Taking an old business concept and making it timeless is a hard task to do. As the eras change and the interest of the masses begin to shift as well, it is important to stay innovative and aware of customer needs and priorities. Joey and Kelsey have become a great blueprint on how to do exactly that with their North Tacoma bike shop: Indigenous Wheel CO. Putting a millennial stamp onto the bike-repair industry, they have been able to provide Tacomians with great bike care and expertise for a little over four-years now!
If you love bikes, cycling, or want to get into the beneficial hobby of bike riding; follow this blog and see what Joey and Kelsey (Co-partners) have to say about their small business experience and how they were able to keep “cycling” towards success!
How do we find you online?
Instagram – Indigenous Wheel co.
Facebook – Indigenous Wheel Co.
Website – https://www.indigenouswheelco.com/
What products and/or services do you offer and how long have you been in business?
We provide Custom builds and Repairs, but we specialize in wheels such as Aluminum and carbon. You also have the option of Bullet Proof wheel-sets which don’t require a lot of maintenance; they are great for commuters and can stand up to tacoma potholes. Deep Dish carbon wheel-sets are great for racing, time trials, and cyclocross.
If you are looking for Drift Trikes, our owner Joey can build these for you. If you come into the shop not knowing exactly what you may need, we are sure to be honest when making recommendations and have our customers leave with the right product for them. Joey started working on bikes when he was about 14. Throughout the years he has worked as a lead mechanic at a bike shop and at four shops in the Tacoma area prior to opening Indigenous Wheel CO. Joey started taking on bike projects in 2015 in his garage as favor of friends and the shop officially started in November 2015! Kelsey has been there from the beginning as a “silent partner” doing the books, marketing and business strategy development. In February of 2019, Kelsey started full-time to provide their growing Bike business the resources needed to help Indigenous Wheel CO grow.
What makes your business different? What is the lesser known about your business that you wish more people knew? Any fun facts?
What sets us apart from other shops mainly is that we don’t have bikes on the floor, so we pour our attention into our customers and services. We’re also unique in the fact that we make Specialty bikes. Traditional bike shops have a huge amount of overhead with bikes and materials. We are different in that we have great brands and don’t try to push product that we “have to sell” because it’s in house. We can cater to what they (the customer) wants and keep it within their budget.
More people should know that with building bikes and general mechanic work there is a lot more paperwork and research that goes into the repairs than the average consumer realizes. Building bikes can be a bit of a research project to get the proper fix. Bikes are like cars, a full scope analysis is needed. Fun fact: Both Joey and Kelsey train and race year round which gives them the ability to offer honest insight into so many of the products they are selling.
