Weird how can feel guilty for not keeping this thing up to date but as I have been saying for the last couple weeks, not a whole lot going on to report! I DID however finally update the "What's still here" column, and as you can see... LOTS of stuff added and lots subtracted! We do have a bevy of goodies in here, and some are excellent pieces!
So... in the column of "you can't please everyone";
Had a gent come in this weekend for a tube change and brake repair. Right off the bat I KNEW there was going to be issues... but I pressed on. Weekends are our busiest repair time and we ALWAYS go in order! First come first serve. The aforementioned gent came in around noon time and had four in front of him, I told him it would be about three hours, and he was flustered. I explained the policy, he begrudgingly acquiesced...then proceeded to come back every thirty minutes, each time increasingly agitated. *sigh* I really wanted to say "if I didn't have to stop every thirty minuets to EXPLAIN our policy, I could get it done that much sooner" but I was nice!
Finally, after about two hours, I had them all done, and shortly thereafter he came in and picked it up. Here I was thinking it would be over.
Nope!
The next day I got a text of a picture of his bike... with a flat tire and a number with the words, in capital letters "CALL ME!"
*sigh*
I did. What began was a twenty minute round and round about the fact that he rode the bike home (about two miles) put it up, and in the morning came out, and the tube we had changed was flat. I reminded him, that when I inspected the tire I found several small shards of metal imbedded in the tire, and had warned him when he picked it up he MAY want to change the tire as I could not be sure I got ALL the metal (small bits can get stuck in the meat of the tire and puncture a new tube when you air it up, and you wouldn't know they are there until the tire goes flat again) but he insisted it was a NEW tire...therefore it COULDN'T be a problem.
Okay.
After explaining this... again... I also informed him that it was possible in the two mile trip home he may have had the misfortune of picking something else up. It DOES and HAS happened before. BUT, if he brought the bike back in I could inspect the tube and find out exactly where the problem lay, and react accordingly.
I don't know what he didn't get or in truth, what he wanted me to do? He kept repeating the problem and that it was just replaced yesterday, to which I continued to respond "just bring it in and we'll fix the problem". In the end though he exclaimed "so you're not going to take care of the problem? Fine, I'll deal with it myself!" and hung up.
*sigh*
Sometimes...I just don't get people.
On the plus side though, we have had a steady stream of repairs coming in and have even managed to find homes for a few newbies. So, we'll keep on plugging...praying for cooler weather!
See ya soon!
RE-Cycle Bicycles, 380 Patricia Ave Dunedin, Fl 34698 (727) 831-9742 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
Yes...it aint much of a much!
Slacking off as usual!
it's been a bit of a bit since I poked my head in. The summer is slowly grinding to a "done and done" but things are still quiet. We have been mainly focusing on staying current with repairs, but as it has been, with this bloody heat my evening work is taxing! the unfortunate by product being, that during the week, my tail is a lot less perky as it should be! Apparently many out there are suffering fro the same kind of malaise as we just haven't had many folks looking to break into the Veloist lifestyle. I, begrudgingly, can't blame them as going outside leads to a quick case of "melting".
Ugh.
Come ON Old Man Winter! Get your keister in gear!
We have been trying at least to keep a stream of newbies out. And yes, I am going to try and get everything up to date with what is still in stock.
Plus, we have had a trickle of new stuff coming in, and I have a Mongoose Blackcomb in my rack, calling my name.
Not to mention a plethora of cruisers have been flooding in lately.
Jeeze...really wish I had more to chat about, but this is the cost of a Florida summer! Here's hoping I'll have lots to talk about tomorrow!
See ya soon!
it's been a bit of a bit since I poked my head in. The summer is slowly grinding to a "done and done" but things are still quiet. We have been mainly focusing on staying current with repairs, but as it has been, with this bloody heat my evening work is taxing! the unfortunate by product being, that during the week, my tail is a lot less perky as it should be! Apparently many out there are suffering fro the same kind of malaise as we just haven't had many folks looking to break into the Veloist lifestyle. I, begrudgingly, can't blame them as going outside leads to a quick case of "melting".
Ugh.
Come ON Old Man Winter! Get your keister in gear!
We have been trying at least to keep a stream of newbies out. And yes, I am going to try and get everything up to date with what is still in stock.
Plus, we have had a trickle of new stuff coming in, and I have a Mongoose Blackcomb in my rack, calling my name.
