Herself and I picked out vinyl, tile and carpet yesterday — now all we have to do is wait for the flooring dude to clear our choices with the property-restoration folks, who no doubt must consult the turd-herders. Then we’ll be in business, maybe, assuming that the contractor who handles the installation will not be buried in some other nightmare project.
Lots of other projects in greater cosmopolitan Bibleburg are playing red light-green light lately. A massive development project on North Nevada past Garden of the Gods has been dialed down to a Costco for the moment, while a similarly ambitious project on South Nevada has been placed on hold altogether.
One suburban-renewal project is continuing apace, however. Jimmy Dobson has stepped down as chairman of Focus on the Family. Dobson plans to spend his twilight years instructing his grandchildren in the dark arts of Republicanism, homophobia and hypocrisy while struggling to master a Biblical magic trick — stuffing a camel through the eye of a needle.
Mad Blog Media 
A major strip mall project here has been put on hold due to the developer’s inability to get funding. In this development there was to be a new and improved REI store, one that would have had a bike shop, unlike the postage stamp sized store they have here now. And why do I care? Well, truth be told, I was hoping to get hired to work the bike shop.
GASP! How could I, after working so many years in the IBD world, even consider working for a big box? Lots of good reasons. For one, out of the eight or nine bike shops in our area only one targets the the new or casual cyclists, which happens to be the target demographic of REI (all of the other shops target the mid to high end cyclist). I worked for that one bike shop, the owner was a jerk, he broke every promise he ever made, especially the one about keeping me on through the winter. Along with all his lies and broken promises, he spent a good amount of time pounding his bible. Total asshole. Second good reason: a bike shop job with benefits and paid vacation, two things I never got in ten years of working for IBDs. So yea, I wouldn’t mind giving REI a shot.
Not now, though. Thanks to the Bush recession.
What’s the thinking out there? Is doing a stint at an REI bike shop betraying our roots and just looking out for #1 in the true Republican spirit? Or am I justified in actually wanting health insurance for the first time in more than a decade?
John,
I wouldn’t give the Republicans any credit for the looking out for number one philosophy. They are more like everyone else looking out for them and their rich buddies.
REI, while a big box, is many miles ahead of say Target or Walmart. The REI bike shops I’ve been in seem to have some real connection to cycling beyond moving units. The nearest REI is miles away so I have no problem sticking to my LBSs, one of which I worked for – PT, no benefits, great people, honest, low pay.
Also it’s fair to draw a slightly different line when choosing where to work vs where to spend your pay. Getting people into the sport raises the tide for everyone REI and the other honest local shops. Some casual cyclist do move up and if REI can get them into cycling and serve as a trusted resource then better for everyone.
The Westfield organization – large mall owner and developer- has announced that starting tomorrow heir operations will open 30 minutes later and close 30 minutes earlier thanks to the Bush recession.
Health insurance is good and given how much the un-insured cost the economy wanting health insurance should be seen as a positive social act.
Interesting economic observation. While around here it is common to see Hispanics cycling to work in all weather all year. I am now seeing more Anglos on better bikes with nicer gear, and a brief case slung over the shoulder riding in all weather all year.
what is it with these bike shop owners, I’v worked for two of them and both were butt plugs.
I’ve worked in bike shops since 1997, and I’ve always had good experiences with the owners. That alone, however, says nothing about the pay (low), benefits (benefits? What benefits?), and winter-work guarantee (some shops better than others, maybe to a fault). For me – at least until 2008, when I struck out on my own (albeit still in the bicycle industry) – the lack of those things was more than compensated for by cheap bike parts and good old fashioned love of the trade.
Most bike people that I’ve met have been pretty nice folks, provided I stay away from high-strung, huge-ego, racer-only types. If you’re looking to make money or have a kickass conventional benefits package, stay out of bike shops (hell, even out of the industry as a whole). But if non-conventional things – the satisfaction of an enjoyable job, the company of like-minded, low-key people, and yes, even free or cheap bike stuff – can provide you with all the benefits package you need, come on in.
All that said, I’m sure there are some dollar-only-minded, jerk bike shop owners out there that should have gone into government contract work or something, but instead opened a bike shop, expected to become rich, and are sour because of the contrast between expectation and reality. I just haven’t really met any.
You might notice that the recession started with the housing bubble burst. This was a direct result of legislation that required lenders to give loans to people that couldn’t afford those loans. This happened under the Clinton administration. So, calling it the “Bush recession” is extremely inaccurate. Most economic situations are not due to anything done by any administration but rather due to economic cycles, but each administration gets credit or blame regardless of what they do.
On another topic, I believe that REI is a great supplier of all outdoor supplies. My husband and I have been members of REI since 1978 and each have bought our recent bikes from them (low to medium level touring bikes, no races intended). The service has been great, but I didn’t get much help when I indicated that I wanted a “bike fit.” I was trying to get the seat and handlebars at the right levels for my height, weight, etc. Nothing fancy since I just want the bike for recreational purposes and exercise, but was told that “it was fine.” I hope its OK, but the saddle became very uncomfortable after about 20 miles of riding on a local bike path, so I’m not sure that the fit is OK. It would be great if people who really knew what they were doing would work for REI. I guess I need to go look for a “gel” saddle if I want to ride any distance.
