Support your friendly workshop guy

Do you get good service from your local bike shop guy?

Does he give you a discount when you buy all your bits ‘n pieces from him?

Can you get workshop priority when it’s an emegency?

At times it might depend on who’s in the shop or who you know. I know at most times before I was working for the mag, I could  get this kind of service most of the time.

How did I do it? Well I’m glad you asked, at first I was just buying a tube here and there, then a helmet which led on to further and further bits and pieces.

This got my face and more importantly, my bike, known in the shop.

One day I bought something that didn’t suit the budget and said to the guy “hmmm that’s a bit more expensive than I thought”

Bike shop guy then turned around and said “well I can give you 10% off if that helps” and that was the start of a beautiful relationship.

They knew I could go to certain overseas bikeshops, but I knew, I was getting exactly what I needed right there and then.

How many people do you know have ordered something OS only for it to be the wrong spec and have to go to through the ordeal of selling it on/ returning it.

Anyway I digress,

What did I do to repay them the favour of giving me constant discounts. I bought them beer, not one beer and not a case of crap beer, just a nice 6 pack of Little Creatures pale ale.

They appreciated the beer more than I appreciated the constant discounts, it also means that I could run in use their compressor or special tool if needed, luckily they are just around the corner and so is the bottle shop.

So remember people, buy your friendly mechanic beer, they like beer…