Building a Bike Empire: The Wheelworks Story

In this episode of the Slowtwitch podcast, hosts Kevin Mackinnon and Ben Snyder McGrath chat with Ash Coppinger and Rob Cummins, owners of Wheelworks, a prominent bike shop in Dublin. The conversation covers their experiences at the Marbella 70.3, their journey into triathlon, the evolution and growth of their business, and their insights on increasing participation in triathlon, especially among women. They also discuss their upcoming race plans and the importance of marketing through personal participation in the sport. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Guests and Their Backgrounds 02:54 Experiences at the 70.3 Worlds in Marbella 06:13 Journey into Triathlon: Rob’s Transformation 08:57 Ash’s Trail Running Career and Philosophy 11:54 How Rob and Ash Met Through Running 15:11 Ironman Experiences: Challenges and Lessons Learned 18:02 The Growth of Wheelworks and Business Insights 28:15 Stocking Up for Success 31:06 The Grand Opening 32:34 Rapid Growth and Learning 35:28 Navigating the COVID Boom 38:33 Expanding the Business 39:02 Marketing Through Passion 47:17 Triathlon Trends and Participation 51:29 Challenges in Triathlon Participation 52:06 Comparing Running and Triathlon 54:21 Future Race Plans Partners of The Slowtwitch Podcast: FastTT Canyon GOODLIFE Nutrition WOVE