Shop name: Soulcycle BMX Shop
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Years in business: Rollin’ since 99
Best year yet: 2020 (Best vibes in the store, Amsterdams scene is tight)
Worst year yet: 2021 (Haven’t been able to open our doors yet because of the current Dutch lockdown).
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Emile Bouwman: The end is near.
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
Running a BMX Shop during the pandemic: Circuit BMX Shop (USA)
Shop name: Circuit BMX Shop
Location: Pawtucket RI
Years in business: 15
Best year yet: 2020
Worst year yet: 2009
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Victor Bettencourt: Personally I thought, oh shit. This is it, we are shutting down and we will be struggling for a little while. It ended up being quite the opposite.
Shop name: Signature Bmx
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Years in business: 15
Best year yet: 2010
Worst year yet: 2020
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Signature Bmx: A bit worried if we can keep the shop open.
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
Signature Bmx: We stocked some sanitizers and disinfectants immediately. It was pretty obvious this will take some time. Finnish people keep distance naturally and don't socialize too much so it's been quite easy. We're definitely not a hugging nation.
Running a BMX Shop during the pandemic: Gnarly Bikes Shop (USA)
Shop name: Gnarly Bikes
Location: New Braunfels, TX
Years in business: 2 1/2
Best year yet: 2020
Worst year yet: 2018
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Galen Church: First thought was, no big deal. That quickly changed to “we can’t make it a month if we have to shut down”
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
Running a BMX Shop during the pandemic: 5050 Bike & Skate (USA)
Shop name: 5050 Bike & Skate
Location: Layton, Utah, USA.
Years in business: 19
Best year yet: 2017
Worst year yet: 2008
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Eddie Buckley: We were freaking out a bit because we were uncertain if they would let us stay open and also worried people would just start killing over in the streets.
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
Eddie Buckley: We took action pretty much right away. I have a friend, Sharon Cook, that works for the State of Utah. Sharon gave me a bit of a heads up on how to protect ourselves, our customers,
Shop name: Kings Rideshop
Location: Cathedral City, California
Years in business: 17 years as of May 2021
Best year yet: Financially 2020…riding I peaked a while back
Worst year yet: I fucked my shoulder up bad in ’98 I think. Financially.. like 2011? A few years were pretty fucked up.
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
James Colella: I remember thinking it was going to get interesting, I was trying to think how I could make business still work and I had KR masks made really early, I think ordering them late February but as a joke, within a couple weeks people were lined up outside the shop waiting in the morning to buy one.
Shop name: Trainbmx
Location: Germany. 38170 Klein Vahlberg
Years in business: 7 Years
Best year yet: 2019
Worst year yet: 2018
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Dirk Brandes: My first thoughts were "oh shit what are we going to do now, how do we go on, how long
Shop name: BROS BIKE STORE
Location: LYON, France
Years in business: The shop was born in May 2014
Best year yet: 2020
Worst year yet: 2014
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Fabien Conry: Like always a new crisis is showing up, it’s always scary and it brings stress. And maybe a bit more for stressed people which we are part of hahaha. We navigated through an international financial crisis over the year but this new health crisis brings a bit more anxiety as it was new
Shop name: BMX24SEVEN
Location: BOXMEER, NL
Years in business: 21 YEARS
Best year yet: 2019
Worst year yet: Our company grew every year, in 2020 we cannot continue the growth.
2020 has been, well, different. When did Covid-19 turn up and start influencing your business?
Sander Bisseling: Almost immediately, when covid 19 appeared in China at the end of 2019, this had a direct impact on deliveries and productions that we deal with.
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
Shop name: Mr. B's
Location: 250 S. Ronald Reagan Blvd #118 Longwood, Florida 32750 USA
Years in business: 11
Best year yet: 2019
Worst year yet: 2001-2003
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Chad DeGroot: Little bit of panic and wondering if my shop would have to shut down. Very worried about losing business.
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.