Confessions of a bike shopaphobic

Bike shops. Even saying those words makes my lips curl and my eyes narrow. Now, I love shopping (I sort of do it for a living!) and I really love geeking out about things I am interested in. You would think a bike shop would be a veritable candy store, full of treats and fun. Not so much. It is actually a torture that I continually put myself through and regret.

Here is how it normally goes:

I pull up in my little car, excited and hopeful. Maybe this time will be fun!
Walk in and hear the little bell ding, see the person coming running. Then watch their eyes fill with disappointment at a girl dressed in (gasp!) a skirt and boots. She must be here to look at bikes for her son or husband. Nothing interesting here, but probably an easy sell.

The rest of the experience involved my asking for things that I need, in non bike-tech terms, and the disdainful looks and short answers. So I don't know exactly what the name of the thingy I need is-isn't that what they are here for? Apparently not. If I walked in covered in spandex and clicking around on the tiled floor, I venture a guess that things would go differently.

Most bike shops talk of wanting a more cycling friendly city. I agree wholeheartedly. I also think that encouraging and supporting new riders is one step in making Birmingham more rider friendly. Bike shop snobbery only proves the stereotype that cycling is an elite sport that takes special skills and equipment. Doesn't feel like the way to promote cycling for transportation or fun.

I love supporting local businesses. There are great cycling shops in Birmingham (Cahaba Cycles is one of them), and I will continue to support them. For the ones that treat new riders and woman as an afterthought, well...
see you on the roads. I'll be the one in the skirt riding a bike I didn't buy from you, hoping for change.