REI has contributed to the bike community here in Bibleburg, hosting meetings of the local bikeways coalition, sponsoring events and whatnot, so I throw a buck or two their way from time to time. I try very hard to spread my spending around, patronizing a number of shops, though the bulk of my bike bucks go to Old Town Bike Shop; owner John Crandall is a friend and neighbor, and I’ve been buying stuff at his various locations since the early 1980s.
John, I feel your pain, insurance-wise. As a free-lancer since 1991, I have from time to time done without auto insurance, health insurance and other safety nets. At one point we carried a catastrophic policy on me, with a huge deductible that basically meant we paid through the nose every time I got sick. Happily, I don’t get sick often.
In moments of weakness I’ve thought about going back to work for a newspaper, if only to latch onto employer-subsidized health insurance, 401 (k) plans and other corporate bells and whistles, but happily that escape hatch has been nailed shut as the industry shrivels like a spider on a hotplate. When sober, I’d rather perform surgery on myself with a bottle of Bushmills and an X-Acto knife than run back into that burning building.
The Donks liked the subprimes so their clientele could get cheap mortgages. The Elefinks liked it because they saw a fast buck to be made. Face it–both parties were in it up to their knickers. If the Elefinks own more of this it is due to their knack for deregulating everything in the Reagan Era and letting the fat cats plunder at will (I include Clinton in the Reagan Era). But there is plenty of blame to go around. The American people were fool enough to think the free lunch would last forever.
As far as REI? Disclaimer: We became REI members when we moved to the Mainland from Paradise. I’ve always been pretty happy with the outdoor clothing and sporting gear, not to mention the dividend.
REI gave the Bicycling Coalition of New Mexico a bicyclist education grant, FWIW. Also, their Albuquerque and Santa Fe shops have pretty good bikes and accessories and helpful, polite workers. I think they were also sponsoring LAB Road I/Smart Cycling 101 courses. They seem seriously into cycling and as someone mentioned, carry bikes for Joe and Jane Everyman. The Albuquerque shop was doing bike repairs, too, at least last few times we were there. I think they are a valuable addition to the bike shop scene.
John, speaking as a former shop steward and union board member (and still very pro union), you have to look out for yourself first and cycling second. If REI pays good wallet filler and has decent bennies, God bless you and go work there. None of us can depend on the kindness of strangers when we are at the grocery store or the hospital.
Hey, I had to work p/t at Toy’s “R” Us doing bike “work” at $10/hr!
Now, I’m doing a UCI race.
Anyone who works at a bike shop need hard core help and some time at the lock up time on the 7th(?) floor at Penrose on Pikes Peak Ave. I’ve know several bike shop folks who’ve done time there. There are drugs that can help…not really.
Good advice from one and all, and all very appreciated. For the moment moot however since the new store is on hold and I would hardly be guaranteed a job anyway. Especially in this market.
I still have my misgivings. I recall a decade or so ago that REI opposed wilderness designation for an area of the northwest since once wilderness their rock climbing customers would no longer be permitted to leave gear behind. I figure that’s some long term thinking on the part of the “I” in “REI”.
However, they do seem to have a long term view when it comes to cycling also: they do what they can to support the local cycling scene, ever mindful that more people on bicycles means more customers. So I have to give them credit there. The local REI even allows me to give an occasional free talk on the techniques of bicycle commuting, a one hour clinic for which the owner of my last shop would charge customers something like $10 (next one is on Saturday March 28 at noon if you happen to be in Grand Junction).
My ten years of bike shop experiences have given me a rather schizophrenic view of the corporate owned business / locally owned business debate. I was an employee of a locally owned bike shop for many years, but yet I’ve been treated really bad by some of them. I’ve seen shop owners have the attitude that their customers somehow owe the locally owned shop their business. I had a shop owner who would get angry with customers who would buy some part or accessory from a catalog, while ignoring all of the other gear (not to mention the bike) that the same customer had bought at our shop.
Bottom line: I guess there’s pluses and minuses to both. I like the idea that I can always work at a big box but choose to spend my money at the LBS.
I feel a little better when I recall last year bumping into the owner of my favorite LBS while both of us were shopping…at Wal-Mart.
The bottom line is that nobody can support their LBS unless they have both a checkbook and a pen. I’ve spent plenty of the green stuff at Santa Fe Bike N Sport and Rob and Charlie’s, but you gotta have it if you are going to spend it. The basic economy has to work.
Also, if someone is hiring bike wrenches with the assurance of benefits, that means the LBS has to follow suit or go wanting. That’s good for the worker. Sure, that can be a hardship for a small business–my wife’s family had to deal with that in their sporting-goods biz. But as I said, no one can support cycling if they are broke and owe the hospital twenty big ones more than they have in the bank.