Hello? Is This Thing On?

WEEKEND UPDATE!!!
WOW! It's been awhile! 
Lots too catch up on, and to all those still coming to this site, so very sorry for not keeping it relevant!! With all the available sources on the internet, I just have been tending to keep my words brief on a variety of sites like Facebook and Twitter and such.  Yes, me keeping it short winded and to the point DOES seem a little out of character! But, with few hours in the day, I try and dedicate more time to updating stock and such.  I am going to try and visit here, on the weekends, to keep everyone informed of all the strange goings on! 
So, as of our last report, we have been plugging along trying to get the word out to as many of our regulars and neighbors as we can about our move, as rather quick as it was!  BUT, when your landlord says he's going to jack your rent up 30% when you sign the lease (but still not do a DAMN thing to fix the place up) you circle the wagons and make with the hasty exodus!  We definitely made out better on the deal, in the long run though, as we have TWICE as much space, and in WAY better condition then the old joint! 
So, anyone watching the news over the last couple months will know that Florida has been getting pummeled by some nasty weather but we have persevered well enough, although in the bigger hurricane we did loose power for about a week. After a couple days of sitting around the apartment I DID get a little cabin fever and came in to the shop anyway. Luckily, it's light enough here during the day that I could still work.  I can only sit around for so long before I have to do something!  Thankfully, we suffered no other damage and once the lights came back up we were ready.  Of course, with all the inclement weather and the entire state panicking and escaping north to flee the BIG ONE that never really came, it was Slooooooooow for a few weeks!  But, thankfully, we are starting to see more and more folks filtering out into the sunshine and even better, seeing more and more goodies coming in!  WHEW!  For a couple weeks there we were down to our last two bikes!!! You will notice now, however, that we are starting to fill up again and with some REAL CHOICE rides!! 
We have scored some real goodies in the last couple weeks, a sweet old school Fuji BIG BOY road bike, not just one but TWO Townie Electras, an almost perfect BIG BOY Giant MTB and more!  Plenty of perfect Florida rides to make the trail riding a wonderful day out!  Thankfully, the cooler weather is slowly creeping in and I am giddy with the impending joy of a carefree ride now and then.  Well...when I get the time!  True enough, I ride too and from work, but golly bob howdy, I really want the excuse to hit the road for a few free hours! 
Everything status quo on the home front, although we did have one recent escapee from the ranks, as our eldest boy, Elijah, has made a move way North to PA to seek out his fortune, and seems to be doing well after a bit of "By the seat of his pants" departure.  I do feel a tad bit of envy towards his adventure, though.  Being occasional struck myself with an almost annual "wanderlust" but I wish him all the best.
Yes, they do keep growing.  Sigh.
ANYWAY!
Hope you all come by and give us a hello!
See ya soon!

It takes all kinds

Here's a hint: " don't tell a bicycle snob he's an elitist"! Hahahaha!
Oy!
Have been having an interesting back and forth with a gent that is "administrator" to a Facebook site that lists bicycle for sale or swap. One of many we were pedaling our wares  on.  Received a message from him that their site was not one that endorsed "box store bikes". Suffice to say, after attempting to educate him in regards to the quality of SOME of them, he held true to the fact that they were all garbage.
Hmmm.
Even the fact that the same company that makes Roadmaster makes Cannondale and the parts are interchangeable didn't move him. He grew more and more agitated.
Heh...
I'm a VERY bad boy when I know I got someone agitated...
I pushed.
However, like politics and religion, when someone believes something, regardless if it is based on any truth, questioning that belief can be... Explosive.
Truth is, I don't question the fact that there ARE better quality rides out there, but then, most folks can't afford to shell out thousands for a new or even used ride just to keep up with the Joneses. Most folks just want a good, reliable, CHEAP ride to bang about on, get to work, go bar hopping, or have an excuse to tear the kiddos away from the Play station for an afternoon. So what's wrong with an "under a hundred bucks" ride? Why turn your nose up at someone enjoying banging about on a Schwinn or a Huffy? Sorry, but I can't abide they opinion that we're"polishing a turd"
It's this same mentality that forces every day folk to have to endure the raised noses at the "boutique bike shops" when you walk your Roadmaster into that swanky shop because you got a flat , and the mechanic acts like he's being asked to care for an Ebola victim!
JEEZE!!
Seriously!? How does someone, SIMULTANEOUSLY stick their nose
 in the air and their head up their.... Well... You know!
Ugh! Burns my biscuits!
Sorry, but for years I've banged about on old Schwinns and huffys and am not complaining. Don't know why some folk have to get an attitude because I'm not sporting a gold plated Fuji or something
Simple truth is it is A MIGHTY big road out there and there is room for all sorts of rides!  If you're one of the chosen few that can sport a couple hundred dollars of spandex body suits, and a Lexus on two wheels, more power to you! But just makes way for the Huffy towing the kids carrier when you're bombing down the trail.
K?

