A Healthy Mid Life Crisis or A Boy and His Bike!

Yesterday was your typical Tuesday.  A tad bit slow paced but with a variety of looky loos.  Managed to get out FIVE newbies, though!  We did have our fair share of pleasant visits.  A young gent, having recently relocated to Dunedin, near the trail, saw the benefit of getting his ride up and running.  He made a point of stating that his new landlord, a very nice lady, had made sure he understood that "Re-Cycle was the only bike shop in town to go to for bike repairs!"  Thank you Miss unknown lady for that WONDERFUL compliment!  The opportunity was even doubly sweet when I called him back two hours later to inform him that all the work was done and she was ready to go.  He was quite incredulous (not to mention working all the way in Tampa) and dumbfounded, wondering HOW we could have finished it so quickly.  Past experience left him to believe it would be days!  Again, I have to ask, HOW do other shops stay in business with that kind of customer service!?
As the day wore down, all repairs done and everything that could be built was so, settled in to absentmindedly watching a movie and puttering at trying to organize the desk, when another gent came in to inquire "do we work on any kind of bike regardless of condition?"  Simple answer "yes", long answer "depends on how far you're willing to go"  See, unlike most shops around here, you bring us in a rusty old banger, we're not going to lift our noses to it, sniff self righteously, laugh at you and tell you to spend six months salary to buy a NEW bike.  OH, NAY, NAY! We inspect it, give you a realistic repair price, and in SOME situations, if it's, say a "Box Store" brand bike that is just way to far gone, we may suggest you consider a replacement only because in most situations it will be cheaper to buy a replacement!
(anyway, sorry about the interruption of shameless self promotion!)
After affirming we would fix ANYTHING, I went out to his truck and was introduced to a very old, very heavy no name brand ten speed.  Given the shape of the body, the rusted solid components, and tore up tires I had my doubts.  BUT, not looking to be negative, I asked for it's back story.  Apparently this gent of, I would estimate, late 50's early 60's had purchased the bike on his own when he was sixteen, and by his own recollections, had rode it everywhere for years.  Then, as life when on, he married, got responsibility, and his old ride was relegated to the back of the garage where it sat for decades.  Now, at a moment of change in his life, he decided that it was his time!  He not only wants to start riding again, he want's to start riding HIS bike again!  Life choices he made and the unexpected outcome some of those choices created left him feeling a tad lost and hollow.  I can only imagine, while adjusting, he spent some time rooting through old memories, and upon rediscovering that old rusty hunk of steel, rubber and plastic saw his salvation.  I can empathise with the almost assured rush of fond memories of a time less confusing and a lot less heartbreaking where things seemed so much more simple and certain.  He NEEDS to feel that simplicity again.  My heart went out to him in such a way as to ASSURE him we would get his old ride running as SMOOTHLY as I possibly could!
It will SO be a labor of love!
Today, we work on repairs, and hopefully get out the SWEET Gary Fisher MTB we have had sitting here for FAR to long!  Finally got in a set of tires worthy of it, so it's top on my to-do list!
Hope to see y'all soon!
Check out the newbies!!

LADIES 26" KULANA 7 SPEED CRUISER!
ONLY $90.00!!

VINTAGE LADIES 3-SPEED!
ONLY $80.00!!

LADIES 24" DYNO MTB!
ONLY $75.00!!

LADIES 24" MTB!!
ONLY $45.00!!

MEN'S 24" MTB!!
ONLY $50.00!!!