Founded in 2008, Traffic Distribution has been at the forefront of bike distribution in Europe, handling some of the industry’s most premium brands and working together with some of the longest established independent bicycle retailers in the business. We are now extremely excited to expand operations into the United Kingdom, bringing with it, a superb level of service and expertise.
Passionate about all things bike, Traffic UK is your one-stop shop for everything you need. We have a wide and diverse range of products – from complete bikes, covering multiple disciplines including BMX and MTB. We stock all the components and gear to compliment which ever riding style you choose, opening up the doors to all areas of the lifestyle.
Name shop: BMX Direct
Location: Durban, South Africa and as of 2017 Bangkok, Thailand
Years in business: 19 years
Employees: Yes
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a BMX business or did you just 'send it'?
BMX Direct: Learnt along the way and then some!
Name shop: Source BMX
Location: Hastings, UK
Years in business: 16 years in March 2019
Employees: 54 including part time and everyone at the Source Park and Café.
What was the reason for you to start a BMX shop?
Source BMX: It was a combination of not having a shop serving BMX shop in our area (they had all closed) and my brother and me looking for something to do. It was just a random set of circumstances that fell in to place rather a master plan. A small BMX shop in Bexhill wasn’t really a viable business so we had to figure out a way of making it work – by making the scene bigger and selling mailorder.
What was your first location like?
Source BMX: Small!! It wasn’t much bigger than an average bedroom with room for about 30 t-shirt’s on a rack, 6 completes and a cabinet and wall full of parts.
How did your first year turn out?
Source BMX: It was hard - we had a turnover of £68,000 which didn’t really breakeven or pay me a wage but I was 18 and living with my parents so didn’t need much money. Rich was at Uni so the first
Name shop: Kings Rideshop
Location: Palm Desert, California
Years in business: Almost 15 years
Employees: No just people who care
Is running a BMX shop something you've always wanted to do?
Kings Rideshop: I wouldn’t say that. I worked at a shop pretty young and saw how hard it was on the owner of that shop and never wanted to be in that spot, but since I've had the shop I do enjoy the
Name shop: Volt BMX
Location: London, England
Years in business: 9
Employees: Just me and some friends help sometimes!
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Volt BMX: No, I worked in an other shop for many years, I think if anyone is wise enough to go to business school they wouldn't be doing BMX related business!
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Volt BMX: Already had most contacts, met some along the way.
Who are some of the people that helped out in the beginning, setting up the BMX shop?
Volt BMX: Many people helped out set up, and it was quite an epic set up. The place was empty for 17 years before we moved in, it was a mess. We had a new roof put on and the whole interior was built from scratch. Jimmy Rushmore and Glenn Robson pretty much built the wood stuff, shelves
Name shop: Signature BMX
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Years in business: 13 years on January
Employees: 2, Mikko Suni full-time, Antti Huotari part-time.
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Signature BMX: We just sent it and still are sending it. We first thought of having a clothing brand and started selling some bmx bike parts to cover the cost of clothing side. Sales started to pick up before we even had much of a clothing available. Just some shirts under the name of Signature. That’s pretty much what ever happened on that side. We focused on selling bike stuff. It was just a mail order/webshop at first. We pretty much ran it from our home. Our real warehouse/shop/distro came to life after a couple of years. So I guess we’re still learning day by day something new.
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Signature BMX: I knew Niels Thanild and Joe Rich and a few others before the business came along. I went to Interbike the next year as we started and made a lot of contacts there.
Name shop: Planet Bicycle
Location: Atlantic Beach, Fl.
Employees: Just me and my partner Ed for now.
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Planet Bicycle: No specific schooling. Over the past 30 years I’ve just worked in a few shops with different minds running them. I’ve taken the stuff that fit me from each and went with it.
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Planet Bicycle: Over the years my contacts list has grown exponentially.
Who are some of the people that helped out in the beginning, setting up the BMX shop?
Name shop: kunstform BMX Shop
Location: Stuttgart (Germany)
Years in business: 15 years (since 2003)
Employees: 11
Is running a BMX shop something you've always wanted to do?
kunstform BMX Shop: Actually No! It just happend. I study computer science at the university and the founder Sebastion Pospischil always asked me if I can change some buttons or functions in the web shop. From time to time it got more and more, so I started there my full time job.
What (BMX) shops did you like before you started your own?
kunstform BMX Shop: FlairBMX Shop in Berlin, Busy P in Cologne
Did you do some serious research before you opened up your shop at your location or did you just go for it?
Name shop: Circuit BMX Shop
Location: Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Years in business: 12
Employees: Vic Bettencourt/Cara Bettencourt/Chris Childs
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Circuit BMX Shop: I’ve spent my life dedicated to BMX and have been around it for 32 years now. I have no business training. Just a passion for BMX and the family it provides.
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Circuit BMX Shop: Before (and after) I opened Circuit I had done my fair amount of traveling. I had many industry connections due to travel. After I opened the shop there were many more connections as you would expect.
Name shop: The900shop
Location: Eksel, Belgium
Years in business: 10 years
Employees: 1 fulltime and 2 students
What was the reason for you to start a BMX shop?
The900shop: Because it is my biggest passion.
How did your first year turn out?
The900shop: We were selling all kinds of bikes and Bmx freestyle turned out very good.
How big was your local scene in the beginning, and how big is it now?
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.