Kevin’s Inaugural Rant & Rave
My first episode is going to go back to a 6,000 mile road trip I took with my partners-in-crime Betty and Sammy. The initial goal of this mission was to find the “best of the best” bike shops that operate. We visited probably close to 100 shops. In all honesty, we learned a few things. But in COMPLETE honesty it turned into a big ‘ole WTF operation.
Let us go down the Whisky Tango Foxtrot rabbit hole, shall we my friends? Much more entertaining at the least.
Answers to the below rants will be called Kevin, Sam, and Betty’s comment (KSBC)
Rant #1 - Closed Sunday so we can ride too!
KSBC - So cute. Better Idea. How about you ride Tuesday or Wednesday? Most people have two days off a week, and that’s when you cram 168 hours of riding into 48 hours. We will be open those days. Our hours are for your convenience, not ours. CAVEAT, if being closed on Sundays is for religious reasons, then accept my sincerest Mea Culpa.
Rant #2 - Intimidation and Pretention
KSBC - Really? We are not splitting the atom or curing cancer. We work in an adult candy store where we drink coffee and hang out with awesome dogs and people all day. We don’t have any customers that are riding the Tour de France this year (that we know of). What we DO have is an array of customers that range from newbies that want douchebag-free advice to bad-assed speed demons that care more about lifting others up instead of putting them down.
Rant #3 - Men’s Social Club Approach
KSBC - Women kick ass, they take names, and then repeat. Women represent nearly 50% of our customers. Is this what we are proudest of? IT IS WAY THE HECK UP THERE. In all seriousness, women’s needs are different than men’s when it comes to many aspects of cycling including bike geometry, parts and component sizing, etc. We have equal amounts of female and male clothing and shoes and are proud to offer three brands in store that are female owned (trust me, these are not easy to find…YET). Did I mention that our best selling handlebar size is a 36cm? It is, and we are darn tooting proud of it!
Rant #4 - Hours that are affected by some random virus or other undiagnosed malady
KSBC - “I drove here and you are not open?! It said you were open on Facebook, Google, etc.” In 17 months we have not opened late nor closed early. We were here during the blizzard of 2022. Was that smart? Probably not when I realized I needed new tires… We take a break over the holiday season but that will be communicated seven ways from Sunday. If in doubt, call us, email us, or send smoke signals. We will answer or call back. And we can be somewhat distracted at random times over 18 days in July. FAVOR REQUEST - If we say we are open and neither of us are here, please call the authorities to look for us. Or, please bail us out from the local constabulary.
Rant #5 - All Brands that we do not sell SUCK.
KSBC - Nope, not the case by any means. If you buy a bike from a reputable shop, you are most likely getting a really good bike to be honest. What separates a bike shop is the ability to help you ascertain your needs, educate you, and arm you with information to make a solid informed decision. We sell a minimum of 4 or 5 brands at all times and have access to more than that. WHY? No one single brand can make EVERYTHING great. No business ever has and no business with hundreds of items ever will. I have personally ridden close to a dozen brands over my years that I don’t currently sell. I enjoyed ALL but ONE of them. What we do focus on is brands that kick ass at a competitive price. And trust me when I say that we sell a couple brands that professionals in the Tour de France would kill to ride if they would not have their contracts canceled and have to get a job at Bedlam!
That is all for installment one my friends! Keep the rubber side down and remember it is all about The Dog, The Bike, The Beer, and The Coffee.
