Total Cyclery to put Kenosha cops on new bikes
BY KEVIN POIRIER, Kenosha News, March 6, 2016
Taking the reins from his father about three years ago, Robby Gauss is the new owner of Total Cyclery, 2900 52nd St. This past month, he has been working on the new bikes the Kenosha Police Department will be using this year.
Q. How did you get to work on the police bikes?
A. The city asked for bids. (It was) definitely in need of new bikes. They went to bike shops in the area, and they decided to go with the bikes I proposed. Last year they got five of them because my supplier ran out, but this year they get the last five from last year and the 10 from this year.
Q. How old are the bikes being replaced?
A. The Mongooses were sold from my dad 20 years ago, I think. So they have been in (use) a long time. They are beat. I cringe every time one walks into my shop, so I will be glad when all these go into (service).
Q. What are the new bikes?
A. They are KHS. As of right now, they are the only bike brand I sell new. They have what they call the K-9 unit. You can use them for police, security, patrol, sheriff. They come with bags, racks, cages. All we have to add on are the toe clips and the lights.
Q. Are there differences from the old bikes?
A. This year they went to a 650b bike, which has a bigger wheel diameter than the normal 26-inch mountain bikes. That is the biggest difference this year. The other difference is the hydraulic brakes. Bigger wheels go over things better, a little better control, better rolling resistance and obviously the hydraulic disc brakes have superior stopping power.
Q. What are the typical things that you do here at the store?
A. I specialize in the repair business. When people think of repairs, I like them to think of me.
Q. How did you get in the bike world?
A. When we were 5 or 6 years old, we started racing down at the velodrome on their citizen program. When we were young, my parents always made us fix our own stuff. Our wintertime was spent in the basement taking our bikes completely apart, putting them back together.
Q. Are you involved with the velodrome?
A. I am no longer on the board; however, I do have my own team that I started this year. The velodrome will always be a big part of my life and my business.
Q. Why did you start a new racing team?
A. A couple of friends and I decided that with the new velodrome, we needed more color on the velodrome: new team, new velodrome. It's called Kenosha Cutters. We have eight juniors under the age of 15, and the rest are adults. I think we have four adults. So we are brand new and just started to look for sponsors.
Q. What do you think of the work at the velodrome?
A. I am so excited for it to be dried up and ready to ride again. It seems like it will be fast, smooth. I have people (calling) me from Illinois, Indiana. ... So we should definitely have good racing this year.
Q. What does the velodrome mean to the city?
A. It is a special place. Not many cities can say that we have a velodrome in our city that is usable. Being the oldest operating velodrome in the country is huge. We have had Olympic medalists here racing; we've had multiple national champions; we've had world champions.
Bike patrol history
Kenosha Police Lt. Bradley A. Hetlet started the police bicycle unit from a few junk bikes cobbled together from the evidence locker in 1995. Since its humble beginning, it has grown to 20 bikes, each assigned to an officer.
It is an assignment that is sought after, according to Hetlet.
Police bikes are not that different from regular bikes, but because of the equipment that the officers need to carry, they are outfitted with a rack. The additional weight in the rear calls for a rear-mounted kickstand so the bike does not fall over.
The public has been very receptive to the bike unit, according to Hetlet, especially during parades and the Fourth of July fireworks.
“It is a great way to interact with people,” he said, adding that it allows officers to be more mobile than in their squad cars and go places where squad cars can’t go, especially the lakefront.