Less Car: More Bike Part Three. Lots of links!

"Let our people travel light and free on their bicycles."- Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

"Don't buy upgrades; ride up grades."- Eddy Merckx

So, how should you carry things? Let’s think of a grocery store trip as an example. You’re not provisioning a distant outpost, but getting “some” food/supplies for a few days. Don’t get discouraged because you don’t have the perfect rig, just do it.

If you walk, you’ll probably use a backpack. Compared to a month of gas/short trips, a backpack is a good investment. Upside- it’s easy to use and maintain. Downside- Slow and sweaty, maybe heavy. Packed carefully, carrying a few 2-liter soda bottles and some groceries can be very possible.

If you ride, you have more options. We’ve covered the backpack already, but I can’t really suggest it for riding. 

Low dollar/light load/short distance? Think Beach Cruiser with a handlebar basket! If the bike looks horrible, it’s less likely to be stolen. I’ve heard of people covering a nice bike in saran-wrap, and then spray painting the saran-wrap . “Camouflage!” Blend into or below the urban environment.

Mid-price/load/distance? Think of an older or lower dollar value bike with rack mounts, and add a rear rack and panniers. Jandd makes a pannier called the “Grocery Bag Pannier”, click on that name to see it. This is a nice option, but what’s on the other end of the price range? Something Home Made! There are very nice new-bike options available for commuting...

Open Budget/large load/distance unlimited? Get a BOB or similar design trailer. Get a Touring Bike and “Bag it out”. (Only handlebar and rack Bag shown, fully loaded here.) Or for the over do-ers reading this, get an Xtra-Cycle or Surly Big Dummy. That link shows a bike-towed trailer with about 400lb of 4’ x 8’ x 3/4” plywood ready to go. How about a Touring Unicycle, I kid you not! If you need to carry something, it can be done. (Thanks to SurlyBikes for some of the pics!)

As usual, your comments are welcome. Next time let’s look at traffic visibility and security options.

Less Car: More Bike Part Two

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race- H.G. Wells

... The bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created. Converting gasoline into human calories, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon. ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist

At the conclusion of last week’s episode I’d asked you to think of three positives of living without a car. I wasn’t kidding, post ‘em as comments! I asked you to do that as change is sometimes a little scary. You might want to change your life a little, and that can be uncomfortable. Your customers are thinking of this also, so be ready to tell them what you learn.

The reasons to drive a car are obvious, and recently the reasons to drive less are also. Your reasons WHY are personal, and important. Honestly, do you really need 300hp in a 4000lbs vehicle to go get a soda? Where could you cut out that one trip in the dino-burner? Work? Groceries? Where is that one excess trip that you can eliminate?

An obstacle to getting started in this is your perspective from the vehicle, “those other drivers have serious issues”. So don’t ride the same road as them. Please navigate over to www.bikely.com, and take a look at alternate routes to your destination. For most trips you may find at least one alternate route, but it can be safer. Or cleaner/nicer. Until you know of alternatives, feeling trapped makes sense.

As usual, your comments are welcome. Next time let’s look at carrying methods and bike options.

Live without a car? How about “much less car” travel?

Hello Blog Reader. Please come into my office and have a seat, thank you for coming to this meeting.

We have something very important to discuss, and it’s something you’ve been trying to ignore for some time. Ignoring something does not make it go away, you might’ve noticed. Let’s get right to the bad news; we will likely never again see gas prices in the $2 per gallon range. It is likely that we will see gas in the $5+ range within the next two months. This is very hard news, I would like a tissue too. We HAVE to acknowledge this change, because ignoring only hurts us. To acknowledge it fully, we have to deal with it, and the easiest way is to start in our own homes.

In your anger at the situation you might ask “what makes you so smart about this?” You’re feeling a loss, and that’s normal. I can discuss this with you as I’ve done it, through one of the wettest winters in Southern California history. If we work together, this can be easier. I will give you my experience and references. Your relationship with your car must change, and it’ll be OK. The quality of your life might even be better...

As we meet quietly on this blog, we’ll discuss the steps to take; some difficult and some easy. My goal as your guide is to help you keep your cash in your pocket, and get the things done that life demands. As you leave today, I’d like to reflect on the concept of “I can live without a car”. Don’t think of the obstacles, but of three positives.

See you next week. Bring a note pad, or hook up your printer!

QBP raises order minimum to $175.

QBP positives:
1. A beautiful Manual that now must be ordered by each store individually.
2. The widest selection of parts from all categories.
3. Suspension and Brake Tuning Center.

To us, QBP is a valued partner. But today they've raised their minimum dollar amount by $25. 

Let's think of the positives of KHS/Raleigh-DB/SBS:
1. They are located closer to our stores, so your order gets delivered quicker and at lower cost.
2. All of them are competing for our business, so we get better prices.
3. Their order minimums are MUCH less than QBP's.

