Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren and Brown Loper.
Lauren and Brown, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Brown is the inventor and tinkerer, I’m the business driver! Brown invented the BUDDY BAR – the bar that connects two bicycles together, front to back, to form a tandem bicycle. He also developed a bicycle lubricant out of necessity – his bicycle shop, Smyrna Bicycles, was constantly running out. He developed a better lubricant that goes on more evenly and has become a customer favorite (and recommended by the Smyrna Bicycles race team as it has been a podium winner!!).
How The Original Bicycle Tandem Bar® was born!
Years ago as a boy, my family had a tandem bicycle. I realized how much faster the tandem bicycle was than the other regular bicycles, but it was so cumbersome to use, and not everyone could ride it (there was 6 of us)!. It was then that I started to scheme how to get everyone enjoying the tandem, but not having to deal with the heaviness, bulkiness, and restrictions it had. It wasn’t until I was in college in the 80s that I came up with the buddybar concept.
Over time it morphed from a serious training tool to being used for casual riding of all ages and abilities, and even for therapy and rehab.
My wife and I have two children, and we can all ride together and not worry about anyone getting tired or having to constantly stop to wait on each other. We have a passion for bringing people together through cycling, getting them outside, and enjoying the fellowship of another person, whether through training or a casual ride. Buddybar doesn’t just connect two bicycles together, the connection of relationship goes much deeper! Ride…together!
Where we are today is still getting the word out on BUDDY BAR and GO LUBE. We love to be in the mix and our focus continues to be on enhancing the lives of others – making their equipment last longer and build up their relationships by riding together! We believe our products help people achieve their goals with ease and function.
Has it been a smooth road?
Overall, it’s been a journey – I would say more like the Yellow Brick Road kind of road!! We are relatively new, starting about four years ago. Developing a product takes time, effort, cash, time, effort, cash, time, grit, grit and more grit! About three years ago, Kevin Harrington, the original shark from shark tank (he was on the first 160 episodes), reached out to us about BUDDY BAR. We had a humble classified ad in the back of Bicycling Magazine. We worked with him to do an As Seen on TV spot and we quickly realized that was not the best platform for us. It was disheartening. But Kevin’s team was great in helping us with other marketing ideas and we got to participate in one of his invitation-only Think Tank weekends. That was priceless!
We are hoping our switch to more of a grassroots approach will allow us more face-to-face opportunities to meet our customers where they are at, really getting to the heart of how BUDDY BAR and GO LUBE can help them. We’ll be doing more demos at the bike shop and around town (we’ll be at Atlanta Streets Alive April 7th).
Getting the word out on such a unique product is not easy, to say the least. We’re hoping that friends and families will fall in love with using BUDDY BAR like we as a family have! For GO LUBE, it’s been a little easier, since people know what lubricant is (and it’s not just for bicycle chains – you can also use it as a general around-the-house lubricant). We have had a lot of ups and downs, but we haven’t given up!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
What do you do: GOBOL is a mom and pop organization – literally my husband and myself! GOBOL manufactures products to improve and enhance daily life.
What do you specialize in: Our products are BUDDY BAR, the original bicycle tandem bar, that connects two bicycles together, front to back, to form a tandem bicycle, and GO LUBE – bicycle lubricant that can actually be a general household lubricant as well (like WD-40).
What are you known for, etc.? We were originally known for BUDDY BAR, but since we’ve added GO LUBE in the mix, we’re hoping the message shifts from just products to products that help people thrive!
What are you most proud of as a company? We love how our products really help people, whether ensuring your equipment lasts longer with the GO LUBE, or whether your connecting two bicycles together to ride with a friend for adventure and fun!
What sets you apart from others? Our unique products that bring people together sets us apart. Our customers who have bought BUDDY BAR range from people with limited mobility to racing pros. It’s a fun family and friend tool, all the way to an advanced training tool to enhance the performance of pros.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is truly the city of opportunity! The great thing about our metro area is all of the nooks and cranny areas that are like little hubs within communities that offer what people are looking for – experience and enhancing their lives. There is so much opportunity to start and run a business through the local communities, as businesses seem to want to partner together to succeed. Tons of networking opportunities, too, wherever you go in the metro area!
The metro cities make it easy to start up businesses without the assistance of an attorney or other professional – we were able to get our business status and license online, and the instructions are laid out well. If you have any questions, the local government offices are very helpful.
Pricing:
- BUDDY BAR $129.95
- GO LUBE 4 oz $8.99
- GO LUBE 2 oz $5.99
Contact Info:
- Address: Smyrna Bicycles
3988 Atlanta Road
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770) 436-3252 - Website: gobol.net
- Phone: 404.316.3738
- Email: info@buddybar.net
- Instagram: gobuddybar
- Facebook: @gobuddybar
- Twitter: thebuddybar
- Other: buddybar.net
Image Credit:
Green picture: The Meek Brown Show
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
