Dropping In On Iron Pony

Imagine a bike shop the size of a Wal-Mart. That would be a pretty radical place to shop, would it not? Well, if you're one of the many fine members of the U.S. population that live near Columbus, Ohio, you don't have to imagine-there really is a bike shop the size of a mega-Wal-Mart out there! Located in the town of Westerville, Ohio, just a short skip away from the heart of Columbus, Iron Pony Motorsports dominates over 14 acres of raw retail awesomeness. While in town for the recent Endurocross, we dropped in on the massive shop to see what it is all about. And man, it is huge!

When I say that Iron Pony is big, I'm not just talking about tall ceilings. This shop is gigantic in every way possible: they have an enormous hard parts section that takes up the entire middle of the store. They have a vast inventory of accessories that cover almost anything you would need. And there are enough tires in Iron Pony to send smoke signals from Ohio to China! In reality, nearly each of the 103,000 square feet is dedicated to some sort of two-wheeled product.

The way the shop is set up, each manufacturer has its own designated section. Frank Lark, Iron Pony's Director of Marketing and our esteemed tour guide for the day, explains: "With most other shops, you go to the boot section and all the boots are there. You go to the jersey section and all the jerseys are there. You go to look at helmets and all the helmets are in one spot. We figure that people are brand loyal, so we should start with that and divide the store into a way that appeals to them." And appealing it certainly is. For example, the Fox section of the store-meaning the area designated only to Fox apparel and gear-is bigger than most bike shops!

Running a shop this size is no easy task. And at Iron Pony, over 60 employees ensure that the wheels stay properly greased. From the folks in the parts department to the ladies running the cash registers, each employee contributes not only to the store's success, but also to the sense of it being a "real" bike shop. While you'd think that the vast size of Iron Pony would lose you, the shop has still managed to keep the vibe of a grassroots effort. Lark offers his take on why this is: "You know how they say that you should act locally, think globally? Well, we're acting globally and thinking locally! We've been in this location for four years, but Iron Pony has been around for over 30 years total. We're not strangers to the market. We're geared towards families, and the real riders out there, and I think that is what has helped out success over the years. I mean, a lot of families can't afford main line gear, and we offer a large price point section and can help people find a way to make it work on their budget. I can literally take a dad to one section of our store and outfit his family of three kids-with jersey, pants and gloves-for the same price as a mainline set of gear! That just goes back to knowing the market, knowing the product and knowing who our customer is."

Of course, that customer is changing as the world outside of Iron Pony continues to change. "For whatever reason, the dirt side of things really isn't blowing up at the moment," says Lark. "As gas prices continue to climb, the street market is getting much larger, and it will only grow as time goes on. We're here in the long run, and we can just as easily cater to that street rider as we do the dirt guys. Also, we are doing a ton of business online now, and to carry the Iron Pony presence to the web has been a great step for us." In addition to store promotions and sales, Iron Pony is also extremely active in the racing community. "We do roughly 30 events a year offsite," Lark continues. "We do a half dozen international motorcycle shows in the winter months, and we do all the major road race events east of the Mississippi. The dirt thing is more of a regional deal now, but we plan on expanding that soon as well. Really, we're pretty diversified in our events. This month alone we're going to a GNCC, motocross and a road race. It makes for a fun schedule!"

If you're in the market for some new parts or gear, or are simply in the Columbus area and want to check out a cool bike shop, head on over to Iron Pony-we promise that you won't be disappointed. While you may be a bit overwhelmed, a bit over-excited and a bit unsure as to where to even begin once you walk in the front door, the fun you'll have poking around this shop will exceed any two-wheeled shopping experience you've ever been through, period.

Contact:
Iron Pony Motorsports
5435 Westerville Rd
Westerville, Ohio 43081
877/ 799-7669
www.ironpony.com