A couple of bikes left the store yesterday. I always like seeing people buy the bike they really want. I remember what it was like.... dreaming about it, reading everything you could find about it, staring at it at the shop, etc.
A married couple put a couple of bikes in layaway a week or two ago. The woman was excited about riding, but needed something better than her hybrid. Luckily, I had a road bike in the store in her size. So she put it in layaway. Meanwhile, her husband was eyeballing the bike in the window that was a couple of models up from that one.
Not long afterwards, he came in and made a payment on her bike and asked if he could put the other one in layaway too. So he did. Thursday, they came in and he paid off her bike. She rode it twice that night, and almost went out for a third ride. I sent her an email the next morning, and she replied with exclamations about how much she loved the bike. Later that day, her husband came in and paid his off as well.
They're both in love with their bikes, and that always makes me happy.
Late yesterday, a family came in looking at bikes. They had WalMart bikes that were falling apart (after 2 days of ownership) and had had an unpleasant experience at another bike shop. They were walking/riding at the time to go watch the parade, so didn't have any money on them. They asked if I could hold one of the bikes until they could go to their car and get some money after the parade. Sure, I said. Right before closing time, they came back. They ended up just buying the bike that the woman fell in love with (Raleigh Circa 1.0) and put the other bike (ditto) and a pair of Axiom Dutch Shopping panniers in layaway.
The woman loved her bike so much (and the deal I gave her) that she gave me a hug before she left.
That's what makes owning a bike shop worth the time and money.
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