It's been far too long!!

Nine months?!
It's been way, way to Long since I paid this place a visit! And A LOT can happen in nine months!
And NO before you do the math, Angi and I didn't have another baby!
Well... Not the human kind! Though we did have some serious changes a foot! At the beginning of June we were informed by our previous landlord that when we were to sign the new lease they were going to be raising our rent.
Significantly!
As there is a new, high end apartment complex going up less then a block away, they anticipate a massive boon in foot traffic to the plaza.
Ugh.
Yes, we were well established in the old location, but the increase in rent (given their unwillingness to do any kind of repairs or upgrades to the property) we chose a move.
There was an empty space in a small plaza, less then a block away, that I had ben noticing on my way home every night, that I thought would make for a cool spot.  Obviously, fate was playing it's hand!  This space, being double the size of what we were occupying, was only fifty bucks more a month of the OLD rent!  Well, you don't have to smack me with a 2X4 to get the hint!
And so began a three week (that turned into a six week) renovation of the new space, but GOLLY BOB HOWDY when she was done?! 
AWESOME!!!
Finally, a space large enough to display all our wares without having to have a bunch of greasy totes littering the landscape!  Not to mention, staging area for all the newbies without having to climb over piles just to get the work done!  And there aint nothing like the look of fresh paint and sweet display areas! 
For all those interested, with the help of  visual aids, I'll walk you through the evolution of the NEW RE-Cycle home!!

Here's a full frontal of the new digs!!!  Nice corner unit!   Love the columns!  Like the Greek Gods answer to cyclists everywhere!!

The insides of our new lair!  No, it's really not that narrow.  the wall to the left is a secondary one from the previous tenants and it had to go!

Deep in the bowles!  You can begin to see that size relly does matter!!!

As stated, that wall HAD TO GO!  No CLUE why the insulated it!

In true RE-CYCLE fashion, we reuse all that is provided!  You'll see what we used it for  shortly!

The crew taking a lunch (and cellphone) break.

Elijah, lumbering about!

Owen, helping with the sanding the massive amount of skim coat we had to put on the wall. Previously, they had paneling (very "Bradyesque"!)

As stated....LOTS of joint compound to try and level out the walls!

after about a week of grunt work, got some color on the walls!

Beginning to take form as the display racks go up!

Thanks to Brandon for the "towel rack" display concept

As of the end of June, we had to be out of the old joint, and due to some missed times, a LOT of rain and just shear frustration, the remaining stock and material had to be humped down here on foot and just shoved where they could fit, mid-construction!  Trust me!  Having to move this stuff back and forth while we worked was a REAL headache!

The small parts display was redone a tad bit to offer a better view and easier to access way of seeing!

A wheel rack that ACTUALLY works!!!

A place to actually hang and VIEW the fenders, bars, chainguards and forks!  Again, AWAY with the ugly totes!!

Owen, keeping his own record of our progress!

More of the stuff we were tripping over!

Here's where the recycled building materials from the old wall came in use.  Walling off my bay ad the back area that will become Angi's office and work station.

Yes, even the old sheet rock was redone!

Taking a moment in the build, we also redid our old sign so people could find us, as we were open as of July first!

The wall (mostly) finished, my work bay takes shape!

YES!!!  A fully accessible video rack....

....For all the way cool movies for sale!

All racks up in my work station, the parts are sorted and put up (in the best possible organization I could muster)

It took a day to clean all the videos and organize!  LOTS of movies!

Owen was not thrilled helping me hang all these goodies!

Now, fully organized, the pics and chotskies start going up and it begins to feel a LOT more like home!

Elijah putting up the important stuff!  Daddy's flat screen in my work area!

An ACTUAL clean and functional bathroom!!!

It may be a small office...but it works!!!

AND NOW....THE FINISHED PROJECT!!!!

Granted, we still have to do something with the floor, we just haven't decided what yet.  Not to mention, gotta get a little more cash in our pockets to do so...(that's where ya'll come in!)
It's been a long strange trip, but we have HIGH hopes for this new venture!  We have LOT'S of new goodies to choose from and keep building more every day!   Come have a blast and check out our irreverent style!  This ain't your average "boutique Bike shop!"
Talk to you soon!