Posted on by srmfox

The Bike Shop

Bicycles have always been a passion with me. Riding, racing, all aspects..

I took a few years off back in the mid 90’s from the hotel game and was Sales manager for a local bike shop. It was a total decompression job, mental health career break for me. I was surrounded by bikes all day 40 hours a week..Heaven!

It would be my dream of dreams to open a small shop strictly catering to vintage cycles.40’s through the 80’s models only. Road bikes, BMX, Cruisers, Old British 3 speeds etc. Just live the dream and spread my knowledge to a whole new generation of enthusiasts.

I remember having a conversation with the owner of the shop I worked at about why he opened a shop as it seemed he wasn’t a real huge fan of the sport. He told me, if I wanted to start a business. the two best things to do were a bike shop or a guitar shop…Because you will get guys that will work for almost nothing as they just want to be around their passions and come payday? They end up spending half their checks right back into your shop! Ok, I found this completely disheartening although somewhat humorous…Definitely NOT  my idea of good business.. 

Maybe someday my dream will come true…

Posted on by srmfox · 4 Comments

Bicycles…

Just  a brief note…Maybe..So, since I was little, bicycles have been a huge part of my life…They have been family…friends to a kid , the youngest kid of a split family. Divorce was not very common in the 70’s which was the era of my youth…I had a hard time learning to ride as I was blinded in my right eye at 8 years old. Yes, I was a late bike bloomer…

When I finally mastered the two wheeled arts, I was hooked..I mean beyond words..This was SUCH freedom…Out the door and gone for hours without a trace or care in the world. Nothing mattered except trying to beat personal goals for speed,distance etc….My first bike was part of me. As beat up of a hand me down junker as she was, I wouldn’t have traded her for the world.

I remember going to the bike shop almost daily and staring at and sitting on this one particular BMX bike..I was fixated on this one for sure…I  wanted this one…No, NEEDED this one. A 1981 Raleigh Rampar R-10…Factory orange..

I dropped hints left and right about Christmas coming up and my desire for this bike..I tried all the tricks…”I’ll never ask for anything again” “I’ll shovel snow and clean my room” etc etc….Didn’t seem like I was getting through…

Well, Christmas morning came…I came into the living  room in our little apartment…No bike…I tried to act thrilled and grateful for the gifts I opened, but it was killing me…I knew even at that age money was tight and Mom was doing her best…Suddenly, Mom asked me to go out to the entry way hall and take out the trash or something like that…BAM SHAZAM!! I opened the front door   There she was in all her glory!!! My dream bike had come home to me!!! I think I may have cried a little…Somehow my glorious Mom had pulled it off!!! I hugged her and thanked her like never before, but honestly I couldn’t get my shoes on fast enough and despite the snow, I grabbed that baby and hit the street like I was running from the law!!! lol

This was the start of a cycling life and my true love of bicycles for a lifetime to come…..Stories will continue…I truly have so many bike stories and hope they touch you if you are a fan of these grand machines as much as I am…