For the past two years now The Husband and I have been bike riding. Mainly during summer. It is great for exercise and just a leisurely activity. We have gotten a little more serious about it since Covid 19 caused everything to shut down. With everything being closed we had no choice but to find other ways to entertain ourselves.
The Husband came up with the idea with using our bikes to travel more. I of course though it was a good idea. It was made simpler with M.A.R.T.A our bus system in Georgia is free. So sometimes we catch the bus to a destination and ride back home. Our most recent trip we rode the bus to Doraville Station to Avondale Station which was a total of about 23 miles. We just made a day of it. We stopped to rest as needed and even had breakfast and lunch at two restaurants.
With all of the riding we have been doing lately it has put some wear and tear on our bikes. Both our bikes are about two years old so we decided it was time to purchase some new ones. Now usually we would’ve gone to our local department store to purchase bikes but every store we went to was completely out of bikes that met our needs. It seems that a majority of people had the same idea we had about getting out and riding bikes. So we switched to our other options bike shops.
I’ve learned shopping in a bike shop is very different than just shopping in a department store. I thought I would just go in choose a bike but know it’s very different. Here are a few things I’ve learned about shopping at a bicycle shop versus a department store:
- You get to talk to professionals that will help you get a bike that will fit your needs. They are very knowledgeable.
- You can get a bike that is properly put together. I was informed by a customer service rep at a bike shop that sometimes department stores see bikes as toys so they don’t always put them together properly or use all the parts that come with the bike. Which is of course pretty dangerous.
- A really good bike is pretty expensive. At department stores you pay no more than about $200 but at a bicycle shop you’re going to pay between $300 or more. But in the end it’s worth it.
- They will find the perfect bike for you according to your height and what you want to use it for. Moreover, it would be a quick process, if they use smart retail solutions to manage their inventory (because they would already know if they have stocked up different products based on different customers’ preferences). So, all they would need to do is look through their inventory management app and find one that best suits your needs.
- They are willing to help you make your department store bike the best bike ever to the best of their ability.
- Bikes from bike shops are lighter because of the type of materials that they are made from.
- You will get a great bike.
- Bike shops are normally pretty tight on their security as well, with Business security systems being used to keep their stock secure, so if you need to take it in to be fixed on-site you can feel better about leaving it there overnight.
Going to the bicycle store was a great decision for me. I wound up finding a great bike. The owner helped and he was very knowledgeable. He let me test the bikes to see what worked best for me and if I was comfortable. He made sure I was well informed about what I was purchasing. I wound up choosing an amazing bike that fit me perfectly. I was even helped to find the best accessories for my bike. Accessories like a lock, a helmet, and even lights. I had a great experience at this bike shop. It was amazing.
