Bow Cycle North - Now open!
W
ish list, bucket list or just some enjoyable, recreational fun, Bow Cycle North is a 56 year tradition of excitement and good times in Calgary. Recreational good fun was much different when Jim Sibthorpe Sr. first opened the doors of Bow Cycle and Motor in 1957. The customers were having good fun with ...bicycles, toys, simple sporting equipment, fishing tackle and the occasional Lambretta scooter and moped. Fast forward to lots of ‘more serious’ and advanced fun and good times to about 1998, when Todd Starchuk---a long-time employee and sponsored racer whose grandfather had been friends with Jim Sr. ---started working in the sales deparment of Bow Cycle & Motor. The “sport” in power sports was in his blood and, although he enjoyed interacting with Bow Cycle & Motor customers (and comparing exciting experiences) he felt an irresistible urge to be ‘on’ the machines more than just selling them. In 2002, the owner retired and Todd Starchuk bought the Bow Cycle & Motor family business which had become a Calgary landmark for fellow power sport enthusiasts. Recreational good fun gradually became serious good
fun and Todd’s weakness for power sports solidified into a full-blown passion. Bow Cycle & Motor grew and continued to expand with the loyalty of Calgary power sport customers. “There have been so many changes in the industry, even since I started working here 15 years ago,” he remembered. “The products are so amazing and so many options at every level. Not only the motorcycles but snowmobiling, ATVs, side by sides and even watercraft has grown in popularity so much in the past 10 years. The snowmobile season is much longer than most people think, the snowmobile market is as strong as ever and it’s equal with motorcycles and maybe the backbone of our Calgary business.” Literally ‘by popular demand’ and the Calgary tradition that Bow Cycle has become, this spring, Todd opened a second location in 2008 – Bow Cycle South, continuing to win industry and consumer awards for being Calgary’s best fullservice power sports dealership. The two locations of Bow Cycle---Bow Cycle South on Flint Road SE and the new Bow Cycle North on Bowfort Road NW (adjacent to Olympic Park)---not only carry
8525 Bowfort Rd NW Calgary, AB T3B 2V2 • Phone: 403.288.5421 • Fax: 403.286.4014 • www.bowcyclecalgary.com
everything that’s power sports (the North location being a Ducati, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Can-am, Sea-doo, and Ski-doo dealership and the south just strictly BRP product Can-am, Sea-doo, and Ski-doo) but new Bow Cycle customers are sometimes blown-away by the expertise of the Bow Cycle service, parts and accessories departments. Todd says that servicing power sports machines is quickly becoming a science and all the certified Bow Cycle technicians are constantly getting upgraded and can troubleshoot almost anything. Selling new ‘machines’ is important but, as Todd admits, qualified, expert power sports service is much in-demand and very important. The credibility of our Service Department is absolutely astounding,” he says. “We have some of the most qualified and experienced, factory-trained technicians on-duty during all business hours. And even the competition mentions that we have one of the largest accessory departments in Canada.” Bow Cycle caters to the gamut of power sport needs and wants. There’s a full showroom of bike apparel---everything
from helmets to boots---and they also “customize the ride.” Mostly bikes and sometimes even the occasional Sea-Doo and Ski-Doo can be customized however the owner wants it to look. Of course the products---the machines---are tremendously popular with Calgarians but the Bow Cycle staff (including the boss) genuinely loves what they do and going out on-the-road to enjoy riding is almost part of the Bow Cycle job description. “When it comes to power sports, we all live it and feel it,” Todd says. And that special kind of Bow Cycle enthusiasm is obvious when it comes to either answering power sports questions, talking about the machines or looking after customers in the Service Department. “When I look back on it, owning this store and our tremendous growth and reputation is almost a dream,” Todd says. I still make time to ride about three days a week. And I urge the staff to ride regularly. It’s all about reinforcing the culture and it helps all of us relate to our customers. “And most of our customers are repeat or referrals. And that really is the ultimate feedback and customer response!”
8525 Bowfort Rd NW Calgary, AB T3B 2V2 • Phone: 403.288.5421 • Fax: 403.286.4014 • www.bowcyclecalgary.com