Reason for a recent conversion of the shop. With the current recession people rather have their old bike repaired and revised than that they buy a new one. The workshop also brings in a lot of the income. E-bikes were 15% of the sales in numbers in the last two years, but these sales account for 40% of the turnover. Like classy panniers, baskets, children’s seats and rain gear. Almost 95% of the turnover is made by selling the upright bikes and everything related to it. Of course they also sell everything you could need as a sports cyclist, whether you are a mountain biker or a ‘ wheel runner‘ (racer), but these two categories only make up close to 3% of the sales each. The upright every day bicycles which are so typical for the Netherlands, that the Germans even call them “Hollandrad” (Dutch bicycle). Sure, he is at the age of retirement, but his life wouldn’t be complete without bicycles! Typical Dutch upright bicycles in the expanded workshop for repair and maintenance.Īs a real city bicycle shop Kemps sells mainly what the Dutch call ‘city bikes’. On some days you can find Tommy side by side with his grand-dad, who hasn’t really left the shop yet. He has shown great interest to continue the family tradition that already lasts over a century. Rick and Mignonne’s son Tommy Kemps already works in the shop on Saturdays and in school holidays. Gerrit Kemps had opened a shop in Hintham in 1925 and Willem Kemps was the first to open a bicycle shop in Gemonde around 1911. But there were two generations before them, who had shops in this region as well. A shop that was founded on this location by Rick’s father Jan in 1960. Rick and Mignonne Kemps are the current owners of the shop I frequent: “ Kemps bike totaal“. Video showing the interview I had with Rick Kemps in his (and his wife’s) bicycle shop. Something the Dutch bike endures without problems. This foreign bike has to give in to the consequences of ordinary Dutch daily use for so many years. Even though it is not even half the age of the Dutch bike I also own. The time has come to say goodbye to my “English” bike. I recently went there to buy a new bicycle, something I didn’t need to do in all those years. Ever since I came to live in ’s-Hertogenbosch 18 years ago, I went to a nearby shop that suits me. Like most of the Dutch I visit one and the same shop for all my bicycle related wishes. The all new shop interiour of “ Kemps Bike Totaal” in ’s-Hertogenbosch A place where you are also welcome when you are over 40 and in ordinary clothes. That makes that a bicycle shop in the Netherlands does not look like a shop for sports equipment, but much more like a place where you get what you need for a means of transport. The upright bicycle to get from A to B safely and conveniently not only dominates the streets, but also the shops. This one's a keeper.Bicycle shops in the Netherlands are different from the rest of the world, in the same way Dutch cycling is different. I also added a pair of Bluemels Club Specials to round out the package.I love this bike! It fits me perfectly and it's proven to be my favorite all-around rider. When the bike came into my hands, I swapped out a few parts- namely I replaced the 52/42 Campy crankset for a more versatile vintage TA compact double and also added a period-correct Brooks Pro saddle. The bike was built up true to its vintage with a nearly period-correct Campagnolo Nuovo Record group, Cinelli stem and bars, new old stock Super Champion rims and lots of little period-correct extras like Silca Imperio pump and TA bottle cage. The frame came back beautifully restored, new Mercian decals, classic two-tone paint scheme, and christened with the original serial # (5971) stamped on its new bottom bracket. Apparently it needed a lot of repair: a new bottom bracket and several dents filled. It was then that he discovered it was a Mercian, and upon verification of the serial number, sent it to your shop for a complete restoration. After building it up and deciding it was a really nice riding frame, the owner stripped it to give it a proper repaint. Its history is largely unknown, but its previous owner had bought it from his local bike shop as a used frame of unknown origin- the original decals had been sprayed over. Dear sir,I had the good fortune of becoming the owner of a 1971 Mercian Olympic and thought I'd share a photo of it.
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