Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Wright.
Angela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Bikes are a big part of who I am. My first job at sixteen was at a bike shop and I weaved in and out of the industry over the years. After finishing up my MBA at the University of Utah in 2014, my partner at the time and I decided we would try to open a bike shop and he could run it while I got a “real job.” After creating a huge business plan, we met with a rep for a key bike brand and were told that it would be impossible for us to open a shop in the city we wanted to, so the next step was acquisition.
It took a year and a half of hard work securing investors, talking with banks, and negotiating the purchase. The business needed to authentically re-engage with the cycling community, update its web presence, create an online store, and build a number of back-ends operational protocols. Fast forward to today, six years into business ownership and I can tell you quite truthfully that it is absolutely a “real job,” and one that I love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ha! It definitely has not been a smooth road, but since I mountain bike, I’m okay with that. I’ve learned a lot, have failed a lot, and have grown a lot. I’ve also succeeded a lot along the way because of the incredible people that work for Bingham Cyclery. The bicycle industry is tough especially as a retailer. Margins are thin and we have to do a lot with what we have leftover to run the business. As a female, I still find barriers and outdated thinking, which adds another layer to the work that I do.
COVID has added its own share of challenges, but we’ve adapted along the way and I think we have become more resilient, agile, and definitely more profitable. Fortunately, the bicycle industry has been riding a wave of demand that has been unprecedented. The supply chain has been tipped on its head and we have had to adjust customer expectations to accommodate long lead times, but overall, it’s been a positive experience.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bingham Cyclery. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Bingham Cyclery has been serving cyclists along the Wasatch Front since 1962. We service and sell all models and Specialized, Tern, Norco, Gazelle, and Co-Motion bicycles, accessories, gear, and more. We love selling, riding, and servicing electric bikes as well.
We love where we live! We believe in strengthening the fabric of the local community and bringing the joy of riding into the hands of many. We focus on you as a rider and the local area as a riding mecca, we work hard to give you the roads, trails, teams, clubs, service, education, and rides to help create the most successful cycling version of yourself possible.
We are the local happy, cyclists. Our lives have been dedicated to riding and the knowledge we have is focused on helping you, our staff has the goal of solving your issues and requests as quickly and professionally as possible. No pressure, no surprises. We will always do what’s right for you. One of the Binghams crew will be your personal riding advisor who will help you achieve your goals.
We only partner with the best products – we stock what we ride. Our key brands include Specialized, Norco, Tern, and Gazelle. We will always share new knowledge and include you in new riding experiences.
What’s next?
At Bingham Cyclery, we are excited about the future of electric bicycles. We believe that they can change lives and help the planet at the same time. As technology continues to improve, we’re seeing better and better bikes becoming available to our customers and we rise to the challenge of not only servicing these bikes but also as a home for recycling batteries as they come to the end of their lifespan.
We’ve always viewed bicycles as an alternative for transportation, but the added benefits of electric bikes increase the distance and speed within which riders can get to and from their destinations. They are also an incredibly fun alternative to regular bikes… this is awful English, but “you can’t NOT smile” when you ride them.
Contact Info:
- Email: sales@binghamcyclery.com
- Website: https://www.binghamcyclery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/binghamcyclery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bingham.cyclery.1
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BinghamCyclery
