Our Story

For nearly 13 years, Jeff Shipman served as General Manager at Waldo Bikes in Kansas City — a shop that was more than a business. Waldo Bikes was a KC cycling institution, a place where riders of every level knew they could get honest advice, expert repair, and genuine community. When founder Dave Hirni passed away and the shop closed, it left a real gap in the Kansas City cycling world.

Jeff had spent his career learning every aspect of the trade: mechanics, fitting, customer service, running daily operations across both the retail floor and the repair shop. He described Hirni as “like a begrudging father figure” — the kind of mentor who taught by example and expected excellence. That foundation shaped everything about how Jeff approaches the business today.

In late 2018, Jeff opened Hanover Bikes in Overland Park. The idea was straightforward: build the kind of shop where expertise comes first. Not the biggest selection, not the lowest prices — but the best service, the most knowledgeable team, and the kind of personal attention that chain stores and volume retailers can't offer. He brought on Mike Irwin, a fitter with an occupational therapy background who had been running Bicycle Fit RX as a mobile fitting service, and Bob Schroeder, an engineer with a precision-driven approach to comfort fitting. Together, they built a shop where fitting, repair, and sales all happen under one roof, handled by the people who actually know what they're doing.