Back Bone BMX shop owners Rhysty and Tyson, July 2019.

This is one of those moments in time that we've been thinking about for a long time and now, it's finally going to happen.

Rhysty started the shop 15 years ago with the intention of being a pillar of BMX, a place that you could come to get the parts you needed, but also a place helps to build the BMX scene and create strength within the BMX community. Being more than a shop, which is why the name Back Bone seemed so fitting to Rhysty.

We have no intention of stopping supply of all the best BMX bikes and parts that there is!

However, one thing about being a physical store is the limited time you have to create stoke and build a scene out there in the BMX community, when you're in the shop all day.

As I've said, our goal has always been to create and build a strong BMX scene here in Canberra, as well as in Australia (and beyond!).

So what's going on?

We are changing things up, and it's getting us psyched. We'll be able to offer better service than ever, a better product range and more focus to giving back to the BMX community.

Starting Monday 22nd July 2019, we will be offering BMX coaching for both freestyle and race, four days a week, every week, from here on out.

Rhysty and I are both accredited BMX coaches and have coached for many years through government programs and over school holidays. It's something that we love to do and it's something that, until now, we've rarely had a chance to do, timewise, while running the shop.

But with better use of our time, we will now be out almost every afternoon during the week at skateparks and race tracks, getting to know local BMX riders better and help them along with whatever it is they might want to learn to become a better rider.

In order to make this happen, the amount of hours we will be open as a retail, physical BMX shop will have to change.

Our new shop opening hours will be: 

Monday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Tuesday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Friday: 1.30pm - 5.30pm
Saturday: 11am - 3pm
Sunday: Closed

These hours will still allow customers and riders to come in, browse, purchase goods, pick up orders, drop off repairs, shoot the breeze, say g'day and get expert advice. In a world where everything is online, it still allows us to remain a physical place for Canberra and travelling riders to make homebase, and that's important to us.

But, the shorter opening hours will give us more time in between. To organise more jams, make better events and of course, plan coaching. 

It will also give us more time to work on improving our online BMX shop and service. We've been sending BMX bikes and parts to fellow riders via our online shop since 2007 and our aim for 2019 and beyond is to expand our product range, provide faster turn around and even better service.

Sending BMX products to riders worldwide through our online BMX shop is more meaningful that you can imagine; I've been riding BMX for 20+ years and Rhysty for 35+ years. To know that we can help out more BMXers with what they're after is the whole reason why the shop opened and why we're so passionate!

So expect to see some changes and an expanded range of more of that good BMX proddy available on our online shop over the coming weeks.

This change is HUGE for us.

We are no longer operating as JUST a BMX shop. Our goal is threefold.

  1. We will help to build the BMX scene in Australia by having more time to organise jams and events.
  2. We will be a part of growing the BMX community in Canberra through coaching.
  3. We want to help more riders get what they want by offering a bigger range of BMX products on our online shop.

These changes are coming thick and fast. This will all be up and running Monday 22nd July, so hold tight, we'll be updating our site and socials as more things (like online booking for coaching) roll out - this is gonna be sick and we are beyond stoked.

- Tyson

 

July 09, 2019 — Tyson Jones-Peni