The ultimate bike shop

[PeteXXX]

A row of USB charging points for Garmins, lights and phones (And Wahoos, too, but they don't need charging so often..)

 

[Caperider]

I always wanted to have a vintage bike shop it would be fun . There is a cool bike shop we rented bikes from in Sedona Arizona called Bike And Bean .rent a mountain bike have some fresh Java and cross the street to awesome bikes trails We had a blast !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A vending machine outside with tubes, tyres, puncture kits, multi tools etc. So can buy them whether shop open or not. Plus a fixed track pump for use under a covered area with lighting.

 

[Chap sur le velo]

See, now you say that but a friend ran a pay what you think it is worth cafe. My, how we scoffed at the idea. She did very well and only very rarely did someone not pay. Interestingly they paid near on what other places charged.

Very interesting. About once a decade a Restaurant opens to a blaze of publicity (remember that happening!) in London using this model. It never lasts long.

Maybe it would work for smaller ticket items like in a cafe, but I think it would be a magnet for cheapskates. I am always amazed how looking in the window at £12 main courses ends up with a bill at £35+ a head once you've added starter, veg. wine and service. Leaving me to decide what the restaurant should charge is not a sensible opinion. It's only generalising a bit to say that if 'most' business lost 10% of their income (without charging what they provide), they would lose ALL their profit. Paying 'near on' the market rate will cause a business problems. Can't survive long without profit in the real world.

You say she 'did' very well (I note you are using past tense)? Enough to retire happy and solvent? Either way big Kudos to her for trying.

 

[BoldonLad]

I think you should literally be able to wheel the bike into the cafe where there will be a nice stand adjacent to your table to put it in.

Is that so you can sit, drinking your coffee, whilst admiring your bike?

Mrs @BoldonLad raised this point (the admiring) when, aged 65, I had a second "mid life crisis" and bought a motorcycle. We went out on it numerous times, and, while visiting various coffee stops, Mrs @BoldonLad noted that many "bikers" seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time admiring their (and others) Motorcycles.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

We went out on it numerous times, and, while visiting various coffee stops, Mrs @BoldonLad noted that many "bikers" seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time admiring their (and others) Motorcycles.

Seems perfectly normal behaviour to me. Blokes like to look at their toys and compare them to other's toys. It's the women that are the strange ones, not the men.

 

[BoldonLad]

Seems perfectly normal behaviour to me. Blokes like to look at their toys and compare them to other's toys. It's the women that are the strange ones, not the men.

Brave man!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'm safe, there are no females within striking distance!

 

[Oldhippy]

No Chap sure velo she died.

 

[BoldonLad]

I'm safe, there are no females within striking distance!

I could always tag a few old faithfuls

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'd rather have a bit of peace and no earache....

 

[Juan Kog]

There was one of these fabled bike shop / cafe / hangout spot / lounge hybrids near me, but it folded 2 years ago. It was in a well off town too... although it's a lovely idea, something about that model seems to never quite work out. I think the cafe side of these ventures never do very well, non-cyclists keep away because well, it's a bike shop, and cyclists alone can't keep a cafe busy all day long. That one only ever seemed busier around mid day.

Another Hertfordshire cyclist here. .🤔 I must have missed this one , I’m not sure which bike shop / cafe you’re referring to ?

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

I am going to go for the opposite of most of the replies so far, I would go for a shop that wants to sell all the things that people need or want and doesn't want to be your friend or a social venue.

I would be quite happy if a lot of it was hidden behind an Argos (the High Street/Sainsbury one) type system, especially the bits that probably wouldn't be profitable to sell if they had to be displayed on a wall.

The range behind the counter would be massive, 5/6 speed freewheels, ball bearings in a packet for one wheel, bar tape at less than £15 per roll, top of the range AAA rechargeable batteries (Panasonic Eneloop?), a big range of tyres. Cheap lights that you won't mind if they get nicked, I nearly always leave a cheap pair of lights on the bike just in case, decent lights for proper illumination. Unbranded and branded speedometers, spare senders as many don't seem to be waterproof!

Bar tape over £15 a roll can be displayed on a flashy stand and yes, I can see that the initial stocking costs could be quite horrendous.

Although I am sure I would grumble slightly, I wouldn't really mind as long as they managed it well, If there was a small say £2 handling charge on orders made of parts with a very low value.

So
Headset ball bearings £0.75
Seat post clamp £2.75
Small Order charge £2
Total £5.50

But I would object to
Pair cycling shoes £50
Headset ball bearings £0.75
Small Order charge £2
Total £52.75

Poundland sell rechargable AAA batteries, 2 for a pound, but to meet the price point they are only 300maH, just about tolerable for a 5 led low power rear light, but only just.

I almost forgot, they must sell Benotto bar tape.

Bye


Ian

 

[Reynard]

Seems perfectly normal behaviour to me. Blokes like to look at their toys and compare them to other's toys. It's the women that are the strange ones, not the men.

Oi! I quite happen to like ogling such toys myself...

Although I personally prefer four wheels to two. Too damn short to ride a motorbike.

 

[TheDoctor]

Another Hertfordshire cyclist here. .🤔 I must have missed this one , I’m not sure which bike shop / cafe you’re referring to ?

I wonder if it was the one in Hitchin, behind the Corn Exchange? Kinetic, maybe?

I'm reading this thread with keen interest, as I'm redoing my bike workshop and will be selling used bikes once the Spring comes along.
While I don't want to run a cafe as such, it might be worth thinking about...