bike shop grand opening on the square

[justapasserby]

One of my close friends is opening up a bicycle shop called The Hub right on the square, across from the courthouse. I believe it's 119 Hopkins, but it's next to Zmedia and the alleyway. It opens @10 am on Friday the 29th and will be going until 10 pm. It's going to be a great bicycle shop, the guys who own it are first class.

[eljefe]

Kau,
I've been meaning to respond to this for a bit... (I have no affiliation with any of the shops in town, but I was a manager in a shop in Austin for 6 years). It sounds like Pedal Power did a poor job of explaining why it might not be financially worthwhile for you have the work done. If it is that old of a bike, which has been sitting for very long, it quite probably needs far more work. Like an old car that has been sitting, once you start working on it, other things are likely to come up. Grease dries up. Rubber deteriorates. About then, Schwinn was using a shifting system that isn't made anymore and isn't compatible with anything that is, so what seems like just a derailleur could well be a new drivetrain and rear wheel. If there is sentimental value to the bike it might be worth it, but you may end up spending $250 when you could get a new bike for the same or not much more (I'm talking about a real bike from a bike shop, not a bicycle shaped object which you might pick up a Wal-Mart). It frustrates me when shops do a poor job of explaining this to people. I have to say that I have been disappointed with the two existing shops in town. Pedal Power has potential to be a good shop, but the few times I've been in they have really seemed disinterested. I also think it was a mistake for them to move out of the downtown area. Al at Freewheeling is burned out. He was 10 years ago. (I understand him, since I was a burned out bike mechanic. That's why I left the business.) His shop is more of a museum than a bike shop. Since I do all my own work, I really only go to shops to get the parts and tools I need, so I can't comment on the quality of their work. I hope that The Hub fills what I see as a hole in the market. The guys are young and eager to get established and grow cycling in town. Besides, they sell Specialized, to which I have a fair amount of brand loyalty.

[spud lumpkin]

The bike shops in SM need to push for bicycle paths, lanes and right of ways. I used to ride around town quite a bit and found it got more dangerous every year. Safer riding means more riders means more bike sales. I won't even mention the few safe routes left as drunks like to target cyclers. Anyway, good luck to the bike shop, maybe a little competition will improve things.

[brete]

Council Memeber John Thomaides has been really pushing bike lanes and you'll see them on a lot of the roads that have been redone (like Craddick). But adding them cost a fair amount of money so they won't all appear at once.