Not to mention a plethora of cruisers have been flooding in lately.
Jeeze...really wish I had more to chat about, but this is the cost of a Florida summer! Here's hoping I'll have lots to talk about tomorrow!
See ya soon!
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Let the Buyer Beware.
SO, yea, I promised to keep this updated but it's summertime, the week before the kids go back to school and that is pretty much the peak of the doldrums of summer. NOTHING happens!
*sigh*
I've kept busy with a slow stream of repairs and spent the remaining time doing new builds. Other then that the only occurrence of note happened mid week. Had a mom and her three kids in shopping for school rides. As with most parents nowadays she was looking for cheap. REAL cheap. Trouble was, for the older kids, both needing a 26" bike, there was no way I could produce anything worth putting out for the thirty a piece price tag she was hoping for. Let's face it, RE-Furbed means, we strip it down to frame, and rebuild it frame out, replacing and repairing worn and broken parts to full reassembly. Can't do four plus hours of work AND replace parts for thirty dollars. Every now and then we get some AS-IS's we put out cheap, but few and far between, because we're not going to sell anything that don't work! ANYWHO. They decided to "look around". Well, apparently they found two, I presume at a local thrift store or pawn shop, and were going to use one of the older kids bikes as a hand me down to the younger. Very practical. Well...in theory. On the first day of school the kiddos headed off only to make it less then half way there before they had to resort to walking. Well, the younger one didn't have to, her hand me down worked fine (OK, LOL, it was, coincidently, a bike they bought from us three years ago!) But, the two older ones were having nothing but problems. As with most places around here (NOT US!) that sell bikes...they won't let you road test them. SOOOO, they had NO idea just how messed up their bargain bikes were. The older boys ride was the worst. The chain fell off and lodged behind the chain ring, so he literally had to drag it to school and the older girl...couldn't stop! A fact she discovered by apparently almost crashing into traffic!
The mom, bless her heart, brought them into me the next day for repairs. I was able to roughly guess their origins by the computer generated price stickers that are used by a couple of pawn shops around here and thrift stores. I also noticed the prices. She only saved $20.00 buying them there.
However.
The boys bike, an older Huffy, had a single piece crank that was BADLY bent with a bent chain ring and a twisted chain, as well as a crushed bearing ring on the drive side. There were a few other mechanical issues that were a problem as well. The girls bike, a slightly newer next, had been long exposed to the elements and the cables were rusted almost solid in the housings. When she went to brake, and couldn't stop, she obviously panicked and squeezed REAL hard, snapping one of the dry rotted plastic brake levers. On top of that, on here ride, the rusting was so bad the chain itself had four areas with fused links. Now mind you, I am not condemning the Mom for wanting to save a few bucks. As a parent I KNOW how expensive back to school time can be. Not only that, even in todays world of poor quality control and dispassionate business, most folks STILL expect that if they buy something from a store, it will actually WORK! Even a place selling used goods.
The sad ending is, to fix the boys bike here, it would have cost $68.00 for a replacement crank, bearings and chain plus labor. For the girls bikes $46.00. Brake lever and replace all four cables and housings plus chain rustication and clean. Well, for that, plus what she already paid for the bikes...she could have bought all three of them fully refurbished rides here WITH a one year warranty! And still had cash left over! Unfortunately, where she bought them had a no return policy, so it looks like the kids will have to walk to school for a while. Our best advice is to never purchase a bicycle used unless they have a return policy of full refund. They certainly are NOT going to fix the problem!
Well, that's gonna do it for today. Now, gonna try and finish up the one ride from yesterday!
PEACE!
