About us
...ride on what you love, sell in which you believe
...ride on what you love, sell in which you believe
We are anxious to earn your business, and are passionate about the
products we offer.
03.09 Got a write in the March 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Startup's.
12.06 Got a brief interview with SmartMoney.com
Here is an article published in the Contra Costa Times
Posted on Thu, Nov. 23, 2006
Avid bicyclist wheels, deals bikes that promote comfort
Recumbent bikes offer pedal-forward design, seats that tilt back, recline
By Rowena Coetsee
STAFF WRITER
BRENTWOOD - At first glance the tangerine-colored bicycle with the
backward sloping crossbar resembles a 1950s-era cruiser.
But look a little closer.
It lacks the traditional balloon tires, weighs less, has many more than one
gear, and riders don't brake by pedaling backward.
Hop on, says Nanda Holz, who began distributing for a Kansas-based
bicycle manufacturer 15 months ago.
His visitor leans back in the seat that easily accommodates even ample
derrieres and sends the recumbent bicycle skimming over the blacktop.
A quick spin around the storage unit where the Brentwood bike
distributor does business conveys more than any explanation of physics.
Whoo-whee! The widely spaced wheels make for an unequivocally
smoother ride than that of conventional bike.
And that's just one difference of the decidedly unconventional bicycles
that the 32-year-old mechanical engineer sells when he's not designing
telecommunications equipment.
Wanting to start a business on the side, Holz tapped into his enjoyment
of two-wheeled machines.
Although he had been an avid motorcyclist for years, his interest in the
hobby waned after a wipe-out at the bottom of the Sunol Grade four
years ago.
But Holz also was a avid bicyclist and he needed a comfortable model
to cope with the aches and pains he had after the accident.
Upon discovering that recumbent bicycles fit the bill, Holz bought four
in short order.
These days he's one of only two dealerships to his knowledge in East
County that sell recumbent bicycles.
Sales of this design account for a mere sliver of the national market:
The approximately 60,000 models that sold in 2005 comprised about 2
percent of all bicycle sales, according to Wisconsin industry consultant
Jay Townley, who surveys the market annually.
Nonetheless, he says this niche product gradually is becoming more
popular as the country's senior population continues to grow.
What's the connection?
Consider what recumbent bicycles do for the body, Townley said.
For starters, the seats tilt back and include a back rest.
Instead of being directly under the feet, the crank is positioned so far
forward that the rider's legs are parallel to the ground when fully
extended.
And because riders are leaning back instead of hunched over the
handlebars, they not only have a better view of the road but avoid
straining their neck to look forward.
The position also significantly reduces the pressure that those on road
bikes exert on their wrists.
"It's like doing a constant push-up," Holz said. "It's not a real
comfortable position to be in for any length of time."
The bicycle's geometry also alleviates stress on joints in the lower body
because riders aren't bringing their entire weight to bear on their knees
and ankles when they push down on the pedals.
In addition, the seat on a recumbent bicycle is cushioned and much
wider than that of a typical racing bike.
Distributing someone's weight over a larger area translates into a more
comfortable ride, Holz said, and that, in turn, enables him or her to ride
farther.
"Think of an average 200-pound male and put him on the surface of a
(racing bike) seat -- it's going to hurt, there's no way of getting around
it," he said.
And Baby Boomers are even more susceptible to the punishment road
bikes can deliver, Townley said.
But aging adults who happen to be bike enthusiasts also tend to be more
affluent than the general population and can afford recumbent bicycle
prices, Townley said.
Those that Holz sells retail from $995 all the way up to $5,550 -- and
more if they're tandems.
His recumbents tend to draw curious stares from adults and enthusiastic
reactions from children.
"They're always the first ones to give you a thumbs-up," Holz said. "It's
cool, it's sick, it's bad. They totally get it. They're being open-minded."
The aerodynamic design gives riders a big edge in races, even against
serious road warriors.