We appreciate all our business partners. However, we'd suggest that when you form a customer Special Order you balance these factors, and order from QBP only if the other vendors don't have what you need. It's better for the customer, and it's better for us.

It's a buffet of answers!

Special Orders- Special orders for customers now go direct to the vendor or distributor, without involving the buying team. A special order is usually a single item order, and is different than a parts order or employee purchase.

QBP Parts Manual- No manuals are available thru Corporate, or the training staff. The only way to get this leviathan manual is to use a STORE EXPENSE PO, and call the order in to QBP. The cost for the manual is about $10, and is definitely worth it. We are NOT currently having stores order parts for repairs or for their showcases.

Chain Lube, Grease, Degreaser- Available thru Execusystems, ordered via a Manager. Please do not 100% out your floor stock, as it increases the "shrink" numbers for your store.

Pictures of problem parts to Vendors- So you're handling a bike part issue, and the vendor requests a digital picture as proof of the problem. You may have noticed that manager computers cannot email outside our company. Solution: email the picture to me with exceptionally clear directive of to whom I should forward that message to. Having the target email in the subject line is a decent idea.

Post Mount Disc Brakes- Disc brake calipers mount to forks by the "International Standard" or by a "Post Mount". "Post Mounts" require the bolt length to be longer for required thread engagement, and are becoming more widely used. If you or a customer have stripped out a "post mount" it is not a warranty issue, and the responsible party gets to pay for the replacement lower leg assembly and installation.

"Rack Install class is focused on Yakima, but my store also sells Thule"- Our Rack Install class IS based on Yakima systems, as both systems have comparable parts. A Q-tower and 400XT Aero Foot tower both do the same thing, but all of our stores stock Yakima parts. If you feel you need more info on Thule systems and training please navigate over to www.RackItScience.com and you'll have all your questions answered.

Sport Chalet Jerseys- A sneak peek...

We are finally getting the jerseys we've been asking for!

You can see our current jersey in your store.

I'm not certain if/how much "Sport Chalet" logos will show on this one (None are on this proof), but I'd pay retail for this argyle one! (Should be arriving any day now.)

And in mid-to-late May we'll see this "Alpe d'Huez" design.

I hope you're as excited to see these coming in, please help your customers to see them!

An Open Letter Among the Bike Trainers

Confidence or Convenience?

In our group of trainers I’ve been getting more requests lately to change things around, like to just certify someone outside of the class, or have ‘em attend day three of a MM series to demonstrate their skills, or to run a candidate through a series out of order in order to “get him certified”.

Before you ask for this, please ask yourself why you would do this. I’m been tempted in the past, and may have made choices that I’d later regretted. Most of the justifications for an exception will be related to:
a. “He’s really experienced”
b. “He can’t get to the class due to… school/family/kitties/lunch money/whatever”
c. “The store can’t spare his hours for training”

These responses are considered by you because of your:
1. Confidence- “This person presents himself so well (Or helped ME out of a problem) that I can’t possibly waste his time in class.”
2. Convenience- “I can then get another person certified, and/or a manager off my back.”

I understand these things. I once cancelled a Corporate meeting to certify someone 75 miles away. I was there on time, with tools set up for a one-on-one day with an associate with over 10 years of Sport Chalet experience. All three tests and samples laid out like a pro. The guy showed up with an issue that got him dismissed for the day; session rescheduled. I didn’t respect my time or the “Program”, and wasted a day for it. Called myself a "dummy" all the way home too.

If you have the chance to work with a “really experienced” associate in a MM series, your day will go easier. You may even learn something from him, or at least have an easier class! The MM clinic is designed with escalating levels of mechanical participation from the associate, with time between sessions to review and integrate the previous lessons. By running the class in order we reinforce the previous class, which is a huge benefit to all of the associates. You may not be aware of it, but some people learn primarily thru “listening”, “seeing” or “doing”. Depending on the complexity of the demonstration, it may be all three.

Finally, what if their store “can’t spare the associate”? This is going to sound harsh, but that’s not your problem. If they don’t value critical training, it’s a big indication of other problems outside of your control. Stores that support a high degree of proficiency in their associates ALSO have higher SPMH. This is not something I’ve just made up; it’s a proven “action-reaction” linkage. By training their associates, they get better retention of that person. When they spend time with you they learn how to solve problems easier, and how to get questions answered in a way that they will learn no where else. Your time with them has a value that cannot be calculated.

Why would you help to deny these benefits to someone? (I’m not gonna touch the legal side of this here- call me for that one.) There’s a hundred “reasons”, but why? Is it your confidence, or your convenience getting in the way? Stick with the program, Gentlemen. It’s everyone’s best move.