When Kelly Kreuger decided to make the shift from employee to entrepreneur, he had no idea that the year leading up to the opening of Cycle East in the East Rand would be his busiest yet.
Cycle East. Photo: Supplied
In the space of 12 months, he got married, became a dad as well as a first-time business owner.
The name of the shop, which opened this winter, was inspired by its location in Gauteng. “You’re cycling towards the sunrise!” he laughs.
Boasting a retail background spanning more than a decade, Kreuger has extensive experience in everything from technical assistance to management.
However, while he was gaining experience in other businesses, he longed for a place of his own.
“The idea was in the back of my mind for a long time. I wanted to offer something a bit different from what I’ve seen.”
He immediately started to talk to investors, and by this January everything was coming together nicely.
His daughter was born soon afterwards – a few months ahead of schedule – adding to the family’s rollercoaster ride of adjustments.
Kreuger is not complaining as his shop is already doing much better than he had anticipated – partly, he believes, to its clever positioning.
His decision to share his retail space with a camping store turned out to be an inspired one as the sport complements other outdoor activities like camping, canoeing and hiking.
“The space was available and it just made sense. We’d love to eventually offer caravan-based accommodation for stage races.
“When you get off the bike, you don’t need to sleep in a hot tent. There’s aircon, cold beverages in the fridge and a comfy bed.”
Although the flagship bicycle brands stocked are Momsen and Trek, Kreuger has set his eyes on some of the brands imported by ASG, including Pinarello.
Accessories by Rudy Project and SIDI and nutritional products from High Five are also available in-store.
If Kreuger doesn’t stock an item or brand, he goes out of his way to make sure his clients get what they want.
“I just came back from an errand – a customer wanted something I didn’t have so I popped out and found it for her.”
The shop offers the full complement of services and he ensures they have time to take proper care of each bike by limiting the number of bookings per day.
In-house mechanic Thomas Lebogang has been in the industry for almost 30 years and even did a stint as Andrew Mclean’s personal mechanic.
Kreuger is also excited about taking on community projects and is planning to assist local youngsters to follow in Lebogang’s footsteps.
