If I owned a bike shop I'd..........

I must say this picture makes as giddy as a school girl when I think about what could be.

I'm sure it's a lot of hard work and financially very risky but I'd love to own a bike shop. When we moved to Charlotte and the wife said it was fine to get a part time job. I jumped at the chance to work at a Bike shop. Fact is I'd probably do it for free. I love talking about bikes, I love getting husbands riding with their wives, I love getting families riding together, I love helping people get back on a bike after many years of not riding (btw, the saying is true "It's like riding a bike, you never forget how to ride). It's been a dream of mine for a while. Needless to say I've been in a lot of shops over the years. When on vacation or in a new city I always try to check out the local bike shop. Over the years I've made mental notes of things of I've liked and disliked.  Here's my list of the perfect bike shop

Products- I'd carry brands and products that I believe are the best or at least serve a purpose. I would carry only quality products, if I wouldn't put it on my bike then it doesn't belong in my shop. Employees are the heartbeat of the store and know what's the latest and greatest- I'd ask them for their opinion. Ask them "What products do you want?" Then buy it and watch it sell! It's very difficult trying to sell a product that you wouldn't put on your commuter.

Service- Repairs would be quick but also thorough. If a customer came in for a derailleur adjustment but needed a wheel rebuild, I'd want them to know that before they left my store not a few days later out on the trail. I wouldn't nickel and dime every repair. If a customer bought some grips, kickstand, saddle or the like from me and I wasn't busy I'd be glad to help them out by installing it. Also my mechanics would work on every bike - my top mechanic would work on a $10,000 Specialized Venge as well as a $100 Huffy.

Community- I'd really like to be as involved in the cycling community as much as possible. I'd want my customers to know and realize that I'm fighting for their rights to be on the road, that I support all of the great bike related organizations out there such as Trips for kids, Bike Law, Bike! Charlotte, weeklyrides.com, and Take a kid Mountain Biking......... Why? Because I know how cycling can change lives. It changed mine!

Rides- Of course we would have weekly rides. Road rides, mountain rides, night rides, urban/ greenway rides, and any other fun ride I could think of. I'd also have a day set aside for employees and owners to ride together and lunch afterwards together. I'd want my employees to know I appreciate them and treat them as I would want to be treated. People in the bike industry are not doing it for the money- they are doing it because they love bikes! They love being around bikes, talking about bikes, helping others find the joy that only a bike can bring, they love bringing a family together to ride bikes. Take a kid mountain biking would be every weekend. Relevant clinics would be once a month.

Atmosphere- I would like the atmosphere to more like a neighborhood coffee shop than a Mercedes Benz dealership. I'd want my customers to be able to ask anything. I'd want them to pick my brain. I'd want them feel they could ask me a question and feel like they got an honest answer. I'd also like to serve free coffee. I'd also have a place to chill, relax, and watch a bike video, or live race. Sofas, arm chairs, and coffee tables would be just as normal as the smell of rubber tires.

Employees- I'd like my employees to work as teammates rather than adversaries! No commission sales, it's not that I don't want to reward the sales people it's that I don't like the used car salesmen pounce. Once again relaxed and comfortable I'd want the approach to be helping the customer find the best bike for them, not selling them the most expensive one. I want the customer to feel like my employees were their friends listening and giving the best advice.

It's been a wild ride so far, Maybe one day this dream will come true? If it does I hope you come see me for your next bike!