Big Shark Bicycle Company
Big Shark Bicycle Company is a privately held, St. Louis-based specialty bicycle retailer founded in 1993, operating three storefronts across the metro and selling bikes, parts, accessories, and apparel alongside repair, fitting, classes, racing teams, and community cycling events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Big Shark Bicycle Company does
Big Shark Bicycle Company is a privately held, St. Louis-based specialty bicycle retailer founded in 1993 and operating three storefronts across the St. Louis metro: the Richmond Heights headquarters on South Big Bend, Big Shark West in Chesterfield, and Urban Shark at the City Foundry development. The company sells new bicycles across road, mountain, cyclocross, commuter/urban, comfort, cruiser, fitness, hybrid, children's, BMX, and trike categories, alongside a full catalog of parts, wheels, tires/tubes, accessories, clothing, helmets, shoes, and car racks. A growing private-label portfolio — including the Superwaffles bicycle line (STL Hybrid, XC 29er MTB, Growl Road/Gravel) and Black Edition and Vino Fondo apparel — supplements the multi-brand retail assortment. The underlying technology is a standard e-commerce storefront with integrated inventory management and no disclosed proprietary systems.
Big Shark operates a community-led go-to-market model in which the store functions as the organizing hub of the regional cycling scene. The company owns, organizes, or sponsors a substantial annual calendar of local events, including the Gateway Cup, Tour de Francis Park, Tour de Florissant, Tour de Lafayette, and Giro della Montagna, and runs the Pastaria-Big Shark Racing Team and Little Sharks youth triathlon team. Revenue streams include one-time retail sales (bikes, parts, accessories, apparel, gift cards $10-$1,000), professional services (bicycle fitting, multi-tier repair and tune-ups, rentals, and Big Shark Event Services), recurring subscriptions (Pastaria-Big Shark Racing annual dues at $25, Downtown Bicycle Station memberships at $5 day to $180 annual, plus a $1,500 corporate tier), educational classes ($20-$40 per session), and event sponsorship packages ($250-$4,000). Customer segments span recreational and fitness cyclists, competitive cyclists, triathletes and multisport athletes, mountain bikers, and youth cyclists and families, with named partners including Pedal the Cause, the Davis Phinney Foundation, Bike MS, the Cycling House, GORC, Washington University Cycling Team, Pastaria, Bommarito Audi, and World Wide Technology Raceway. The business is founder-owned and operated by Mike Weiss with no external funding or institutional investors disclosed.
Big Shark Bicycle Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Shark Bicycle Company
- Legal name
- Big Shark Bicycle Company
- Website
- https://bigshark.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Big Shark Bicycle Company is a privately held, St. Louis-based specialty bicycle retailer founded in 1993, operating three storefronts across the metro and selling bikes, parts, accessories, and apparel alongside repair, fitting, classes, racing teams, and community cycling events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Shark Bicycle Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bicycle Retail
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Bike Parts & Components Retail (CRAMAHAB), Bike Accessories Retail (Lights, Locks, Racks, Bags) (CRAMAHAD), Bike Apparel, Helmets & Protective Gear Retail (CRAMAHAC), E-Bike Retail (CRAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where Big Shark Bicycle Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Big Shark Bicycle Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bicycle Sales: Retail sale of complete bicycles across multiple categories including road, mountain, hybrid, comfort, cruiser, fitness, cyclocross, BMX, children's bikes, and trikes. Also sells house-brand Superwaffles bikes.
- Parts and Accessories Sales: Extensive catalog of bicycle parts including components, wheels, tires/tubes, and accessories. Also sells cycling apparel, helmets, shoes, and car racks.
- Service and Repair: Bicycle service department offering repairs, tune-ups, maintenance, and bicycle fitting services. Service specials range from basic tune-ups to complete overhauls.
- Classes and Education: Offers cycling classes including basic repair, intermediate repair, wheel building, and introduction to competitive cycling. Classes priced at $20-$40 per session.
- Team Memberships and Sponsorships: Pastaria-Big Shark Racing Team annual dues at $25. Also sells sponsorship opportunities for cycling events ranging from $250 to $4,000.
