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OUR MAN IN ENGLAND: MY LOCAL: A PROPER ENGLISH SHOP
Austin Curwen
April 29, 2009
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Here in Bristol, if you bring up your ‘local’ you would of course be referring to your local public house (i.e. pub). One of the things I wanted to do was highlight elements of the local cycling scene. Unfortunately, this is not the sort of thing where one can befriend a local and say, “So, tell me about the local scene” without placing a not-so-subtle banner on one’s forehead screaming NERD. Alas, this is something that one must live. And while I have started developing a couple of favorites loops and routes, I am still new here, so I thought I would write about what I know – Bike shops. Now I realize that picking a favorite shop is wildly subjective (like picking a favorite pub), but I am not afraid to step into that breach. However before I do that, I would also like to recognize a couple of local shops where I have been received very good service by very helpful and knowledgeable staffs, and I would recommend these shops to anyone who asks. These include Bike Bristol on Queens Ave, Psyclewerx on Abbotsford Rd, and Blackboy Hill Cycles at the top of Whiteladies Rd.
Thinking about the type of shops that I like, they all have the following attributes. When you walk in, you are met by the smell of rubber and chain lube, and as you gaze about, there are all sorts of bikes about, some new, some used, and a bunch of repairs waiting to be picked up with the tickets in the spokes. Also, as one pokes about, there is always something new or interesting to see.
Interesting half-link chain
The staff is knowledgeable, and can bring along a complete newbie as well as talk trash with most flavors of bike geeks. The wise, but occasionally curmudgeonly owner is a must, and usually one or more of the mechanics is part wizard. The hanging bike relic is mandatory. This is usually a frame or bike that someone famous from decades past rode to victory (through 2 feet of snow, past Coppi- as he literally froze solid, or some such tale), and the relic is prominently displayed. And while the relic is for sale, everything is for sale, only to the right person for the right price. In short, my preferred shop has character.
Ancient Cinelli frame with wooden rims – a true relic!
The shop that meets my criteria in Bristol is the Bike Work Shop on Colston St. After a number of visits, I asked the owner Tom Kilner if he would sit down with me and talk about his shop. Tom agreed, and out conversation ranged from fuel rationing to whether one should slaughter their own pigs to pros and cons of a Rolhoff 14 speed internal hub for mountain bikes. Here are a few snapshots of our conversation.
Road Bike Action: Tom, thanks for sitting down with us. How long has the Bike Work shop been open?
Tom Kilner: At last 30 years. Probably more.
RBA: How about you, how long have you been at the Bike Work Shop?
TK: 15 Years.
RBA: How did you end up in the bike business?
TK: Slowly. I was first interested in bikes as a means of transportation, and as a way to travel. I was not one of those racer guys. A friend was the former owner of the shop, and over time I became more and more involved. Finally one day, he asked if I would be interested in becoming a bike shop owner, so I (and a partner) became the shop owners.
RBA: What’s the best part of being a shop owner?
TK: Having all the kit! (He laughs) Also solving problems and helping people get set up on bikes. Unfortunately I spend more time doing paperwork these days, but I like the relationships with customers and being able to sort things with them.
RBA: Any unusual or memorable customers?
TK: Nothing weird, but I did have a good one a few months back. A guy came in with an unusual tandem with the rear seat being the control seat, and a kid’s seat up front. It was an interesting set up, but the brakes the bike came with were rubbish. We ended setting it up with a disc brake on the front. In the end, a good solution to the problem, and the guy left with a bike he could use confidently.
RBA: Any ideal customers?
TK: It helps if customers know what they want, but our ideal customer is someone who will tap into the knowledge and creativity of the shop. That said, we welcome everyone, and a lot of what we do is educating customers about the pros and cons of options available to him or her.
RBA: If you weren’t doing this, you would be….?
TK: A farmer in Wales.
RBA: If you could make the bike gods do one thing, what would it be?
TK: Make a really good bike for £200.00. It is possible, but bike companies keep missing the boat by adding too much junk. Make a good upright bike that people can ride around town, and don’t weigh it down with fat tires or shocks.
Every good shop has one.
I really enjoyed my conversation with Tom. Like many small shop owners I have spoken to, he enjoys his customers, and realizes that the key to his success isn’t about selling lots of junk to people who don’t need it, rather meeting the needs of his customers, and helping them enjoy their cycling. We spoke at length about some of the larger bicycle retailers and companies, and the challenges they pose to smaller shops. Tom’s response is that he will continue to do what he has been doing; focus on the customer and solving their problems, the rest takes care of itself.
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