*sigh*
I've kept busy with a slow stream of repairs and spent the remaining time doing new builds. Other then that the only occurrence of note happened mid week. Had a mom and her three kids in shopping for school rides. As with most parents nowadays she was looking for cheap. REAL cheap. Trouble was, for the older kids, both needing a 26" bike, there was no way I could produce anything worth putting out for the thirty a piece price tag she was hoping for. Let's face it, RE-Furbed means, we strip it down to frame, and rebuild it frame out, replacing and repairing worn and broken parts to full reassembly. Can't do four plus hours of work AND replace parts for thirty dollars. Every now and then we get some AS-IS's we put out cheap, but few and far between, because we're not going to sell anything that don't work! ANYWHO. They decided to "look around". Well, apparently they found two, I presume at a local thrift store or pawn shop, and were going to use one of the older kids bikes as a hand me down to the younger. Very practical. Well...in theory. On the first day of school the kiddos headed off only to make it less then half way there before they had to resort to walking. Well, the younger one didn't have to, her hand me down worked fine (OK, LOL, it was, coincidently, a bike they bought from us three years ago!) But, the two older ones were having nothing but problems. As with most places around here (NOT US!) that sell bikes...they won't let you road test them. SOOOO, they had NO idea just how messed up their bargain bikes were. The older boys ride was the worst. The chain fell off and lodged behind the chain ring, so he literally had to drag it to school and the older girl...couldn't stop! A fact she discovered by apparently almost crashing into traffic!
The mom, bless her heart, brought them into me the next day for repairs. I was able to roughly guess their origins by the computer generated price stickers that are used by a couple of pawn shops around here and thrift stores. I also noticed the prices. She only saved $20.00 buying them there.
However.
The boys bike, an older Huffy, had a single piece crank that was BADLY bent with a bent chain ring and a twisted chain, as well as a crushed bearing ring on the drive side. There were a few other mechanical issues that were a problem as well. The girls bike, a slightly newer next, had been long exposed to the elements and the cables were rusted almost solid in the housings. When she went to brake, and couldn't stop, she obviously panicked and squeezed REAL hard, snapping one of the dry rotted plastic brake levers. On top of that, on here ride, the rusting was so bad the chain itself had four areas with fused links. Now mind you, I am not condemning the Mom for wanting to save a few bucks. As a parent I KNOW how expensive back to school time can be. Not only that, even in todays world of poor quality control and dispassionate business, most folks STILL expect that if they buy something from a store, it will actually WORK! Even a place selling used goods.
The sad ending is, to fix the boys bike here, it would have cost $68.00 for a replacement crank, bearings and chain plus labor. For the girls bikes $46.00. Brake lever and replace all four cables and housings plus chain rustication and clean. Well, for that, plus what she already paid for the bikes...she could have bought all three of them fully refurbished rides here WITH a one year warranty! And still had cash left over! Unfortunately, where she bought them had a no return policy, so it looks like the kids will have to walk to school for a while. Our best advice is to never purchase a bicycle used unless they have a return policy of full refund. They certainly are NOT going to fix the problem!
Well, that's gonna do it for today. Now, gonna try and finish up the one ride from yesterday!
PEACE!
Monday, August 8, 2016
One Step Closer To 50
At this point I HAVE to ask "WHO left the water running?!"
Yes, another one of those "Comment on the weather" kind of openings, but JEEZE LOUISE!!!
I think I'm gonna have to gather a lot of wood and figure out what a cubit is!
It goes without saying, that because of the sheer volume of water coming down this weekend we had very few visitors, but still enough to keep us busy with repairs. Nothing found a home this weekend, but we did take in a few for our machinations! I am determined to get to a few of them ASAP and try and have out before to long.
I do want to thank those folks who did brave the elements though, especially on Saturday when it was REALLY bad! Woke up to the thunderous roar of rain on the roof. Even though I love the sound of a good rain and thunderstorm...not so much when you have to work!
And a shout out to the couple who came in from Palm Springs. WOW! Quite the drive! They'd been following us on Facebook, the Blog and Craigslist and decided to make a day of it, explore Dunedin (eagerly taking my advice to check out Flanagan's Pub Downtown, for lunch) but to come in and introduce themselves, check out our wares in the hopes of finding a couple of choice hybrids. Sadly, we had nothing to show at the moment to fit their needs, but left us with their info for when we do get something. Their explanation being that even though they could afford to buy new, they would much prefer to support the kind of conservation we do. In their words, however, there is no other place like us between us and them, thus the long trek.
To this day, I can't help but wonder why more folks don't do this kind of thing. Sure, you AINT getting rich at it, but by the end of the day it is a very fulfilling feeling knowing that not only have you helped some folks out, saved a few pounds of pollution from choking our atmosphere, but also kept a landfill a few dozen pounds lighter!
Well today is a minor milestone in my life, albeit causing some melancholy. Today I turned 49. Ugh. Due to recent changes in my life it is a day filled with a combination of hope and malaise. Hopefully, it won't linger to long. To that end, going to put something funny into watch, and get to work with my hands. The simple joy of recreation itself tends to drive me from my funk!
