The popular adage “cycling is the new golf” was taken to a whole new level by the MoreGolf group last year when they acquired the well-known Cycle Lab retail chain from founder and legendary pro cyclist Andrew Mclean.
Legendary pro cyclist and founder of Cycle Lab, Andrew Mclean during the PwC Great Trek just outside Port Elizabeth. Photo: Sportograf
To handle the burgeoning cycling side of the business, the group established a new division called MoreCycle.
“It was a great fit for us; we’re finding that a lot of people who play golf also cycle,” says chief executive Stephen Reardon.
“It’s also a very fast-growing sport in South Africa, especially on the mountain biking side.”
When Cycle Lab first opened its doors in Mclean’s garage 17 years ago, it would have been difficult to foresee the success story that the chain would eventually become.
Mclean says that in those days all he knew was cycling, so the focus was mainly on training.
“People came to my garage and I had a couple of indoor trainers and I trained them.”
Once he realised that retail was the key to expanding the business, he moved it to Woodmead. A subsequent move saw the store relocate to Paulshof, and finally Design Quarter.
The opening of the Fourways megastore in 2013 signalled MoreCycle’s intention to become a force to be reckoned with in the market.
From the previous 500 square metres, the floor space was expanded to a whopping 2 000 squares, a strategy which allowed the shop to stock a very wide array of merchandise and carry the title of largest cycling store in the southern hemisphere.
“The megastore really caters for everyone. We stock 1 000 different models of bikes alone, with a plethora of accessories, nutritional products, gear and more,” says Reardon.
“Whether someone’s interested in road riding, mountain biking, fat bikes or even a unicycle, it’s important to us to fit the customer with their perfect bike.”
The staff complement, which totals about 50, comprises 25 sales assistants and 15 workshop staffers, with admin and support staff rounding out the number.
Reardon says retail is only part of the bigger picture, as the group prides itself on taking a holistic approach to cycling by investing in facilities that support cycling as a sport.
“The Toyota Supercycling club is a very important part of what we do; we’ve built up a community of like-minded individuals and that really also drives the brand. The club has over 4 000 members nationwide.”
In addition to the cycling club, the MoreGolf group also runs the PwC Cycle Park in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
The park offers riders a safe place to enjoy the sport and test out their Fittrack training programmes, another one of the group’s acquisitions.
When it comes to sponsorships, the group looks to what they call “really good amateurs”.
“We enjoy giving average riders a chance to really go and enjoy themselves – we’d like to make cycling not just a sport but a large part of their life.”
Reardon mentions that although Mclean spends time racing and presenting the Supercycling television show, he’s still very much hands-on in the business.
“Someone who has as much experience as Andrew has really guided us in the industry. He’s very much still the face of the business, tests out our products and has just been an amazing partner for us.”
Currently the group has one megastore and seven franchises countrywide and Reardon is tight-lipped about possible expansion plans, except that more megastores are definitely on the horizon.
“We would like to be in Cape Town by the end of the year, and possibly look at other major urban centres after that.”
Cycle Lab Fourways is open from 9am to 6pm on weekdays, from 8am to 5pm on Saturdays and from 9am to 1pm on Sundays and public holidays. Give them a call on 011 707 4700.
