The Bike Shoppe

The Bike Shoppe
Your Ogden Utah bike expert since 1976!

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Still The New Kid...

If someone asked me to describe The Bike Shoppe in one word, I would easily answer with "thorough". Everything done here is done completely...there are NO untied ends. A quick Google search shows that this shop is the highest ranked bike shop from Logan to Salt Lake (and probably farther). I think the reason for our solid 4.9 star rating is this attention to detail. From every customer's bike that comes in to each new bike that goes out - no bolt is left untorqued or cable left too long or pivot left without lube. Each bike has to be meticulously checked by someone else before it can be marked complete. Being so thorough can be quite the challenge for a new comer like me, but it's a really good thing to get used to. Sure, I know how to change a tire - but I've never cared about the placement of the logos before! And it's not just tire logos...these guys obsess over the logos on the headset, spacers, and top cap. They fret over the placement of decals and the direction of closed QR skewers. I also never realized there was so much to proper cable management; that all cables on new bikes come too long and need to be cut to size and often re-routed; that wires should be trimmed at one inch from the pinch bolt and on and on....So for you mechanical types that like to work on your own bike: when you think you've finished - THINK AGAIN! Look for the little things that you would normally miss. Make it perfect. That's what we do...then we have it double-checked. So next time you pick up a bike from us, look a little closer. I'll bet you'll be impressed. In fact, the Shoppe guarantees it!

-Daniel Steiner

Monday, May 9, 2016

THE NEW KID

Well, I'm finally here.  For years I have wanted to work at a bike shop, and now I DO!  The accomplishment, however, is accompanied by a large slap in the face as I know next to nothing about bicycles.  My dad's friends got him into biking; he, in turn, got me into biking. My dad is the kind of guy that used gardening gloves and shop glasses for a few years before anyone could convince him to spend a few bucks to get the right equipment. So as a teenager with zero money I tried many times to convince him to get different bikes for us.  It sort of worked...once.  So, since that once, I'm still riding an eight-year-old 26er Stumpjumper. That and its 29er brother are the only bikes I've ever ridden.  But I got enough use out of them to know that I love biking.
Now I'm supposed to know everything...like EVERYTHING... about everything!  Every bike, every brand, sizes of random things, prices, history, what random component is compatible with what random component, and the fact that if you have an old Schwinn wheel you have to get a special tire even though it reads the 'same' dimensions.  Everyone here seems to know absolutely everything, and it can be a bit intimidating to be considered one of them. So if you, like me, are trying to make the transition from enthusiast to actually educated (and eventually an expert), I'll keep you updated on the things I'm learning.  I have to ask a lot of the questions that we're supposed to know, and it's kind of embarrassing.  Things like: "What exactly are 'SPD' pedals?" or "How do you know if a bike is your size??".  I'll save you the same embarrassment and pass on the things I'm figuring out.
In the mean time, I've found that using works like "compliance", "components", "sealed cartridge bearing", and "mechanism" help me blend in with those who actually know what they're talking about.  Wish me luck!
Until next week....
- Daniel Steiner

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Group rides are back!

May is awesome!  Not only have we survived another year of April showers and windstorms, but we can now enjoy some warm hours of daylight after work.  Plus, nothing beats getting up into the hills in the Spring!  But the best thing about May?  May is bike month!  I hope this post serves as a reminder to go find your once-loved two-wheeled steed, dust it off, make amends, and get out and ride!  If you need a group, we'll help.  We start our group road and mountain rides THIS WEEK!  Road rides will be Thursday nights (weather permitting), and mountain rides will be Saturday mornings.  Take a look at the schedule below and come ride with The Bike Shoppe crew

ROAD RIDES:  (Each week we'll be riding different routes from the park.)
  • May 5 - 6:00pm - Mountain Green Kent Smith park (5457 W. Old Highway Rd)
  • May 12 - 6:00pm - Mountain Green Kent Smith park
  • May 19 - 6:00pm - Mountain Green Kent Smith park
  • May 26 - 6:00pm - Mountain Green Kent Smith park 
MOUNTAIN RIDES:
  • May 7 - 8:00am - Pleasant View trailhead (Stan's trails north)
  • May 14 - 8:00am - North Ogden Divide trailhead (Rattlesnake)
  • May 21 - 8:00am - Wheelers trailhead (Sardine) 
Any changes to ride times or locations will be posted to Facebook 24 hours before the ride.
If you have any questions about locations, don't hesitate to call us.  See you on the bike!