Peter Goudswaard, born and raised in Amsterdam, started working for Van Rossum, a company that sold mopeds and carried out repairs.

Peter takes over the business together with a colleague. After a few good years, the business unfortunately goes bankrupt after about five years.

In that year, Peter continues independently under the name Kaptein Tweewielers. This was the former name of the company where he started working in 1972, also known for the Kaptein Mobylette mopeds. At that time, Kaptein is located at Overtoom 528 and mainly focuses on the sale and repair of city bikes.

Through a customer from the shop, Kaptein becomes one of the first in the Netherlands to import mountain bikes. ‘What are you supposed to do with a bike like that?’ is a question often heard. ‘Is this a BMX bike for adults?’ But Peter sees the potential, and demand begins to grow.

The year 1986 marks the introduction to Specialized mountain bikes. At the time, Van Herwerden from Voorburg was the importer of the brand. Peter would stop by weekly to pick up bikes.

The brand Trek is introduced in the store. Meanwhile, more and more customers also want to ride on the road with their MTB, while some continue to ride mainly in the woods. The MTBs are increasingly being custom-built: slick tires, different saddles, suspension forks, and above all, lots of bright colors!

Relocation to Overtoom 488. Competition had moved in across the street, and Peter didn’t want to have a view of this competitor all day. The new location also offered more space and a tram stop right at the door. The old building remained under management and was used as a bike storage facility. Before that, it had been a combination of shop, workshop, and storage.

In addition to MTBs, more and more racing bikes are being sold. The focus of the shop and workshop is therefore gradually shifting toward racing bikes.

During the summer of this year, Tour du Jour is recorded for the first time on the grounds of the Westergasfabriek. Later that year, Kaptein opens a Fixie pop-up store in Westerpark under the name Kaptein Fixmeisters.

In this year, the Fixie shop moves to Rhijnvis Feithstraat 49. This way, the two locations are close to each other and connected at the back of the buildings by a shared garden. This provides extra space and opportunities for expansion.

Even more focus on race bikes and MTBs. It was therefore decided to discontinue Kaptein Fixmeisters. Meanwhile, more and more women are taking up racing bikes. The shop on Rhijnvis Feithstraat is converted and functions as an extension of the Overtoom store, but with a focus on women, offering specific clothing and racing bikes.

Kaptein starts offering bike fitting services to get customers properly positioned on their bikes.

Peter has been gradually stepping back for a while, and his son Jeffrey is ready to take over Kaptein. He wants to bring innovation and give the shop a modern and welcoming appearance. In the winter, a large-scale renovation of the Overtoom store begins.

Kaptein is growing rapidly, and it quickly becomes clear that the Overtoom store is still too small. The workshop is also still located at the back of the store. It is decided to move the workshop to Rhijnvis Feithstraat, allowing both the shop and the workshop to continue growing.

Bikefitting is becoming an increasingly important part of our services. A modern bikefit studio is set up at the back of the store, equipped with all possible measuring equipment based on the Retül bikefitting system from Specialized.

We already had our weekly ride with the Cityslickers, but we wanted to take it a step further. We wanted to create a real community centered around the love of cycling. With the Kaptein Cycling Club (KCC), we offer our members access to exclusive events, group rides, membership with the KNWU, discounts at Kaptein, and of course a lot of gezelligheid

After a long search, Kaptein finds its dream new location on Marathonweg. After extensive renovations, the doors open in April 2023.