Independent bicycle shops grew since '80s

With the birth of road cycling in Namibia around the mid 1980's driven by the likes of Claus Theissen and the late Artur Kuppe, the need for specialist shops geared to serve the community developed.

The first of these was “The Road Athlete”, the brainchild of the late Wilfried Mohroff. Situated at the end of Independence Avenue close to the Simon de Witt bridge, it was a hub for cyclists of that era. Riders like Mannie Heymans, Frank (Tokkie) Bombosch, the Van Staden brothers and Glen Howard were regular clients.

It was a time when road bikes still sported down tube shifters. Mannie Heymans was the first customer to purchase a set of Dura-Ace STI's when they were launched, and Patrick de Goede in his role as Namibia's first bike shop mechanic proudly installed them.

Around November 1990 Egbert Hoff left his position at Cymot, De Goede resigned at Road Athlete and the two opened the doors of Velowerkstatt on Snyman Circle. The scene was changing and brands like Giant and Cannondale became the bikes to ride.

During this time Rock & Rut Mountain Bike club was launched and the first fat tyre bikes had found their way to Namibia.

De Goede left Velowerkstatt in 1994 to travel, and Mannie Heymans stepped into the position as head mechanic, teaching others as he increased his own skills.

By early 1998 it was clear that there was a need for another shop in town.

Bombosch, who had by then placed his dream as an Olympic triathlete on hold to pursue his training as a civil engineer, realised that the office life was not for him. Together with Heymans, they dreamed up Cycletec and the doors were opened for customers on 5 November 1998.

The cycling scene at the time was red hot, and Heymans was rapidly making a name for himself locally and across the border. Deciding to pursue the race circuit, he bowed out of Cycletec a few months later.

Ermin van Wyk, a youngster who had been mentored by the older riders, stepped into the role of apprentice mechanic and was thrown into the deep end, coming in to work after finishing school daily. Today Van Wyk is the technical manager at Cycletec.

Between the long hours of running his own business, Bombosch found time to grow the sport by chairing the NCF and coaching for several years. Cycletec continued to grow with brands like Trek, Gary Fisher and Giant gracing the shop floor, together with local brands like Zini and Hansom.

Around 2003, De Goede had returned from the diamond fields of the west coast and cycling had exploded. He opened Cycology Cycles and began trading in January of 2004 from small premises in the southern industrial area. By this time The Road Athlete and Velowerkstatt were no longer around. Cycle Wholesales had a small, loyal following of customers and the three bike shops had their hands full with the ever-growing sport. Heymans had made it to the Olympics and cycling was flying high.

In March 2006, Dan Craven, Heymans, Marc Bassingthwaighte and several other riders would represent Namibia at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Bombosch was team manager, with De Goede as mechanic.

Before their departure, the team raced the popular Giro del Capo in Cape Town. During the long drive through the night to get the team's bikes from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the Melbourne flight, Bombosch convinced De Goede that one shop was better than two, and Cycology merged with Cycletec in August 2007. The rest, as they say, is history …



THE PERSONAL TOUCH

Twenty-one years after opening its doors, Cycletec is now the oldest independent bike shop in Namibia and has led the way for others. In the last decade, MBM, Das Bike Shop and Cycledelic have also ventured into the specialist retail arena and serve an ever-growing community with great products.

Cycletec prides themselves on being an industry leader with the brand Specialized at the forefront of the business. Household names like Oakley, Assos, Powerbar, Giant and many others grace the floor and shelves of the glass-front retail store on 324 Sam Nujoma Avenue. With a highly qualified staff of 16 loyal employees, the shop has kept track with, and continues to embrace new technology.

The new Retul 3D fit studio is testimony to this, while ongoing staff education remains a priority for the owners.

Looking forward, Cycletec remains committed to an ever-changing specialist retail market. The internet and online shopping have placed the brick and mortar bicycle shop under great pressure in the last five years, with many closing and fading away.

The reality is that the internet cannot fix bikes, set suspension and give good advice over free coffee. This is the future of the independent bike shop – a place where riders can meet, talk to knowledgeable staff in a friendly, easy going environment where they know their bikes are cared for. We look forward to serving Namibia's cycling and multisport community for the next 21 years, and far beyond!