The History of Flanders Brothers Cycle

Back in the early 70s , Jim and Scott Flanders along with their grandfather, James Karusis had spent 2-3 years learning the ins and outs of the bicycle business while working at Wheel Goods Corporation of Minneapolis, MN. Wheel Goods at the time, was one of the largest retail and wholesale bicycle operations in the US. They were also one of, if not the largest Gitane bicycle dealers in the US. However in 1973 the Gitane/ Wheel Goods relationship was ending. Upon hearing this, the brothers and their grandfather saw an opportunity to open their own bicycle store. So in 1973 they opened a small bicycle shop just a few blocks east of Wheel Goods and became Minneapolis’ newest Gitane only dealership.

In 1972 the Flanders brothers had been introduced to bike racing by a friend and co-worker at Wheel Goods. They entered their first race that year and were successful right away. That was all it took to get them hooked. For the first 5-6 years of the business, the brothers raced while working fulltime at the shop. Their grandfather minded the store on weekends while they were traveling to races. By 1977 both Jim and Scott were US National “B” team members and were traveling to races outside the US. Things were looking good.

All that changed in the winter of 1978 when their grandfather passed away. It was now time for the brothers to make a decision. In the early spring of 1979, Jim was invited to the Olympic Training Center in CO for team selection. It was decided at that time that Scott would mind the store while Jim would give national caliber cycling one more year. That one more year was a series close but no cigar events. So in 1980 Jim joined Scott at the store and they scaled back their racing to a local/regional level.

Jim retired from racing in 1986 but continues to ride and train with the Minneapolis Bicycle Racing Club. Scott has continued racing non-stop since 1972 and is still competitive in the Cat 1 &2s even at the age of 50.

For over 35 years now, Flanders Brothers Cycle has been specializing in high quality, high performance bikes and products. Whether it’s racing, commuting, touring, or casual cycling, Flanders Brothers has the gear and the knowledge to make your cycling experience enjoyable.