The other day, I asked Grant McGee, AKA Bike Dude, “Why a bicycle shop in Clovis, New Mexico?” This is his minimally edited answer.
I’ve always liked bicycles. No B.S. Bicycles are free. There’s no insurance to pay. If you care to, you can fix them yourself. John Law generally leaves you alone. It’s just you and the road. You and whoever else you think is out there: whether you think it’s God, your Higher Power, whatever.
I’ve always liked bikes. I’ve ridden bikes in various times of my life for various reasons. When I was a kid, if I’d have known then what I know now, I would have ridden a bike instead of getting a car.
I myself am a commuter bike rider. There are all types of classifications of bicycle riders: There’s road bikers… there’s mountain bikers… there’s cycle cross people… and I’m a commuter bicyclist.
I ride to and from work everyday at my day job at a radio station at 99.9 RM, KTQM. I ride almost seven miles each way. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SHORTER IF THEY FIXED THE HULL STREET BRIDGE. I miss my bridge. It was a cleaner bridge. People throw trash out on Prince Street.
There are four reasons that I ride a bike…
The first reason is my health, because I sit a lot all day and it’s like a natural Prozac for me.
The second reason is because I’m really not found of cars. I’ll ride in one… I’ll drive one cross country, but they break down and when they break down it’s a big deal. I think for the money that you have to pay for them, they should be made better.
My third reason is for the environment. Everybody thinks that’s the first reason, but nah that’s my third reason.
My fourth reason is because my Grandfather–he didn’t talk much, but my Grandmother did–and she used to tell tales about how every now and then he’d walk over the mountain, in the mountains of western Virginia… and he’d walk from a little town called Glen Wilton over the mountain to his day job in Clifton Forge… and I thought to my self, you know if my Grandfather could occasionally walk over the mountain to his day job when the trains didn’t run, I can ride my bike to work.
The Lady of the House and I just decided that it was something that we wanted to do, and we had the opportunity to do it, so we did it. It’s been a very interesting experience. People are always asking me “How’s the bike shop doing?” Because she’s such a master gardener, I’m always comparing the growth of the bike shop to that of a garden. It takes time to get a good garden. It takes time to get a good bike shop.
A lot of bike shop people gave up in the face of “Nameless Big Box Stores” that sell bicycles at prices that’s hard for a bike shop to match. People see price, they don’t see quality. Bike shops generally sell quality bikes and “Nameless Big Box Stores” sell inexpensive, cheaply made bicycles. I read a book about six years ago about how a “Nameless Big Box Store” was taking over the world and how to beat it: service… providing service.
If somebody buys a cheap bike from a big store, we usually see them in a short matter of time because of the goat heads, these little seed pods, seeds that can actually flatten a bicycle tire. Inner tubes that come with a “Big Box” bicycle are literally almost like the thickness of a garbage bag. We sell mostly thorn-resistant tubes. There are some people who are concerned about weight, so we sell regular-thickness tubes to them. I love my thorn-resistant tubes, they’re a God-send to this country because goat heads are really everywhere.
That’s the word to any small businessman who’s competing in the face of a “Big Box” store: if you provide service, and it’s no B.S., if you provide it with a smile and do the best you can… It doesn’t matter what the big guys do.
We sell new bikes. We repair bikes. We sell sell bike parts. The most popular bike around Clovis is the mountain bike. New people to Cannon Air Force Base get shocked when they encounter their first goat head, “What the Hell is this?” and “What is flattening my tires?” and we have remedies for that. We have BMX bikes for kids. That’s very popular.
I think think to get somebody on the road and on a bicycle is a beautiful thing.
I think that if you ride to work, if you ride a bicycle to the important places you need to go, that you are a member of what I call “The Family of the Road.” A tip of the hat to the road bikers and mountain bikers too, but if you’re riding to and from work and everything: that’s your vehicle. If you live near your work, why not bike?
People will say, “You’re just shilling for the shop.” That’s not what I’m saying. It’s a lifestyle. Kick it around.
Disclaimer: I do interviews like this because I enjoy talking and promoting people whom I find to be interesting. I receive no remuneration of any kind for this: Grant didn’t fix my bicycle or give me free thorn-resistant inner tubes or anything else. In fact, I just dropped in on him and surprised him on a Saturday afternoon.
I write about people and businesses whom I like, because frankly it would suck to do otherwise; However, opinions vary and I advise you to do your own research and to keep your own council.
Here’s how to get in touch with Grant:
BIKE DUDE
http://www.bikedudeclovis.com/
bikedude@plateautel.net
209 West Grand Street (look for the big blue building)
Clovis, NM 88101
575-219-1389
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been meaning to go pay Grant a visit, as my bike needs some work. I’m so happy we finally have a bike repair shop in Clovis again after so many years. It’s especially frustrating to know our neighbors to the south have a shop and we’ve been without for so long.
I had some correnspondence with The Bike Dude over email and I loved how knowledgeable he is! Too bad he doesn’t have any 1970′s Schwinn bikes for sale! I’d love to adopt his way of commuting, but how would I take my son to school?
Crysti, when he’s a little bigger you both could ride bikes or a tandem bike. My biggest concern is other drivers. Sometimes I don’t feel safe in my SUV
I am going to give it a lot of thought. It would help me get into shape and I’d say a ton of money given the current price of gas.
Here’s a good article on replacing your car with a bike, to include hauling kids and materials and electric assist motors.
Here’s a good article on replacing your car with a bike, to include hauling kids and materials and electric assist motors.
http://www.chrismartenson.com/quiet-revolution-bicycles-recapturing-role-utilitarian-people-movers-part-ii