morning shifts and wrench on my apartment with limited tools.
After six to eight months of doing this I decided to completely only repair at home, Until the point that the apartment was filled of bikes and tools. I rented a warehouse in Chula Vista, we lasted 1 year there until my leased wasn’t renewed it was a difficult decision to either go and work full time for someone else or find another space to wrench, this time was different the space was smaller but we were open to the public we survived two years in a 100 sqft, until we got the invite to move to a bigger retail space.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It never has been a smooth road, at the begging the big question at home was are you making enough to pay the bill’s? Big bike brands and distributors didn’t want to give me an account to buy wholesale due to limited space and capital. Until today brands want to always be the #1 brand in your shop.
The biggest bike parts distributor in America deny me an account when I was starting, I went to the competition or second place you can call it, and start doing well with them, however I wanted to be with the biggest distributor due to inventory and part availability they have 90% of inventory available right at a click for purchasing parts from them, until I started doing more research at one of the Bike Shows in Vegas asking who was the outside rep for San Diego Area. I never met him at the show, but got his email from Nate Smith, I invite him to the shop for a coffee and chat, he agreed to visit, when he arrived to the shop he was amazed how small the shop was and how I arranged to even have a work bench and a bike stand. Then he started looking at my products he noticed I had some unique products from Mexico that’s when he sat down and ask how I got this product he has never seen in his life when he had been working in the bike industry for a long time.
After two espressos, because I managed to had an espresso machine in the shop, bigger the bean fridge. He just told me with confidence, tomorrow morning you will have and account with us. I turned out that I was his last visit in the area before heading home, two hours after he calls me and tell me that my account was approved and next day, I will be available to start ordering parts from them.
Since then, I noticed that if someone turns you off with a no, find the way to get the answer you are looking for. This also helped me get parts for repairs faster, that way there was a faster turn around time between repairs instead of waiting for parts more than a week.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Peninsula Bikes – what should we know?
My business has always been known for quality, I could have five to six mechanics wrenching on bikes at the same time, however I inspect every bike that rides away from the shop, because I wasn’t to make sure the repair was done correctly, so having more contact with the customer, being able to give him some feedback of what was going wrong with their bikes. We specialized in Campagnolo for the road bikes and high-end Mountain Bikes we are Yeti Dealers. We are proud of being one of the smallest bike shops in town and have more inventory for parts than bigger name brands. When they concentrate on selling bikes, I concentrate on having the part that is going to break for those customers. Inventory on parts it’s what set us apart from these big brand names.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Success comes from sacrifices, my sacrifice is paying for inventory, owning every single part that is on inventory is the key for me. That way we don’t owed of what we are trying to sell.
Pricing:
- Basic Tune Up $50
- Plus (drivetrain clean) $70
- Overhauls $100+
Contact Info:
- Address: 161 W. San Ysidro Blvd
Suite A San Ysidro CA 92173 - Website: www.peninsulabikes.com
- Phone: 6193626936
- Email: cris@peninsulabikes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ciclipeninsula/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtb.tijuana
Image Credit:
Hope Sports Cycling Team
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