- Event Management: Organizes and manages cycling and multisport events including races, training rides, and community events throughout the year.
- Gift Cards: Gift cards sold in denominations from $10 to $1,000.
- DBS Downtown Bicycle Station Memberships: Downtown Bicycle Station memberships available in day ($5), weekly ($10), monthly, half-year, annual ($180), and corporate ($1,500 for 10 memberships) tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Service Specials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Educational Classes |
| Subscription | Annual | Team Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | DBS Memberships |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bicycle Products |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Event Sponsorships |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Big Shark Bicycle Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Shark Bicycle Company is a St. Louis-based bicycle retailer that sells complete bicycles, parts, accessories, apparel, helmets, shoes, and car racks across three retail locations and an e-commerce site. The company also operates a full bicycle service and repair department, offers professional bicycle fitting, runs educational cycling classes, and provides rentals and event management services. House brand offerings include Superwaffles bicycles, Black Edition cycling kit, and Vino Fondo event jerseys.
Product overview
Big Shark Bicycle Company is a St. Louis-based bicycle retail store offering a comprehensive range of cycling products and services. The product portfolio centers on bicycles across multiple disciplines (Road, Mountain, Cyclocross, Commuter/Urban, Comfort, Cruiser, Fitness, Hybrid, Children's, BMX, Trikes) alongside extensive accessories including Parts, Wheels, Tires/Tubes, Accessories, Clothing, Helmets, Shoes, and Car Racks. The company also operates its own branded product lines including Superwaffles bicycles (STL Hybrid, XC 29er MTB, Growl Road/Gravel), Black Edition cycling kit apparel, and Vino Fondo event jerseys. Service offerings include professional bicycle fitting, repair/maintenance services, Cycling University educational classes (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Repair, Wheel Building, Introduction to Racing), equipment rentals, event management, and sponsorship packages for local cycling events. The company also manages the Pastaria Big Shark Racing Team and Little Sharks Youth Triathlon Team.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Superwaffles: House brand of bikes including Superwaffles STL hybrid, Superwaffles XC mountain bike, and Superwaffles Growl road/gravel bike.
- Urban Shark
- Power Up
Products and services
- Bicycles (Road, Mountain, Hybrid, Cyclocross, BMX, Commuter, Comfort, Cruiser, Fitness, Children's, Trikes) Full range of complete bicycles across multiple disciplines for recreational, fitness, commuting, and competitive cycling customers.
- Bicycle Parts and Components
- Wheels
- Tires and Tubes
- Cycling Accessories
- Cycling Apparel
- Helmets
- Cycling Shoes
- Car Racks
- Superwaffles STL Disc Brake FS Hybrid Bicycle House-brand hybrid bicycle with aluminum frame, alloy quick release wheels, disc brakes, 24-speed drivetrain, and short travel suspension fork with lockout. Priced at $600.
- Superwaffles XC 29er Disc MTB
- Superwaffles Growl Road/Gravel Bike
- Black Edition Cycling Kit
- Vino Fondo Jersey
- DBS Downtown Bicycle Station Membership
- Bicycle Fitting Services
- Bicycle Service Department and Repair
- Cycling University Classes
- Equipment Rentals
- Big Shark Event Services
- Pastaria Big Shark Racing Team Membership
- Little Sharks Youth Triathlon Team
- Gift Cards
- Tour Sponsorship Packages
Companies that use Big Shark Bicycle Company
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Big Shark Bicycle Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Big Shark Bicycle Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and moderate.
- Pedal the CausemajorCharitable cycling event partnership. Big Shark organizes training rides and participates in Pedal the Cause, a cycling event raising funds for cancer research.
- The Davis Phinney FoundationminorPartnership supporting cycling events and programs. The foundation focuses on helping people with Parkinson's live fully through cycling.
- Bike MSminorNational Multiple Sclerosis Society cycling event program. Big Shark supports Gateway Bike MS event in St. Louis.
- The Cycling HouseminorCycling training and coaching service. Big Shark partners for training ride programs and cyclist development.
- GORC (Great Ozark Cycling)minorMountain bike trail advocacy organization. Big Shark supports trail development and cycling access initiatives.
