Al Kreitler

(1924 - 2001)

"Ottawa man learns great product doesn't always mean great profits"

The Associated Press February 15, 1997

Ottawa - Members of the U.S. Cycling team know A1 Kreitler. He helps keep them in shape this time of year when black ice makes roads treacherous and single digit lows freeze fingers to handlebars. Kreitler isn't a trainer or coach. Instead, the eccentric Kansan makes "rollers", a device that allows cyclists to ride indoors.

For nearly 28 years, Kreitler has been making rollers --- three aluminum cylinders mounted in a steel frame that lays flat on the floor. Two of the drums fit under the bicycle's rear wheel and one drum fits under the front wheel. The device allows cyclists to ride in place without support, much like a treadmill lets runners run.

Kreitler, 72, didn't invent rollers; he simply made them much better. His equipment is the industry's standard and was the choice of American riders last summer in the Olympics, where he was asked to send 36 sets.

"At a track race, we'll use them constantly," said Scan Thompson, head mechanic for USA Cycling in Colorado Springs, Colo., which provides teams to the Olympics. "We warm up on them and cool down on them."

But Kreitler has learned a respected, high-quality product doesn't guarantee big profits. His company has remained small, employing only two welders. And sales have been stagnant for years--- about 1,400 to 1,500 rollers a year are sold to dealers at retail prices ranging from $310 to $560, he said.

"Each year, I go to the bank and borrow start-up money," Kreitler said, sitting is his small cluttered office in a low-rent industrial park in this eastern Kansas town. "I pay off all my bills, but each year I'm back where I started the year before." Kreitler says he knows what the problem is. I have a million-dollar product, and I don't know how to market it." he said.

Kreitler never went to business school. He didn't even know how to weld when he started. And he describes himself as "unstructured," suspicious of corporate ways. He attends trade shows in his trademark outfit, blue overalls with a perky little Yorkshire terrier named "Killer" sticking out of his bib. The dog stays in his perch for most of the day, sometimes nestling his tiny face in Kreitler's gray Santa Claus beard.

At lunchtime, Kreitler has been known to use a welding torch to barbecue steaks for visitors and work­ers, blasting the meat with the bluish orange flame as it sits in a hibachi-sized tray he made from scrap iron. Before starting his roller business, Kreitler harvested wheat, repaired lawnmowers, welded and drove tractor trailers, among many other jobs.

His interest in rollers grew out of a love for cycling. He joined a bicycling club in Kansas City, Mo., in the 1960s and members let him borrow a set of rollers during the winter. He soon decided to make his own from scrap materials from the box-making company that employed him. His riding friends liked his rollers and asked for their own sets. Soon, Kreitler decided to start his own business, funding it from his paychecks. Later, a former employer co-signed a $500 loan for Kreitler after he had been rejected by several banks. He began buying classified ads in cycling magazines.

Kreitler spent years experimenting with different materials and refining his product. He still makes many of the units himself in the green steel work-shop behind his office. He moved to Ottawa nine years ago but plans to return to Missouri, where he says tax laws are friendlier to small business and labor is more plentiful.

Kreitler is searching for an investor who could also market his product. "I tell them I'm offering a vehicle that if properly funded and managed, will double in two to three years," Kreitler said.

Jim Langley, who writes about new products for Bicycling magazine, is less optimistic about the potential growth in the roller market. He agrees that Kreitler rollers are the best on the market, but several factors will limit their sales growth. The product's high price is one barrier, Langley said. Cyclists who have already spent a big chunk of their paychecks on a bicycle are often hesitant to spend $300 or $500 more on rollers. "I think they're fairly priced," he said. "I don't think he's gouging anybody, but from a perspective of someone who's trying to convince their wife they need another toy, it's expensive."

The most likely customers, Langley said, are serious road cyclists, a small part of the market now dominated by mountain bike riders, who don't mind riding outdoors in the winter.

Langley says Kreitler might have more success going beyond the small bicycling market and selling to the general population. He might also be more successful selling directly to customers - a move Kreitler has not made for fear of upsetting dealers. "He's got to think of himself, Langley said. "If the customer wants it, sell it to them."

Kreitler's company faces an uncertain future. He moved from Kansas City to Ottawa in hopes of finding a "farm boy I could clone" to take over the operation. But he said reliable workers have been scarce, and he's still looking. Still, he has no plans to retire. "I've been putting out fires for so many years," Kreitler said. "If I had to stop doing that, I'd be dead in a few months."

All about rollers

Rollers are far from being the most popular way of pedaling indoors. More people ride stationary bikes or trainers that lift the bicycle's rear wheel off the ground allowing the cyclist to pedal in place. But serious cyclists prefer rollers for several reasons:

Rollers help riders practice proper riding form. Stationary bikes allow riders to "Stomp" on the pedals with little regard to form or control. Rollers demand riders spin the pedals in a smooth fashion. Stomping can quickly cause loss of balance.

Rollers train cyclists to ride in a straight line. Beginners with undeveloped cycling muscles often have difficulty riding straight --- a dangerous flaw when riding in traffic or groups. Rollers don't tolerate much side to side movement, forcing the cyclist to ride straight or crash. Resistance can be added to make the workout harder with the help of a fan powered by a belt attached to the rollers. 

Rollers have disadvantages: A learning curve. Some experienced cyclists never can get over the initial fright of pedaling on rollers. Rollers demand more concentration than other trainers. Reading a novel while pedaling is difficult.

 ~ Bill Foreman, Associated Press Writer

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Update ~

Regrettably,  Al Kreitler passed away in 2001. However our longtime friend, Derek Barefoot, and his company have taken over production of Kreitler rollers. With the addition of some new machinery, quality is actually higher than ever. The Kreitler legend continues!