Kyote Bayte Cycling USA

The Cycling Hurdle

It is my opinion that many people would love cycling but don’t do it because it is intimidating. A new or returning cyclist will have many questions. What kind of bike to buy? Where to ride it? Is the biking gear necessary? What to do about a flat tire? What type of shifter? What type of brakes? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 

Biking is an activity that needs a coach or a counselor for the new cyclist, but it doesn’t have one, and if it did, it would be too expensive and would just add to the intimidation factor of the sport. Cycling can be extremely rewarding as a method of exercise and as an outdoor activity; however, there is a learning curve to cycling in order to reach the ‘zen’ of your experience.

Eye of the Bike Shop

Enter the Bike Shop. A good Bike Shop offers sage advice for the new or returning cyclist. They can advise you on the type of bike that is best for you, and ‘fit’ you to that bike. As your time in the saddle increases, they can help answer questions and suggest ideas to improve your experience. It is in their best interest to help you find enjoyment in cycling so it becomes a win-win for the Bike Shop and you.

My Experience

Like many people, a bike was my constant companion until I had my first car. Then, the bike became an afterthought. Something that I took to college with me but left it unused so long that it was stolen and I didn’t notice it was gone for weeks. As a young adult, I returned to cycling on a casual basis, but it wasn’t until I was in my fifties that I really began enjoying cycling again.

By that time, I had experienced the basic, single gear, banana seat utility bike as a child and the ten-speed racing bike as a young adult, followed by the mountain bike as an older adult. I felt I knew my bikes.

I didn’t.

When I returned to biking, the cycling world had drastically changed. There were two major bike types (Racing, or Road bikes, and Offroad, or Mountain bikes.) In addition, a newer type of bike combined features of both Racing and Mountain bikes. This new category, known as the Hybrid, was a bike for paved streets, lighter in weight, and more efficient than the Mountain bike, but it put the cyclist in a more comfortable position than a Racing bike.

It was my local Bike Shop, Great Basin Bicycles, that explained the concept and sold me on a type of bike that I would have never considered. It was not the top of the line in its category. In fact, it was the low-end model of Cannondale‘s Hybrid bikes, but it is exactly what I needed. My decade-old, Cannondale Quick 5 is still serving me well, and this year I have ridden over 4,000 km (2,500 mi) on it.

The Good, the Bad, and the Great

There are good Bike Shops, bad Bike Shops, and Great bike shops.

Good Bike Shops will give you basic advice, maintain your bike for reasonable fees, and answer questions that you might have about your bike and cycling.

Bad Bike Shops are mostly interested in profit. They will want to sell you their most expensive bikes, regardless of what is correct for you. They will offer basic maintenance services at one price but may surprise you with added additional charges for extra services or parts. They will treat you as their best customer in the entire world while you’re in the shop, but forget about you the moment you walk out the door…unless you’re the high-end customer that buys the top of the line bikes.

Great Bike Shops do all the things that good Bike Shops do, but they see you as part of their family. You become more than the customer because they see you as an individual cyclist with your own goals and needs. They want you to enjoy cycling as much as they do…and they LOVE cycling.

I’m now a loyal customer of my Bike Shop because they are a great Bike Shop. It’s not just because they sold me the bike, but because they sold me the correct bike for me and I’ve never had a bad experience there. I’m very comfortable with them. I’ve tried to work with other local Bike Shops, but they fell into the Good or Bad categories.

It’s Worth It

A Bike Shop is more than a place to buy a bike. It is the nexus of your cycling experience. It is your connection to the manufacturer of your bike. It’s your connection to knowledge and information about cycling today.

Yes, bikes are more expensive at a Bike Shop. That is because they are better bikes and sold by people who know why they are better. Bikes sold at a Bike Shop are meant to be enjoyed, not just left in the garage. What you get with a Bike Shop is a bike that fits you and your style, and the people who know cycling is as unique as the cyclist. If you truly have an interest in riding, the Bike Shop is worth the cost of the bike…and more.