I’m currently waiting on a Left-Coaster for a Skype interview for the next VeloReviews Podcast (set to record on Sunday night), so I’ve got a few spare minutes to write a bit about what’s up, what’s been up, and what will be up soon. Here goes…
I don’t think I did a thorough enough report from the Masters BG Fit Course I recently took at Specialized Bicycle Company. It was awesome! I went through the Basic BG Fit Course around two years ago, but applied the science as much as I should have. After attending this latest course, I realized that as a bike fitter, I’m in an elite group of folks from around the world… those who really understand (or try to…) the biomechanics of a rider’s body as it relates to cycling. The SBCU staff, along with some of the staff from the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, have improved the curriculum over the past two years to include even more strength, flexibility, and range of motion tests to advance the science of bike fitting even more. If you’re not using BG Fit or having your fits done by a BG Fit Technician, you’re probably not getting the most precise fit possible.
In the past two weeks, since returning from Specialized, I’ve done more BG Fits than I’ve done in the past 6 months. I attribute that mostly to advertising with social media and on the shop’s website. Today, I did a fit with a customer who saw DRASTIC changes take effect immediately by making minor adjustments. He could see exactly why I was making the changes, and how it related to the physical tests I had just performed. It’s really cool to see a good bike fit done correctly, especially when the customer feels the difference before they leave the shop.
We’ve also been dealing with a new point of sale system at the shop. It’s a great POS System, but we’re having problems with integrating it with our distributors’ databases. This means we enter in every single item and SKU by hand, rather than importing all the information to the system. The system is advanced, but it’s more advanced than what our distributors are doing. It doesn’t seem like it’s paying for us to be ahead of the curve on this one. It’s nothing we can’t handle, however. We’re getting the job done, like we always do.
I’m working on a new club format at Out Spokin’. Instead of having everyone listed on our Masters Team roster, we’re planning on having a separate club structure with a membership fee, club jersey, and product discount attached. This will keep the team as “the team,” and have our “club guys/gals” doing their own thing, whether riding casually, racing, or whatever. I think it will be a popular program, as most cycling junkies want to belong to something like a club… and who doesn’t want a discount, however big or small?
We’ve also got an additional way of finding our shop on the internet. You can also access the Out Spokin’ Website by typing:
http://www.thebestbikeshopintheuniverse.com
It’s official. We’re the best. That proves it, right?
I’m trying to catch up on the writing for VeloReviews.com. I’ve had a lot going on lately with travel, Mom’s fight with cancer, and work, so I haven’t had a lot of time to keep the pen to the paper (or fingers to the keyboard) like I should. I’ve got a couple of product reviews in the works, but haven’t had a lot of time (or good weather) to field test them. I’m also chasing down interviews with industry folks for my segment on the VeloReviews Podcast, so if you’ve got a topic or suggestion, please contact me at josh@veloreviews.com.
I haven’t made a push for $$$ lately, so here it is: I need to raise more funds for my LIVESTRONG Challenge Ride in Philadelphia in August. My TEAM PROBIKEWRENCH goal is $25,000 and my personal goal is $10,000. It’s not only to raise money to fight cancer, it’s to help me cope with my Mom’s cancer, as well. I don’t really have a good outlet to get my feelings out about the fact that my Mom is suffering from this disease, so that’s how I’m going to do it. If you could chip in even a few bucks, please visit the TEAM PROBIKEWRENCH PAGE.
Gotta run for now. It’s 1am EST (funny how I use time zones, since I deal with folks on the West Coast a lot now), and I’ve got to hit the hay. Probably going to be a busy day at the shop tomorrow, with the wet and wintry weather we’re supposed to get… NOT. Still pretty late, anyways. I need as much “beauty sleep” as I can get.
PROBIKEWRENCH 