Found: an motorized bicycle-friendly bike shop

GoldenMotor.com

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
From what I've read, I may have encountered something that we don't usually run across: an MB-friendly bike shop. On my lunch break, to get what little exercise I can, I often just wander around downtown Indianapolis, walking and eating lunch as I go. Last week I decided to make my first stop across the street at the spankin'-new "Indy Bike Hub". Inside this hub, they have a branch of The Bicycle Garage of Indy. I'd heard of their shops and knew their reputation for good and knowledgeable service. I stopped in to chat. This group knew their bikes! And each had experience working on them. They could sell stuff and man the register, but they were largely the gear-head bike geeks. They were big on "finding the bike that is a good fit for the rider", getting it fine-tuned & adjusted & lubed. They could talk forever about getting the most out of your bike. So I stopped back in a couple more times.

Then, at one point, they asked what kind of bike I had. Well, I explained that it was a work-in-progress. It was a war-era JC Higgins that I was adding a two-stroke motor to. Rather than the usual snobbery and rejection I've come to expect, these guys just lit up! They asked all kinds of questions. Wanted to know if I'd ever had problems with the spokes - I told them I had Worksman Wheels on there now. Wanted to know how fast I thought the Higgins build would move - I guessed around 30+ realistically. And so on. Then the one fellow told me that a co-worker at the Garage up north (he gave the name Troy Howell, so I've been lookin' for him) has a motorized bike he rides fairly often. So they are used to these things. They're very open to dialogue about MBs. I plan to speak to them at length about what might be done to help cyclists, and the growing crowd of Motor-Bicyclists, better co-exist with all the automobilists; things that might help increase awareness. We may also chat about educating some of the newbie MBers about applicable laws and road etiquette.

It's so cool to have found such an MB-friendly bike shop. It could become a haunt of mine. I've already put something on order from them, they can get better shipping rates than I can online, so it's cheaper. And they seem to appreciate the business. I'm likin' it.
 
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Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

Man that sounds great Allen. In my life time I have only come across one bike shop I ever truly liked. They are rare. Sounds like they have a nice out look on things!
 

anim8r

New Member
Jul 15, 2011
243
0
0
Michigan
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

I keep hearing that bike shops aren't too friendly with the MB crowd, but my shop (T&C) has been awesome. They don't have much experience with these things, so nobody gets pushy with the merchandise & they're curious about what I'm doing. They're good about saving time & shipping costs, too. The best part is that they want me to build the bike I want to build.
Most of the other locals have been kind of uppity about the fact that I came in knowing what I need (a $10 innertube, not a $200 wheel set).
 

decoherence

New Member
Aug 23, 2010
476
2
0
sebring,fl
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

i went to my local bike shop.
the first time they recognised that my bike was motorised by seeing the back tire.
i already had the rag joint off but they noticed i pulled the coaster arm off.
they seemed indifferent except one of them asked if it only pulled on the spokes instead of the hub.
 

Pappy

New Member
Apr 19, 2009
214
0
0
Anderson, IN.
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

Hi Allen,

It's nice to meet someone close to home :)
Do you know if your new friends have a website or not?
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

My bike shop is indifferent to me. They know I build trash bikes, and I know they sell over priced stuff. We coexist. Now and then I need something right now not an internet week later. Like I said we coexist.
 

happyvalley

New Member
Jul 24, 2008
784
1
0
upper Pioneer Valley
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

Deacon is right, we coexist. I don't see a problem with bike shops, it's a tough go to run a brick & mortar store today. I do all my own work on bikes now but before I had a lot of tools, if I needed headset bearing cups removed/pressed or bottom bracket threads chased, I stripped the frame and just brought that in to a shop and let them deal with the bicycle parts. I don't expect them to embrace motorizing bicycles but then I don't expect the guy who runs the local small engine/lawn equipment shop to care much about bicycles either.
 
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deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

I thought it was going to be a stabilized bike and it might be yet lol The problem is a tricycles back two wheels are always on the grown when it is stopped. The three wheels on the rear of this one are only sometimes on the ground at the same time. I can't ride at the moment so I can't get a good test in, But soon I will know if the last two months were a total waste or not.
 

Scootmeister

Member
Mar 15, 2011
243
5
16
North Carolina
Re: Found: an MB-friendly bike shop

Hey Deacon, one of my bike shops in New Bern has a MB on display. The other one in Newport (near Atlantic Beach and Beaufort) has been helpful building wheels for me and ordering what he calls "old school" parts like my Nexus hub and Bontrager touring tires. The bike shop snobs are probably intimidated by MBs because they don't know much about them. How can you not appreciate pure fun?