See y'all Soon!
Yes, another one of those "Comment on the weather" kind of openings, but JEEZE LOUISE!!!
I think I'm gonna have to gather a lot of wood and figure out what a cubit is!
It goes without saying, that because of the sheer volume of water coming down this weekend we had very few visitors, but still enough to keep us busy with repairs. Nothing found a home this weekend, but we did take in a few for our machinations! I am determined to get to a few of them ASAP and try and have out before to long.
I do want to thank those folks who did brave the elements though, especially on Saturday when it was REALLY bad! Woke up to the thunderous roar of rain on the roof. Even though I love the sound of a good rain and thunderstorm...not so much when you have to work!
And a shout out to the couple who came in from Palm Springs. WOW! Quite the drive! They'd been following us on Facebook, the Blog and Craigslist and decided to make a day of it, explore Dunedin (eagerly taking my advice to check out Flanagan's Pub Downtown, for lunch) but to come in and introduce themselves, check out our wares in the hopes of finding a couple of choice hybrids. Sadly, we had nothing to show at the moment to fit their needs, but left us with their info for when we do get something. Their explanation being that even though they could afford to buy new, they would much prefer to support the kind of conservation we do. In their words, however, there is no other place like us between us and them, thus the long trek.
To this day, I can't help but wonder why more folks don't do this kind of thing. Sure, you AINT getting rich at it, but by the end of the day it is a very fulfilling feeling knowing that not only have you helped some folks out, saved a few pounds of pollution from choking our atmosphere, but also kept a landfill a few dozen pounds lighter!
Well today is a minor milestone in my life, albeit causing some melancholy. Today I turned 49. Ugh. Due to recent changes in my life it is a day filled with a combination of hope and malaise. Hopefully, it won't linger to long. To that end, going to put something funny into watch, and get to work with my hands. The simple joy of recreation itself tends to drive me from my funk!
See y'all Soon!
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Really! whoever opened the floodgates, don't close them!
Feast or famine! Best way to describe things around this joint! But I'll tell you this summer is been a humdinger! Regardless of heat or rain things have been jumping!! Oh bless all those who have been paying us visits each and every day! This week we have been jammed with repairs to the point of sideways walking the length of the shoppe! Not to mention three or more rides finding new homes EVERY day!! Today had a gent come up from Plant City looking for a road bike. He checked out the denali and the Motobecane, but just couldn't make up his mind. So he snagged BOTH! Also sent a little 24"er to a young gent needing it for school. A special shout-out to the wonderful lady who picked it up and will be donating it to him today. My thanks to my son Logan for filling in for me in the morning today. I don't know if there was a full moon last night but the restlessness kept me up past sunrise. I had enough time when I finally did crawl into the shop to get the repairs up to date so that folks can keep riding for the weekend. Needless to say I have a large Bevy of new material awaiting me for tomorrow! Several Choice pieces just waiting for the finishing touches to give them a new life on the road. No worries I will be posting them as soon as they are done not only on our Facebook page but on the blog. Barring the regular slew of repairs that come in for the weekend tomorrow I will be spending the day pumping out as many new ones as I can! We have sent so many bikes to new homes this week that the stock is getting pretty low. Alright folks that's going to do it for me tonight looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow! Have a great morning!
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Morning Quickie!
We'll make this quick! Trying to remain focused on repairs and new builds in a rather hectic schedule of late! Yesterday was consumed primarily with keeping up with the repairs, as it happens. Did manage to get out another of the NEW kids bikes out! This one a real cute little girls 20". Also took in a few goodies as well and have HIGH hopes I can get some of them banged out today! We'll see...best laid plans of mice and men...and all that!
Yesterday started out well, with a nice couple coming in a wisely snagging up the Ladies Fuji Hybrid! NICE choice!
Many more looky loo's coming in, but for whatever reason didn't take anything home with them? Oh well.
Jeeze, I really got nothing more to yack about, and the rides are calling me!
See ya REAL soon...when we can chat!
Yesterday started out well, with a nice couple coming in a wisely snagging up the Ladies Fuji Hybrid! NICE choice!
Many more looky loo's coming in, but for whatever reason didn't take anything home with them? Oh well.
Jeeze, I really got nothing more to yack about, and the rides are calling me!
See ya REAL soon...when we can chat!
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