Tuesday Treats 40: Ae7 Bikes

Your once a week dose of  retail therapy from Singletrack’s Premier Dealers, stockists and advertisers.

Tuesday Treats gives you a quality serving of independent bike retailing and a chance to win big, in this week’s prize draw.

This week, we introduce Ae7 Bikes

Rob Gray takes up the story. “Ae7 Bikes is a specialist bike shop based in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. First established back in 2008, originally as the Ae Bike Shop & Cafe, here.

We spent four years serving coffee & cake, we fixed bikes, sold helmets, inner tubes, trail packs & other kit to riders who forgot theirs; built trails, held competitions, helped out with lots of other comps, sponsored riders, had a laugh and tried to make some money whilst living the dream of running a shop at a trail centre.

Business ambition and the reality of a few harsh winters took us down the online route. A great deal of time, work & effort has been put into getting our website up & running. It’s an ongoing project that keeps growing.

We’ve just moved the online set-up into a new warehouse in Glasgow and the doors to the workshop and showroom are almost ready to open (soon as the paint dries!)”. We’re big fans of being social, so please check us out over on Twitter Facebook and our Blog to stay up to speed.

What’s your current best-selling/hottest product?

On the bike side, KTM are starting to get more noticed at the moment, after some good reviews. We started with them last year and cycling’s European secret is gradually building a following in the UK. Product wise, Five Ten Shoes & O’Neal Helmets are customer favourites although the real hot product right now are Tartan Bawbag Pants!

What kit does every member of staff have on their bike?

Shiny loud bells! (of the ringing variety of course).

Tell us about demo bikes. What about custom builds?

We just rebuilt a 1998 Santa Cruz Heckler for a customer who loves the original frame and couldn’t bear to part with it. It’s great to bring these bikes up to date and give them a new lease of life. Another very happy customer.

Tell us something about your shop/staff that no one knows…

I’ve done some ‘interesting’ security work in the past, looking after Jennifer Lopez, Tyra Banks & Tony Bourdain (the travel chef) among others. I must not forget to mention Ae7 mugs & caps have featured in pics with quite a few celebs.

Louise our part-time Dispatch Girl wears a bikini when she wraps parcels for customers. No kidding, it’s all about the Scottish sunshine.

Is there local riding you think our readers should know more about?

Pretty much everyone who has worked or does work for Ae7 rides regularly. Rob & Louise are ditching the MTB’s for road bikes next month, for very good reason. They’re flying one way to Milan and cycling back to Glasgow over 3 weeks (running the business at night and blogging the trip).

What do Singletrack Premier Subscribers get from you guys?

Singletrack Premier readers benefit from 10% off any kit … no quibbles! 5% off bikes. Online, just whack the following code into the voucher section of the website, or on production of a valid Singletrack Members Card in the new store.

Tuesday Treats Prize Draw

Click here to win this weeks prize!

---