"You can smoke 'em on the flats," Holz said. "I can play with these guys
that ride every weekend and have all the spandex -- the Lance
wannabees -- and I can put the hurt on them."
And that's what Baby Boomers like --being able to outpace younger
cyclists without the pain, said Townley, a 63-year-old recumbent bicycle
owner.
"I don't have to ride the training distances that I did when I was younger
... but I can go just as fast or faster than I did on my road bike," he said.
Less obviously different are the hybrids, so-called "crank-forward"
models that incorporate aspects of both the recumbent and traditional
bicycle design.
The crank-forward models comprise about 80 percent of his inventory
because they afford advantages the recumbents don't: They are easier to
pedal up hills, weigh around 4 to 5 pounds less, are shorter and thus
easier to store or put on a bike rack, and are safer in traffic because the
rider is seated higher.
Crank-forwards also are far less expensive than their recumbent cousins.
Apart from establishing a presence on the Internet and wearing a jersey
with the company logo when he goes on bike rides, Holz puts little
effort into marketing his product.
He prefers to wait for customers to come to him -- and they're starting
to.
So far Holz has sold 47 bikes, including his first overseas deal earlier
this year to a man in Australia.
"If you have something people want you shouldn't have to sell it. You're
just the pipeline, making it available," he said.
Reach Rowena Coetsee at 925-779-7141 or rcoetsee@cctimes.com.
products we offer.
03.09 Got a write in the March 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Startup's.
12.06 Got a brief interview with SmartMoney.com
Here is an article published in the Contra Costa Times
Posted on Thu, Nov. 23, 2006
Avid bicyclist wheels, deals bikes that promote comfort
Recumbent bikes offer pedal-forward design, seats that tilt back, recline
By Rowena Coetsee
STAFF WRITER
BRENTWOOD - At first glance the tangerine-colored bicycle with the
backward sloping crossbar resembles a 1950s-era cruiser.
But look a little closer.
It lacks the traditional balloon tires, weighs less, has many more than one
gear, and riders don't brake by pedaling backward.
Hop on, says Nanda Holz, who began distributing for a Kansas-based
bicycle manufacturer 15 months ago.
His visitor leans back in the seat that easily accommodates even ample
derrieres and sends the recumbent bicycle skimming over the blacktop.
A quick spin around the storage unit where the Brentwood bike
distributor does business conveys more than any explanation of physics.
Whoo-whee! The widely spaced wheels make for an unequivocally
smoother ride than that of conventional bike.
And that's just one difference of the decidedly unconventional bicycles
that the 32-year-old mechanical engineer sells when he's not designing
telecommunications equipment.
Wanting to start a business on the side, Holz tapped into his enjoyment
of two-wheeled machines.
Although he had been an avid motorcyclist for years, his interest in the
hobby waned after a wipe-out at the bottom of the Sunol Grade four
years ago.
But Holz also was a avid bicyclist and he needed a comfortable model
to cope with the aches and pains he had after the accident.
Upon discovering that recumbent bicycles fit the bill, Holz bought four
in short order.
These days he's one of only two dealerships to his knowledge in East
County that sell recumbent bicycles.
Sales of this design account for a mere sliver of the national market:
The approximately 60,000 models that sold in 2005 comprised about 2
percent of all bicycle sales, according to Wisconsin industry consultant
Jay Townley, who surveys the market annually.
Nonetheless, he says this niche product gradually is becoming more
popular as the country's senior population continues to grow.
What's the connection?
Consider what recumbent bicycles do for the body, Townley said.
For starters, the seats tilt back and include a back rest.
Instead of being directly under the feet, the crank is positioned so far
forward that the rider's legs are parallel to the ground when fully
extended.
And because riders are leaning back instead of hunched over the
handlebars, they not only have a better view of the road but avoid
straining their neck to look forward.
The position also significantly reduces the pressure that those on road
bikes exert on their wrists.
"It's like doing a constant push-up," Holz said. "It's not a real
comfortable position to be in for any length of time."
