Early Morning Scene by the Creek in Boulder that is Morphing into a River
Three people sat by the creek pre-dawn with monitors and director chairs under massive floodlights making the brown and white water rafting water Brightly Lit. A large satellite equipped van acted as a one of the posts for stringing the powerful lights.
Rains, Water, and Standard Bike Repair
We received no rain inside our shop. Less than an inch hung around in one corner of the wooden fence that matches with the rock garden Wheel Graveyard. Our Outdoor Tented Used Parts Store got tanked and semi-demolished. The recyclable cardboard boxes that store bike parts rendered useless and hopelessly soaked. All of a sudden, it wasn’t fun to search through a wet box for 22.2 mm Quill Stems. The heretofore kitchen table now Outdoor Used Part Store Check-out area bulged and expanded into a wet mess.
The Boulder Creek runs east and parallel to Marine St. by 700 yards. A plaque next to the Standard Bike Repair door says: Beware of Flood. In the six years that I have lived in the shop, I was always aware that flooding will happen once every hundred years. Yes, we are legally cautioned of our existence in the flood plain. No we are not able to obtain Through the Moon Flood Insurance since we are not the owners of the property. Both business and home could be ruined in the event of a flood.
And the storm hit when Jen and I were driving back from our Engagement Party for California Friends and Family completely Out-of-the-State. We saw the 30 Surge Drama go down on Facebook. Now, we know what it means when it is observed that the news hits fastest via social media outlets during times of disaster. We envisioned a tsunami and our kitty and shop gone. Evidently, it was a 7 foot surge and somehow did not include hurtling cars coming down the canyon.
One person literally wrote about the Screaming Sounds in their Backyard, and the Rivers Gushing. Confusing to imagine how Screams for Help are pondered via Online Soul Searching.
The real victims apparently were not checking the minute by minute feeds. If only they made Waterproof Smart Phones, you could be tumbling down a raging tributary and Watch it Online.
Post Major Crisis: one of my closest 1,598 Online Friends, posted: Sweet deal. Pulled out of Evac Site via Chinook Helicopter. Kelsey and Ben Seaman, we are glad that you are alive. Super jealous of an army ride via copter through the greenest trees on the mountain side.
The shop is back in order besides tens of hundreds of used bike parts. Meanwhile in Vegas, Interbike has begun. Interbike is a massive annual bike part trade show that everyone who is anyone attends assuming you have business interest or love bikes. Traditionally held as a Dealer’s Only deal, the showcase event draws stars in the cycling world and now it is available with the cost of the ticket and no extra strings attached.
Newsflash: Consumers allowed into the 2013 Interbike show in Las Vegas.
Water Cooler of a Bike Shop
The title of our blog, “Running a Bike Business” could also be known as an “How to Operate an Independent Bike Shop” or “The Mom and Pop Local Bike Shop.” IBD = Independent Bike Dealer & LBS = Local Bike Shop
Like any sub-culture, bike nerds, business owners, techs, racers, advertisers, beer drinkers and cycling geeks develop a lingo. LBS and IBD could easily be used in a soliloquy on the “State of Local Bike Businesses.” Like auto repair and independent coffee shops, there will always be room for the one stop shop.
42 Point Tune-up is Standardized
The 42 Point Tune-up comes in the form of a written, sealed and signed 42 Point Check-list. A 42 Point Tune-up is a written pledge printed out per customer that includes the 42 Points, our seal, contact info in case you need to call us back, and signature lines.
Difference between Drop-it-Off Appointment and Watch/Help/Learn
The Drop-it-Off rate for the 42 Point Tune-ups is 60.00. It takes two days to a week to get it back depending on parts availability, our schedule and your needs.
Watch/Help/Learn is a bike repair education service. We offer our One-on-One Bike School services at 42.00 per hour.
For Example
The first scheduling of yesterday started at 10:30 am and took exactly one hour. The customer paid 42.00 for the maintenance and education. We removed, scraped the rust-off and replaced the recessed nut of the center bolt in a side-pull disc caliper operation. Most of the time, you can grab the caliper and adjust without tools if it is not centered properly. In this case, the Tennessee Rust made it difficult to turn the slightest. A brass brush, 5 mm allen wrench and dab of grease later, the caliper was back in the front fork. We trued both wheels, and let the customer pedal, shift and change gears in the repair stand. By running through the gears and watching the derailleurs shift based on the cable’s tension, we now understand what happens Down There.
Philosophy
At 42.00 per hour, the customer gets to participate and learn. Hands-on experience is welcome and encouraged. Our business is based on Appointment Bike Repair. Time is included in our business philosophy. Whether you are a High-Flying Business Man or I-Gotta-Get-Back-to-Studying-Student, scheduling works well for consumer and business.
Cherry on Top
You get your bike back at the conclusion of repair. You will not have to leave your bike in the shop. The invoice is taken care of at the end and you know exactly what happened to your bike. We win together.
Your maintenance invoices Through the Years will be lower because you can fix it yourself. Gone are the days of Expensive Overhauls and a Bike Driven into the Ground. Your bike will be in consistent better shape. When you cannot DIY at home, you will still recognize the fault, and bring it in sooner. When we catch things at the beginning, it is cheaper to fix.
We arm you with Bike Repair Knowledge.
