Cycling Through the Generations

Tadhg Moran followed in the footsteps of his father Declan and his grandfather Timmy to continue Moran’s Bike Shop in Drumshanbo into the third generation.  

Moran’s showroom and workshop is a focal point, not just for cycling enthusiasts, but for those with an interest in any type of motorcycle from the classic Honda 50’s to the more powerful modern Yamaha and Honda machines.

The family business which deals in repairs, rentals and sales found that once lockdown began and keeping fit and getting fresh air became national obsessions, realized that sourcing enough bicycles to satisfy customer demands became a challenge. Tadhg found that there was not enough children or adult bikes to meet the demand and that all the 2020 allocation of new bicycles was gone by the end of July, with sourcing women’s bikes still a particular challenge.

“There was a huge revival in cycling during the first lockdown in 2020,” explained Tadhg Moran. “In the first few weeks the demand was for children’s bikes as schools had closed and parents wanted to keep them occupied”. After a few weeks, a surge in demand for adult bikes was prompted partly by the sunny weather, and because parents too were at home and keen to get outdoors with their children.

Tadhg, a former engineer spent almost 20 years working with Hewlett Packard in Dublin, the US and Asia before taking over the family business in 2018.  Despite spending his teens helping out at weekends and during the school holidays, he was very glad to avail of a Start Your Own Business course, courtesy of Local Enterprise Office Leitrim (LEO) when he became responsible for all aspects of running the operation. He also availed of the Trading Online Voucher which helps him boost his online sales at a most fortuitous time.

“That voucher scheme provides a huge opportunity to small businesses to get a decent website up and running,” he explained.  “We had our website set up in December 2019, possibly a little too late to exploit the Christmas rush but I was delighted to have it when lockdown hit in March”.

Repairs as well as sales are an integral part of the business and when lockdown ended for businesses like theirs, Morans had up to 50 bikes at a time waiting for an overhaul.

The bicycle business can ebb and flow with powerful motorbikes more of an attraction during the Celtic Tiger years, but initiatives like the cycle to work scheme have meant that bicycles continue to be a mainstay. Demand for electric bikes, while still a small enough proportion of the business, is doubling every year.

Another cornerstone of the Moran business is the maintenance and repair of Honda 50 bikes, and the shop has a reputation for being able to source difficult to obtain spare parts for these classics.

 “There is a huge Honda 50 scene in Leitrim, as there is throughout Ireland,” explained Tadhg. Locally the Honda 50 scene is particularly associated with the Arigna mines and before the mines closed in 1990, anyone passing that way might see up to 40 Honda 50’s parked outside.

“They were a very practical mode of transport for miners who were so dusty coming out of the mines that sitting into a car was not ideal,” explained Tadhg Moran. “And Honda 50 s were cheap to run and ideal for the terrain”. Many of these Honda 50 were taken out of storage or the garden shed during lockdown and Morans were very grateful to be able to meet the demand for parts through their online site.  

Coming home to take over the family business was always Tadhg Moran’s plan.

“I never lost sight of the fact that I am from Drumshanbo and that is where I want to be. I have a lot of pride in my hometown,” he stressed and we employ three staff full-time so I am glad we have continued to do that. They are local and that is very important to me”.

Tadgh recognises that he is in a sector that didn’t suffer from the pandemic “I don’t think there is a bicycle shop in Ireland which had a bad year”

He is grateful for the support he received from the Local Enterprise Office to steer the business and would be very confident in recommending the Local Enterprise Office to any new or existing business looking for help or advice.  

For further information on Moran Bike Shop

Contact:        Tadhg Moran

Telephone:    071 9641974            

Website:        https://moransbikeshop.ie/

For further information on Local Enterprise Office, Leitrim

Contact:     071 9650420

Website:     https://www.localenterprise.ie/Leitrim/