Spokes & Strategy: Marketing the Bicycle

Spokes & Strategy: Marketing the Bicycle The show where the business of bikes meets the joy of riding. Hosted by Brandon Morphew of Miso Partners, it’s a free-flowing conversation about how independent shops, athletes, and brands can evolve in a changing industry without losing the soul of cycling. From sales strategies and storytelling to customer engagement and community, each episode explores how to modernize the way we sell and celebrate bikes, balancing innovation with authenticity. No jargon, no hard sell, just real talk from two riders who love this world and want to see it thrive.

Spokes & Strategy: Marketing the Bicycle is a business podcast hosted by Brandon Morphew, with 19 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Brandon Morphew hosts Spokes & Strategy: Marketing the Bicycle, a business show with 19 episodes published.

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  Episode #19

  Spokes & Strategy Ep 19: Why the Bike Industry Has an Execution Problem, Not an Idea Problem

  Sep 30, 202640 minS1

  The algorithm decides what you see online. At a trade show, nobody is deciding that for you, and that is the point. In this episode of Spokes & Strategy, Brandon Morphew talks with Jim Kersten, show director of CABDA Expo and a third generation bike shop owner in Chicago. Jim explains why he built CABDA around regional timing instead of one massive event, what trade shows still do better than online discovery, and why he believes the bike industry's biggest problem right now is execution, not ideas. What You'll Learn Why CABDA moved away from a single national show to regional events timed around when shops can actually leave the floor What "organized serendipity" means, and why unplanned conversations on the show floor can matter more than scheduled meetings Why Jim believes the industry doesn't have an idea problem, it has an execution problem, and what that looks like in practice How CABDA measures success beyond total headcount, including the mix of shops and businesses attending Why some major brands skip trade shows to run their own dealer events, and what Jim thinks they are missing What Jim tells any shop owner deciding whether to make the trip back to CABDA this year Jim Kersten is the show director of CABDA Expo, which produces bicycle industry trade shows built around independent bicycle retailers, brands, distributors, and the service providers who support them. He also owns and operates a bicycle shop in Chicago that has been in his family for almost fifty years. Learn more about CABDA Expo: Website: https://cabdashow.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cabda_expo/ Learn more about Jim Kersten: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-kersten-98197725 Spokes & Strategy is brought to you by Miso Partners. Follow Miso Partners: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misopartners/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misopartners Website: https://misopartners.com/

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  Episode #18

  Spokes & Strategy Ep 18: How Retailers and Suppliers Can Rebuild Trust in the Bike Industry

  Sep 23, 202647 minS1

  The bike industry keeps chasing new riders in silos instead of working together, and that has to change. In this episode of Spokes & Strategy, Brandon Morphew talks with Michael Forte, founder of Wheelhouse Strategies. Michael has seen the bike business from nearly every seat, as a bike shop owner, and later in leadership roles at Giant, Specialized, Felt, and Rossignol. He and Brandon connect the dots between retail, suppliers, data, and the shared goal of getting more people on bikes. What You'll Learn Why IBD unit sales have declined since 2015, and why this is an industry problem, not just a retailer or supplier problem How the disappearance of entry level bikes under a thousand dollars is closing off the path to new cyclists Why buy online, pick up in store still outperforms ship to home, even for major online-capable brands How to use an ABC analysis to focus on the 20 percent of SKUs driving 80 percent of revenue Why trust between suppliers and retailers breaks down, and what visiting dealers in person does to fix it How AI can augment a lean team instead of replacing it, and where it fits into 2027 planning Michael Forte is the founder of Wheelhouse Strategies, where he works with retailers, suppliers, and organizations across the cycling industry on operations, inventory planning, data, and strategy. He built his perspective from the ground up, starting as a bike shop owner before moving into leadership roles at Giant, Specialized, Felt, and Rossignol. Learn more about Michael Forte and Wheelhouse Strategies: Website: https://thebikeshoplist.com/ Wheelhouse Strategies: https://thebikeshoplist.com/about-wheel-house-strateg Spokes & Strategy is brought to you by Miso Partners. Follow Miso Partners: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misopartners/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misopartners Website: https://misopartners.com/

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  Episode #16

  Spokes & Strategy Ep. 16: What Really Makes a Cycling Product Premium with Seth Carlson

  Sep 9, 202640 minS1

  Is a cycling product premium because of what it is made of, or because of who you saw riding it. In this episode of Spokes and Strategy, Brandon Morphew sits down with Seth Carlson, founder of Rotation Engineering, to talk about what actually makes a cycling product worth paying more for. Seth spent over a decade in manufacturing and aftermarket products before starting his own brand, and he has spent just as long thinking about why customers believe one product is better than another, even when the parts inside are nearly the same. Before the conversation goes further, a quick note on transparency. Seth and Rotation Engineering are clients of Miso Partners, and that relationship is part of how Brandon and Seth know each other. It felt right to say that plainly before diving in. What You'll Learn Why customer perception of quality often comes down to trust in a pro rider, not the parts themselves How Seth decided a wheel set could match the specs of a $3,000 wheel and sell for $2,000, with no real gap in quality Why direct to consumer brands often start cheap and raise prices once they are established What actually goes into building a chain wax from scratch, including a batch that did not work and a lesson learned the hard way Where Seth draws the line between cutting cost and cutting quality, and why some materials are non negotiable Why bike shop staff often are not given enough information to explain why a $2,000 wheel is worth the price Seth Carlson is an engineer, entrepreneur, and product developer with more than a decade of experience in manufacturing and aftermarket products. He is the founder of Rotation Engineering and president of Seals It and Alan Tool. His background spans motorsports racing, manufacturing, and product development, and he has spent his career turning ideas into products people actually want to buy. Learn more about Rotation Engineering: Website: rotation-engineering.com Instagram: @rotationengineering_bike Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RotationEngineering/ Spokes & Strategy is brought to you by Miso Partners. Follow Miso Partners: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misopartners/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misopartners Website: https://misopartners.com/

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  Episode #14

  Spokes & Strategy Episode 14: From Corporate to Community Building

  May 2, 202636 minS0

  <p>In this episode of Spokes and Strategy, Brandon Morphew sits down with Gillian Forsyth, owner of BFF Bikes in Chicago. Gillian shares her journey from corporate accounting to bike shop ownership and how she’s built her business around supporting new riders.</p><p>They dive into creating a more welcoming in-store experience, the power of community through initiatives like triathlon socials, and why helping beginners feel comfortable is key to long-term growth.</p><p></p><p>The conversation also explores the realities of running an independent shop, from hiring challenges to seasonal slowdowns, and how peer groups and in...

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  Episode #13

  Spokes & Strategy episode 13: Where Service Gets Rebuilt

  Apr 12, 202647 minS0

  <p>In this episode of Spokes and Strategy, Brandon Morphew sits down with Colin McKenna, GM and partner at Colonial Bicycle Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Colin shares how his team made a bold operational shift, eliminating service appointments entirely and what happened next.</p><p></p><p>They dive into modern bike shop service, focusing on clear communication, better systems, and creating a smoother customer experience. Colin breaks down his approach to upfront assessments and time-based scheduling, and how those changes have driven real growth in labor revenue.</p><p>The conversation also explores bigger-picture themes like retail strategy...

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