Link: In praise of my local bike shop
Jul. 7th, 2019 05:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soniaI was happy to see my local bike shop, River City Bicycles, praised in this article, Hey Bike Shops, Stop Treating Customers Like Garbage by Gloria Liu.
I stopped by River City yesterday because my brake levers were bottoming out even though the brake pads looked okay, and I happened to be riding nearby. On a summer Saturday, the place was packed with bicycles and their tall male riders milling around. I nearly backed out again. After a short wait, one of the mechanics asked me what was up. He adjusted the braking for me and lubed the chain on the spot. No charge, because I bought the bike there.
No condescension either, although I mumbled something about barrel adjusters and wasn't certain that the brake pads had some life left. They do have some women employees (yay!) and all the employees treat women well.
When I was bike shopping in 2010, it took me two years to find this store and the right bike because employees at other bike shops didn't take me seriously as a bike commuter and recreational rider. I knew exactly what I wanted and couldn't find it - until someone at River City actually listened to me.
I go there almost exclusively for gear shopping and bike maintenance, even though they're not the closest shop to my house. I did have two sub-par experiences there, one before I bought the bike, and one not too long ago, and they were both taken seriously and made right. I highly recommend shopping there if you're local!
I stopped by River City yesterday because my brake levers were bottoming out even though the brake pads looked okay, and I happened to be riding nearby. On a summer Saturday, the place was packed with bicycles and their tall male riders milling around. I nearly backed out again. After a short wait, one of the mechanics asked me what was up. He adjusted the braking for me and lubed the chain on the spot. No charge, because I bought the bike there.
No condescension either, although I mumbled something about barrel adjusters and wasn't certain that the brake pads had some life left. They do have some women employees (yay!) and all the employees treat women well.
When I was bike shopping in 2010, it took me two years to find this store and the right bike because employees at other bike shops didn't take me seriously as a bike commuter and recreational rider. I knew exactly what I wanted and couldn't find it - until someone at River City actually listened to me.
I go there almost exclusively for gear shopping and bike maintenance, even though they're not the closest shop to my house. I did have two sub-par experiences there, one before I bought the bike, and one not too long ago, and they were both taken seriously and made right. I highly recommend shopping there if you're local!
no subject
Date: 2019-07-08 10:33 pm (UTC)The rampant sexism I encountered when I was a bike mechanic back in the early 70s certainly hasn't improved as much as I want it to.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-09 02:36 am (UTC)