New Cedarburg bicycle shop owner stressing customer service

Photo by Mark Justesen

News Graphic Correspondent

“The bike is the accessory to me,” he said. “We’re not a Wheel and Sprocket — you won’t be inundated with bikes when you walk in here. Instead, the philosophy of our store is based on customer service and educating our customers.”

With that in mind, Breslau offers an example of the kind of customer service customers of Local Motion Outfitters can expect.

“We offer a one-day turnaround on repairs, as well as free pickup and delivery in a 10-mile radius,” he said, noting that Local Motion happily services bikes purchased elsewhere. “And we offer an upgrade program on children’s bikes. We want children to be riding bikes that fit them properly, so if you purchase a children’s bike from us, you have two years to trade it in for a 25-percent discount on a bigger bike.”

Breslau’s business philosophy is not a surprise when you look into his background. He’s spent many years in the bike component industry, first with Manitou and then with Hayes Brake. It was during this time that he and his family found themselves relocating to Wisconsin from California, via a short stint in Colorado Springs, Colo.

His corporate emphasis? Customer service.

Breslau was laid off from Hayes this summer and decided to use his change in employment as an opportunity to pursue the potential he saw in Cedarburg. He’d owned a bike shop many years ago, so he wasn’t unfamiliar with the challenges and opportunities in retail.  And despite being only in Wisconsin about a year, he and his wife have fallen in love with Cedarburg. 

“The relocation service that moved us here kept bringing up Cedarburg, and we came to a few festivals and just fell in love with the place,” he said. “We feel at home here. We thought it would be a great town for a bike shop and were surprised that there wasn’t one already … so we decided to open one together.”

During his corporate career, Breslau did work in Europe, and he said there’s a bit of a European flavor in downtown Cedarburg.  “Bikes are thought of a little differently in Europe,”  he explained. “Europeans use bikes as transportation.  In Europe, the bike stores sell bikes that are meant to keep going for years and years, and people of all ages ride them. The last time I was in Holland, I saw a family bike by me, and the group included three little kids, their mom and dad and their grandparents.”

He thinks that Cedarburg could embrace that European sensibility quite easily.  “I studied the demographics of the area very carefully,” he noted.

In a bit of serendipity, he also noticed there just happened to be a retail vacancy a mere 150 feet south of the Interurban trail.

“The key to a bike shop is location, location, location,” he said. “Yes, capital is good, yes, your bike line is important, but it’s really about location, too.”

In addition to providing bike sales and service, along with fitness equipment and Nordic Walking equipment, Local Motion Outfitters also plans to rent and sell snowshoes, and provide rentals of canoes, kayaks and bicycles. Reservations can be made online in advance of a visit, and Breslau is starting to work with the local Bed and Breakfasts to reach Cedarburg’s tourist niche.  “People need a reason to visit downtown, and they like activities,” he said. “With our canoe and kayak rentals, we will offer shuttle and launch services.”

On the cycling side of the business, Local Motion’s inventory has been specifically selected to give local customers choice.  “There’s Trek to the north and the south, and that’s a major reason why you won’t find it in our shop,” said Breslau of his competition. “We feature Cannondale — a truly American bike — and Schwinn, which offers good bike quality for the price.” 

Breslau, as well as his staff, are longtime cyclists, and therefore also understand the more experienced, elite cyclist. “It’s important to be able to talk on that level and know that they are reading the magazines and going out on the Internet and checking out the ‘big boxes,’ but as a locally owned shop, there are ways to meet that,” he said.

“One of the things that we will be offering are CompuTrainers, so these cyclists can come and train indoors during the winter months.”

And though the thought of visiting a bike shop when there are inches of snow on the ground may seem a little unusual, Local Motion plans to be open year-round, making this an ideal time to get your bikes serviced and any routine maintenance done before spring arrives.