Like most brick-and-mortar businesses, it offers products, services, and accessories. But Leading Edge Cyclery specializes in experiences, exercise, nature, and promoting a specific lifestyle.
Leading Edge Cyclery is Lebanon Countyโs newest business focused on bicycle riding and its positive side effects. Itโs also an entrepreneurial pursuit motivated by a hobby and passion turned inward.
โItโs (bicycling) a lot less stress on the body than running,โ said Eric Mason, Leading Edge Cycleryโs owner and operator. โItโs very low impact. It allows people to get out and experience nature. Itโs a great stress reliever. When youโre out there, you feel free. Itโs a great way to clear the mind.โ
Located across from the Quentin Tavern at 80 W. Main St., Lebanon, Leading Edge Cyclery sells all types of adult bikes, kidsโ bikes, and electronic bikes priced at $600 and up. The vast majority of the shopโs 35-bike inventory is made up of new bicycles.
Leading Edge Cyclery also does repairs and bicycle fittings based on each individualโs riding style and needs. The business is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
โFor me, the key to success in business is understanding a customerโs needs,โ said Mason. โAsking questions and finding out what they want to do. Whatโs their goal? Youโre providing for customersโ needs. If a customer is happy, itโs going to make me happy as well. I just want to give the best experience possible.โ
โMy main customer base are those recreational riders and family riders,โ continued Mason. โThatโs my bread and butter. Those are the people Iโm going to serve most, but Iโm willing to work with anyone. The more people I can get on bikes the better.โ
Mason opened Leading Edge Cyclery on Oct. 18, after being employed at Lititz Bike Works for five years and In-Gear Cycling and Fitness for the 10 years prior. While the sample size of the businessโs success may be too small to accurately assess, the early reviews have been favorable.
โI feel like itโs been going great,โ said Mason, a 43-year-old resident of North Lebanon Township. โThereโs been a lot of support from people I know and past customers. Word of mouth has brought in new customers. Iโm up and running. I feel like every week has been better than the previous.โ
Mason himself is an avid rider whoโs been cycling for years. Itโs a hobby thatโs translated into a passion for his work, one that gives credence to the old saying, โIf you do what you love and love what you do, you never work a day in your life.โ
โI started riding as a kid, but really got into it as a means of recovering from an injury,โ said Mason, โand it just progressed from there. I really enjoy the health aspect of it and the mental aspect of it. I usually ride super early in the morning. It helps me clear my mind and get ready for the day.โ
โAny time you start something new, you are taking a leap of faith, and youโre learning about things you didnโt know before,โ he added. โI have the passion to make it my own. If you have the right business plan and the right goals, itโs definitely achievable.โ
In addition to In-Gear Fitness, DeLuxx Bikes in downtown Lebanon, Gretna Gearworks Mobile Bike Shop in Mount Gretna, and Leedโs Cyclery in Campbelltown, Leading Edge Cyclery is one of a handful of local enterprises serving what seems to be a growing need created by an increased popularity in bicycle riding in Lebanon County.
โI think a lot of the other shops are great shops, but some can be one-sided in what they offer,โ said Mason. โI feel like Iโm well-rounded. Iโm a road cyclist, but I understand that not everyone wants to do that. Shops have got to be able to address every genre of riding. Itโs something Iโve wanted to do well for a while. I feel like itโs the right time.โ
โI want to have a shop the way I want to run it and have it be a community bike shop,โ concluded Mason. โIโve been in the industry for a long time, and Iโve worked in other shops in the area. But I think I have something to give that they canโt. I just want to be more involved with the community and my main goal is giving back.โ
For additional information about Leading Edge Cyclery, go to leadingedgecyclery.com.
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