- Washington University Cycling TeammoderateUniversity cycling team partnership. Big Shark sells team merchandise including jerseys and shorts.
- PastariamajorRestaurant sponsorship of Big Shark Racing Team. Provides team naming rights and branding for the Pastaria-Big Shark Racing Team.
- Gateway CupmajorMajor St. Louis professional cycling race event. Big Shark serves as organizing entity and sells sponsorship packages for the event.
- World Wide Technology Racewaymoderatemotorsports venue hosting cycling criterium events. Big Shark organizes and sponsors spring criterium race at the venue.
- Bommarito AudimoderateAuto dealer sponsors Gateway Cup races and associated events. Big Shark organizes events featuring Bommarito Audi branding.
- Renaissance FinancialminorSponsor of Renaissance Financial Junior Race Series for youth cyclist development.
- Upper Limits Climbing GymminorCross-training partner. Associated climbing gym offers complementary fitness activities for cyclists.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Shark Bicycle Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mike's Bikes: California-based multi-store independent bicycle retailer with full-service departments, fitting, classes, and owned-brand bikes - directly comparable to Big Shark's regional specialty bike shop model with sales, service, and community programming.
- Wheel & Sprocket: Wisconsin-based chain of independent bicycle shops with multiple retail locations, service, and event/community programming - closely mirrors Big Shark's multi-location Midwest IBD model with strong community ties.
- Jenson USA: Online-direct specialty bike retailer offering bikes, parts, accessories, and apparel - overlapping significantly with Big Shark's e-commerce product breadth and parts/accessories mix.
- Landry's Bicycles: Boston-area chain bicycle retailer with multiple stores, a long history, full service departments, and fitting services - directly comparable as an established multi-store specialty bike retailer.
- Competitive Cyclist: Premium online bicycle retailer focused on road, mountain, and gravel - competes with Big Shark's higher-end bike sales and apparel business for the same enthusiast customer.
Broad incumbents
- REI Co-op: National outdoor retail cooperative carrying bikes, cycling apparel, and parts across ~180 stores - broader incumbent that competes for the same recreational cyclist spend but at much greater scale across all outdoor categories.
- Specialized (Retail Concept Stores): Major cycling brand with company-owned retail locations focused on premium road and mountain bikes - broad incumbent overlap in the high-end bike retail and service space.
- Trek (Retail Stores): Major bicycle manufacturer with company-owned and franchised retail stores selling bikes, parts, and service - overlaps with Big Shark's specialty retail and service offering but at much larger manufacturer-backed scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Shark Bicycle Company social profiles
Digital presenceBig Shark Bicycle Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Shark Bicycle Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Big Shark Bicycle Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Shark Bicycle Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Shark Bicycle Company
What does Big Shark Bicycle Company do?
Big Shark Bicycle Company is a St. Louis-based bicycle retailer that sells complete bicycles, parts, accessories, apparel, helmets, shoes, and car racks across three retail locations and an e-commerce site. The company also operates a full bicycle service and repair department, offers professional bicycle fitting, runs educational cycling classes, and provides rentals and event management services. House brand offerings include Superwaffles bicycles, Black Edition cycling kit, and Vino Fondo event jerseys.
Is Big Shark Bicycle Company a public or private company?
Big Shark Bicycle Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Big Shark Bicycle Company founded?
Big Shark Bicycle Company was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Big Shark Bicycle Company based?
Big Shark Bicycle Company is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Shark Bicycle Company make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Bicycle Sales are the primary driver. The others are parts and Accessories Sales, service and Repair, classes and Education, team Memberships and Sponsorships, event Management, gift Cards and DBS Downtown Bicycle Station Memberships.
Who are Big Shark Bicycle Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mike's Bikes, Wheel & Sprocket, Jenson USA, Landry's Bicycles and Competitive Cyclist. Broad incumbents are REI Co-op, Specialized (Retail Concept Stores) and Trek (Retail Stores).
Does Big Shark Bicycle Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Shark Bicycle Company.
What industry is Big Shark Bicycle Company in?
Big Shark Bicycle Company's product category is Bicycle Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMABAH, Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories), with a secondary code of CRAMAHAH, Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops.