(From Bicycle Retailer's website 2009 Oct 23)
Beginning with a road stage, a first for the race, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will visit 16 host cities for official stage starts and finishes, while other cities along the route also will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite professional cycling. Stages for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California include:
Stage 1: Sunday, May 16 – Nevada City to Sacramento
Stage 2: Monday, May 17 – Davis to Santa Rosa
Stage 3: Tuesday, May 18 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Stage 4: Wednesday, May 19 – San Jose to Modesto
Stage 5: Thursday, May 20 – Visalia to Bakersfield
Stage 6: Friday, May 21 – Pasadena to Big Bear Lake
Stage 7: Saturday, May 22 – Los Angeles (individual time trial)
Stage 8: Sunday, May 23 – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s announcement of his intent to compete in the fifth-annual race was met with enthusiasm from race organizers and fans. After mounting an incredible comeback to professional cycling in 2009, competing in the Amgen Tour of California and other top races around the world, including finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France, Armstrong will start the 2010 season on his newly formed Team RadioShack. Returning to the Amgen Tour of California for the second consecutive year, Armstrong is expected to be a top competitor in the race.
We have stores in many of these cities, and there are some opportunities for us here. The smallest of those would be scheduling a day off to see the world's greatest riders roll through your city. A big one for Sport Chalet would be some level of sponsorship. If you fit in the middle, volunteering is an option: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/Tour/volunteer.html
Main info page on the race: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Bike University 2009!
Bike U is on, at the same place as 2008. It's a one day event, so no demo rides are planned, and it'll be a very full day. Oct 27, 2009, starting at 07:45 and concluding at 18:30. Sign up thru the Endzone training calendar. 2 paid per store, voluntary attendance "possible" with pre-registration.
We need a logo, and PDQ. Not just a symbol, not just text and simpler than what's above. Please let me know if you can throw something together, it may get used! Deadline? Sunday PM.
Can't afford Hope? Try Alligator!
This has nothing to do with Obama, so ease up there. This entry refers to me mentioning Hope Gothic rotors for years, and how nice they look. (Well, to a bike goon like me, they look cool!) I had held off from getting a set as they were kinda expensive at a minimum of $50 each. A friend of mine was changing from this set to another, and made an offer I couldn't resist. Once burnished in, these run silent thru the pads and have about the same power as Hayes V6's. Since these have less surface area they are likely to wear faster than Hayes, but for the price it's reasonable.
Let me know what you think and maybe we could stock these!
Let me know what you think and maybe we could stock these!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Thule vs. Yakima- True Competitors
We will be going through a rack vendor transition this month, and the road may seem bumpy in this decision. I’d like to suggest that you look forward to this. If you’ll think through all the roof rack customers that you have ever worked with, how many of them have bought more than one base rack system from you? Not too many, right? How many have bought more than two? Almost none, right?
Buying a base rack system can be compared to buying a house. Once you have a house, you then buy the things that make it a home. In your house there are a number of accessories. Refrigerator, TV, sound system of some sort, and on and on. It’s not a “home” until you have it fixed up just the way you like it.
Over the last four years we have really focused on selling base rack systems. Selling “houses” and less of selling “homes”. I’m not backing away from that philosophy, but it lacked vision. Instead of telling the customer about how to get the base rack we should be talking about how to use it. And digging a little to find another way they could use it. We should be selling the experience of being outdoors, not selling hardware! Here’s an example; Cargo boxes. If someone had only told me years ago how useful cargo boxes were I’d have bought one sooner. Don’t tell me the price. Don’t tell me what it weighs. Don’t even tell me if it’s in stock! JUST TELL ME WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT!
“Sir, the space inside your car is for PEOPLE. If you had a cargo box your camping gear could go in it. If you’re going skiing/boardin’ all of that could up there. If you’re hauling the kids to the soccer field, the bag of practice cones and balls goes up there. Think of all the dirty gear that goes in your car now, and how easily it’ll go in there…”
Had I only known. The company we are partnering with has the easiest to load hitch bike carrier, the T2. They offer the best consumer truck rack, the Xsporter. They make more cargo boxes than the other company by a factor of twelve. They offer the easiest to load kayak carrier, the Hull-a-vator. For a traveling fisherman, see the Cast-a-way. How about a ski/snowboard carrier that doesn’t make you monkey-climb all over your ride in boots after a full day? (PullTop) Open up their catalog and you’ll easily find this info.
The difference in accessories is only one of the reasons we are changing. Yakima is a great company and makes great products, but the time has come for a change. You may hear me say we sell and install base systems in classes, but on the sales floor we’ll be selling an experience and the accessories that’ll make it happen.
Buying a base rack system can be compared to buying a house. Once you have a house, you then buy the things that make it a home. In your house there are a number of accessories. Refrigerator, TV, sound system of some sort, and on and on. It’s not a “home” until you have it fixed up just the way you like it.
Over the last four years we have really focused on selling base rack systems. Selling “houses” and less of selling “homes”. I’m not backing away from that philosophy, but it lacked vision. Instead of telling the customer about how to get the base rack we should be talking about how to use it. And digging a little to find another way they could use it. We should be selling the experience of being outdoors, not selling hardware! Here’s an example; Cargo boxes. If someone had only told me years ago how useful cargo boxes were I’d have bought one sooner. Don’t tell me the price. Don’t tell me what it weighs. Don’t even tell me if it’s in stock! JUST TELL ME WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT!
“Sir, the space inside your car is for PEOPLE. If you had a cargo box your camping gear could go in it. If you’re going skiing/boardin’ all of that could up there. If you’re hauling the kids to the soccer field, the bag of practice cones and balls goes up there. Think of all the dirty gear that goes in your car now, and how easily it’ll go in there…”
Had I only known. The company we are partnering with has the easiest to load hitch bike carrier, the T2. They offer the best consumer truck rack, the Xsporter. They make more cargo boxes than the other company by a factor of twelve. They offer the easiest to load kayak carrier, the Hull-a-vator. For a traveling fisherman, see the Cast-a-way. How about a ski/snowboard carrier that doesn’t make you monkey-climb all over your ride in boots after a full day? (PullTop) Open up their catalog and you’ll easily find this info.
The difference in accessories is only one of the reasons we are changing. Yakima is a great company and makes great products, but the time has come for a change. You may hear me say we sell and install base systems in classes, but on the sales floor we’ll be selling an experience and the accessories that’ll make it happen.
Thule vs. Yakima Training
With the change in vendors, many have asked if we'll be recertifying all our Rack Installers. That answer is 100% no. The two companies have slightly different execution of similar concepts, once one is understood the other one is also. For the last 18 months we've been teaching all of Yakima's details and many of Thule's, we will just be all Thule from this point on.
Think of another "system". An elbow is an elbow. It's the hinge between the wrist and the shoulder. There are differences between mine and yours, but I understand how those you own work.
No retraining is planned, suggested or required, it all installs by the directions that are included. But come to the new clinic for more details on Thule products if you'd like!
Think of another "system". An elbow is an elbow. It's the hinge between the wrist and the shoulder. There are differences between mine and yours, but I understand how those you own work.
No retraining is planned, suggested or required, it all installs by the directions that are included. But come to the new clinic for more details on Thule products if you'd like!
Sunday, August 02, 2009
How do I refill this grease thing?
Please see the video for how to refill and troubleshoot most grease gun issues. It runs less than eleven minutes long...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Should Diamondback make a Singlespeed?
They're one of the few companies that doesn't, and maybe that's because all the distinctive elements of design have been played out. It's probably a "if you can't be different why do it" thing.
However, this example weighs 25lbs on the ultra-accurate hyper-calibrated scale in the Lab. (It measures to 2 decimal points, OK this is 25.18lbs. Easy man, decaf.) I know it's an oddity, I mean who runs bar ends since 1995? But they help to add more power to the pedals under max efforts.
I like it, and it's climbs/handles great. Let THEM know if you think it's a good idea.
However, this example weighs 25lbs on the ultra-accurate hyper-calibrated scale in the Lab. (It measures to 2 decimal points, OK this is 25.18lbs. Easy man, decaf.) I know it's an oddity, I mean who runs bar ends since 1995? But they help to add more power to the pedals under max efforts.
I like it, and it's climbs/handles great. Let THEM know if you think it's a good idea.
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