My shop has a reputation for not judging people. I don’t know if any local shops have a prejudice against people over thirty, but I know that our industry has long been perceived as a young, male, white and straight oriented group. I have had many folks come in and introduce themselves by saying. ” I know you will probably try to sell me a race bike with skinny tires and an uncomfortable seat, but that is not what I want.”
Actually, I want to sell most people a recumbent. My biggest seller is the hybrid category. I am fifty six years old and perhaps that is why I tend to attract folks in my own age range. Perhaps though it is because we are the majority of the population, and most young people already have a bike and don’t think that they need a shop to give them advice. I don’t know.
I have several customers who are in their eighties. One of them rode across the country about fifteen years ago, and it really mellowed him. There is one who comes in often who will not be named here, but I really enjoy his help. He originally got recommended to me by someone at the JCC. He is 87 years old and to celebrate his birthday this year, he rode forty one miles.
His first visit was a funny request. He had an upright bike, like a hybrid. It had tires that were average width, about thirty five millimeters. He wanted me to make his bike faster! He is in great shape, tall, looks about sixty, no hearing aids. I later learned that he is a private pilot. They are usually quite fit. But he has had more than his share of surgeries in the past.
So I told him to get me a written permission from his children. Just kidding. He replied, “that is easy. My son owns a bike shop, and my other son is a lawyer.” We have always had a great rapport since then.
By the way, installing twenty eight millimeter tires made him a lot faster.