Bike Shops: Your Best Friend!

A few weeks ago, I noticed a small crack in the frame of Thelma, my 7-year-old Trek 520 when I was washing the winter accumulation of crud off the bike. I did not think much about it at the time since I thought a steel-framed bike would be resilient. But then my birthday happened. My tradition is to ride on my birthday the number of miles equal to my age in years; no problem with 54 miles. I was pedaling along at a pretty good clip along SR200 heading back from my turn around point in Potomac, MT, when I noticed my bottle cage swaying from left to right with every pedal stroke. I stopped to tighten the cage and noticed that the cage was not loose. I further investigated the potential cause and noticed that the small crack in the frame had grown!

As you might imagine, I was distressed to see this crack quickly growing. The first thing that came to mind was, "OMG how am I going to get this repaired before my upcoming Denali Adventure?" I then realized that I was still 24 miles from home and had to solve that problem first. Since the crack's growth was directly related to how hard I was pushing on the pedals, I immediately downshifted into my granny gear and spun the next 24 miles at a high-cadence. The growth was abated.

I recently moved to Missoula, MT, in August of 2011, and I hadn't yet taken the time to visit the local shops to find a new bike shop and mechanic. I immediately called my old shop, Trek Stop Bicycles, some 2700 miles away in South Grafton, Massachusetts. The shop owner, and my friend, Gerry Hovagimian told me to send him a few pictures of the frame crack via my cell phone and he would assess the damage, review my bike's records, and call me back. Less than 2 hours later he called me, informing me that my bike frame would be replaced by Trek Bicycles as a warrantied repair. Over the course of the next several days, he personally arranged for the new bike frame to be shipped to the authorized Trek dealer in Missoula, MT, Open Road Bicycle and Nordic, and spoke with the receiving shop about the warranty process. I simply had to drop off my old bike and arrange for a pick-up time. It was all hands-off on my part -- a great example of customer service. This whole experience illustrated the importance of developing a great relationship with a bike shop.

In choosing a bike shop, I would recommend you find a bike shop that:

• Is an authorized dealer for the brand of bike that you own.
• Has a mechanic that shares the love of the style of riding you prefer. (Long distance touring in my case.)
• Has an owner who is willing to take the time to meet with you and understand your particular needs -- never overselling you, while putting you on a bike that is perfect.
• Has staff who are personable and will not intimidate you with their knowledge, preferably people who can explain details to you in lay-person terms.
• Has been able to maintain a stable and strong bike mechanic staff over many years. The mechanics will be key to the long term maintenance of your bike.
• Is willing to go the extra mile in getting you back on the road quickly.

My next project is to build a great relationship with a local bike shop in Missoula, MT, that will be as effective and supportive as Gerry's shop and mechanics in South Grafton, MA have been. I will also be sure to visit Gerry and his crew the next time I am in Central Massachusetts -- probably with a pizza or beer in tow. Thanks, Gerry.

Photo of the frame crack in Arlen's Trek 520 bike Thelma (40K+ miles) by Arlen Hall


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ON THE ROAD is written by the tours team -- Mo, Paul, Madeline, and Arlen -- tours specialists and intrepid bicyclists, covering all things related to Adventure Cycling's tours Department. Check out our 2012 Tours!

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/04/bike-shops-your-best-friend.html

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