The bicycle's geometry also alleviates stress on joints in the lower body
because riders aren't bringing their entire weight to bear on their knees
and ankles when they push down on the pedals.
In addition, the seat on a recumbent bicycle is cushioned and much
wider than that of a typical racing bike.
Distributing someone's weight over a larger area translates into a more
comfortable ride, Holz said, and that, in turn, enables him or her to ride
farther.
"Think of an average 200-pound male and put him on the surface of a
(racing bike) seat -- it's going to hurt, there's no way of getting around
it," he said.
And Baby Boomers are even more susceptible to the punishment road
bikes can deliver, Townley said.
But aging adults who happen to be bike enthusiasts also tend to be more
affluent than the general population and can afford recumbent bicycle
prices, Townley said.
Those that Holz sells retail from $995 all the way up to $5,550 -- and
more if they're tandems.
His recumbents tend to draw curious stares from adults and enthusiastic
reactions from children.
"They're always the first ones to give you a thumbs-up," Holz said. "It's
cool, it's sick, it's bad. They totally get it. They're being open-minded."
The aerodynamic design gives riders a big edge in races, even against
serious road warriors.
"You can smoke 'em on the flats," Holz said. "I can play with these guys
that ride every weekend and have all the spandex -- the Lance
wannabees -- and I can put the hurt on them."
And that's what Baby Boomers like --being able to outpace younger
cyclists without the pain, said Townley, a 63-year-old recumbent bicycle
owner.
"I don't have to ride the training distances that I did when I was younger
... but I can go just as fast or faster than I did on my road bike," he said.
Less obviously different are the hybrids, so-called "crank-forward"
models that incorporate aspects of both the recumbent and traditional
bicycle design.
The crank-forward models comprise about 80 percent of his inventory
because they afford advantages the recumbents don't: They are easier to
pedal up hills, weigh around 4 to 5 pounds less, are shorter and thus
easier to store or put on a bike rack, and are safer in traffic because the
rider is seated higher.
Crank-forwards also are far less expensive than their recumbent cousins.
Apart from establishing a presence on the Internet and wearing a jersey
with the company logo when he goes on bike rides, Holz puts little
effort into marketing his product.
He prefers to wait for customers to come to him -- and they're starting
to.
So far Holz has sold 47 bikes, including his first overseas deal earlier
this year to a man in Australia.
"If you have something people want you shouldn't have to sell it. You're
just the pipeline, making it available," he said.
Reach Rowena Coetsee at 925-779-7141 or rcoetsee@cctimes.com.
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Spin Cyclz is a part-time venture, that I run in the evenings and host demo's on weekends by
questions, but email is the preferred stealth method of communication during work hours.
Spin Cyclz is not a traditional bike shop, and thus is run with an efficient low overhead
business model out of Petaluma Storage. The traditional brick and martyr bike shop
approach requires a much bigger financial and emotional commitment and takes a bit of fun
out of the endeavour, and leaves less time to ride.
The Spin Shed is right on the corner of Lakeville Hwy 116, cross street Casa Grande, 3
traffic lights down Lakeville Hwy 116 from Hwy. 101 on the right hand side. The address is
29 Casa Granda, Petaluma CA 94954, but most Yahoo maps will take you into a residential
neighborhood just to the east, but Petaluma Storage is on the west side of 116, with a gas
station kitty corner across the street.
If I know what you are driving I can inform the front desk before you arrive so they can
buzz you in the gate, and I am just on the left as you enter.
There is a link to the Demo form which can be found at the top center of the home page.
Look forward to meeting you eh.
Regards,
~Nanda Holz
Petaluma, CA
925.301.7043
www.spincyclz.com
onyourleft@spincyclz.com
...our service revolves around you
Blogs and website I follow:
Crank Forward.com
Cruzbike Forums
Ecovelo.info
Bentrideronline.com
Vik-Approved.com
Cycling Experiences.com
Bike Forums.net
Autoblog.com
Carlounge.net
Inhabitat.com
TreeHugger.com
Tiny House Blog.com
