After 31 years in the bike business, Bob McLain decided that simply
operating Northern Michigan’s two best bike shops was not enough. In
order to build on the reputation he and his wife Kris had built over
three decades in Traverse City, the pair decided to devote one of their
locations into exclusively representing the Specialized line, having
spent 23 years with the brand already.
Becoming a Specialized Concept store seemed to be a natural evolution of
the McLain’s business plan, according to the guys at the shop. With
their deep involvement with local cycling clubs and community events,
McLain’s needed to figure a way to better serve their devoted client
base, in addition to bringing in new customers.
With Traverse City’s reputation as a destination playground for
Michigan, with its multitude of great mountain bike trails, scenic road
biking and superior recreational pathways for all cyclists, the McLain’s
decided the Specialized Concept experience was a perfect fit to their
clientele. They also felt that McLain’s reputation for customer care and
professionalism that area riders came to expect perfectly suited the
look and feel that they built into their Concept Store.
As the first Specialized Concept Store in Michigan, McLain’s quickly
became, as they put it “quite the buzz”, pulling customers from all
corners of the state and Canada, in to the store. The results were so
dramatic that immediately after opening, McLain’s netted the best May
sales in their 31 year history.
Beyond his years of experience in the industry, Bob McLain is first and
foremost a cycling enthusiast that appreciates the fine detail that goes
into every item his stores sell. Because of his familiarity with his
products, McLain's ensures his staff also fully appreciates how each
item has been created in order to bring the best product possible to
every customer that walks through the door at McLain’s