General Cycling Discussion - Is This Hypocritical??

The owner of the bike shop I worked at for 2 months is a member of Transportation Alternatives, but he owns a few cars including 2 huge Ford SUVs and Never Ever rides a bike.

Doesn't this sound hypocritical? It really bothered me.

Yes, but I'll argue the other side too. You can't really pass judgement on his reason for owning 2 SUVs, maybe he tows a boat or two :rolleyes: . It's possible to be an advocate and not practice what you preach all the time.....but then again if I knew him I'd probably think he was a hypocrit

Maybe he hauls tools and bikes?

Let's not make excuses for his hypocrisy.
If he wanted to really find transportation alternatives he wouldn't need to own 2 Huge Ford SUV to carry bikes OR to tow boats... he would transport them on those huge commercial tricycles.

To some, bikes are business, and not much else. But it would be interesting to ask him how he got into the business.

As far as the boat hauling, Ive been looking for a good easy way to transport a canoe, by bike. Not much out there...

Not to be a complete jerk here, but it seems to me that the bike shop owner has no real interest in actual transportation alternatives or even cycling in particular. Seems to me that he's just capitalizing on the people who cycle and are proponents of alternative transportation by opening a bike shop and joining the advocacy group to drum up business for his bike shop. Seems to me that he's doing it out of a love for money and not a love of cycling. I could be wrong, but hey, doesn't it seem like a feasible explanation?

I know what you mean, there's a couple stores in town that I avoid for that very reason. Of course, as bad as it sounds, I really think yuppie cyclists(fat guys with carbon frame bikes that never seem to come off their cars,) are what keep bike shops in business. I'm an old food not bombs havin' bicycle punk myself, and I don't ride crap, but I get my money's worth out of what I do ride. So if I ride in on my 10 year old Trek 8000, someone else rides in on a Litespeed full dura ace, I don't take it personal if they help that guy first.

One time I worked next to a health club. The owner was overweight and was always outside smoking. It's closed now.

The owner of the bike shop I worked at for 2 months is a member of Transportation Alternatives, but he owns a few cars including 2 huge Ford SUVs and Never Ever rides a bike.

Doesn't this sound hypocritical? It really bothered me.

He also owns a nice lil porsche. :)
I used to see it parked there on weekends outside the shop a lot last year. He used to get the guys lunch in it.

Let's not make excuses for his hypocrisy.
If he wanted to really find transportation alternatives he wouldn't need to own 2 Huge Ford SUV to carry bikes OR to tow boats... he would transport them on those huge commercial tricycles.

You're joking right? Pedaling a bunch of bikes or towing a boat around with a tricycle? There are legit purposes to SUV's and large vehicles. The owner of a bike shop near my house has a van that he uses to move parts between the warehouse and his store.

Seems to me that if the guy provides good service, fair prices and sponsors causes you believe in, it's not anyone's business what he does in his spare time.

Agree with BDK. If the guys good and honest and knows his bikes than so what? Sure it would be nice if he commuted to work every day on a bike, but I wouldn't hold it against his store...

The owner of the bike shop I worked at for 2 months is a member of Transportation Alternatives, but he owns a few cars including 2 huge Ford SUVs and Never Ever rides a bike.

Doesn't this sound hypocritical? It really bothered me.

Oh man! I was hopeing we'd get away from this kind of stuff once the election was over.

You've given me a selected set of facts to bring me to your conclusion. Now I want to hear the other side of the story. That's exactly what all of the politicians do with their negative ads and I'm sick of hearing them. You see the kind of company that you're putting yourself in with?

The owner of a bike shop need not ride bikes to make a "political statement". But, he would be better at his job if he rode a bike. Several of the better bike mechanics that work on my bikes ride a lot, and on a variety of bikes. Their personal experience gives them a better idea of which bikes to sell (and not sell) and gives them a "feel" for bikes that enables them to spot a problem during a two minute ride.

In the 1970's, the Schwinn company began its long, slow slide from being the world's largest maker of high quality family bikes to its fate today: a sticker on Chinese low-end imports. Many of the key execs in Chicago had not been on a bike in twenty years. Many of their larger dealers were far more interested in golf than in bikes.

So, when college kids wanted 25 pound road bikes instead of 40 pound road bikes, Schwinn missed the boat. When BMX came along, Schwinn was confused. When mountain bikes came along, Schwinn was at the back of the pack, not at the front. And, today, the Schwinn Chicago plant that once built ten million bikes a years is an empty ruin.

The best bikes are designed by people who ride everyday. The best place to buy a bike is from people who ride everyday.

To some, bikes are business, and not much else. But it would be interesting to ask him how he got into the business.

As far as the boat hauling, Ive been looking for a good easy way to transport a canoe, by bike. Not much out there...

That was one of the reasons I finally bought a car years ago... I like to scuba dive and I could not figure out how to carry about 70 lbs of gear to the beach in a reasonable time. Prior to that I always relied on a buddy picking me up... but more and more I wanted to go with other folks and that "pickup" arrangement did not always work.

The owner of a bike shop need not ride bikes to make a "political statement". But, he would be better at his job if he rode a bike. Several of the better bike mechanics that work on my bikes ride a lot, and on a variety of bikes. Their personal experience gives them a better idea of which bikes to sell (and not sell) and gives them a "feel" for bikes that enables them to spot a problem during a two minute ride.


And that is, I think, the heart of the issue. Sure its nobody's business what he does in his spare time... But a customer who rides alot if certainly apt to get the wrong impression, and THAT is business --your customers and their view of your business. ESPECIALLY if he is a member of TA...

Call the bread bread and the wine wine. Alternative means alternative.

As far as the boat hauling, Ive been looking for a good easy way to transport a canoe, by bike. Not much out there...

How long of a canoe?

http://www.paddleboy.com/pages/bike_trailer.html

:-)

I've considered making a kayak carrier for my bike but it hasn't gone any further than the "interesting idea" phase....

Jay

maybe he gots a family and has to cart them around? or a spouse that has empowerment issues and demands an SUV

...or a spouse that has empowerment issues and demands an SUV

Round here we call that whipped. :p

There's a bike shop around here, one of the guys who works there is morbidly obese and looks like Fat Bastard. Needless to say he doesn't ride a bike. He's not the owner, i think he just works there. I doubt he'll live long, he's so obese he can barely walk.

He IS into transportation alternatives. If he doesn't want to drive a car, he drives one of the other ones.

maybe he has reasons for it? Kids? Family? Business? Also as far as recreational life....just b/c you're all about riding a bike there are some things you can't pull on a bike....jet skis, a boat, a trailer, parts for your store, etc.

How long of a canoe?

http://www.paddleboy.com/pages/bike_trailer.html

:-)

I've considered making a kayak carrier for my bike but it hasn't gone any further than the "interesting idea" phase....

Jay

It's a big honking thing. Too cold and dark to go measure it right now.

I looked at the other products that paddleboy has, and I might be more interested in four wheels, and a juryrigged mechanism for towing the canoe. That way I could ride right into the water, and throw the bike in the canoe when the craft is floating.

maybe he has reasons for it? Kids? Family? Business? Also as far as recreational life....just b/c you're all about riding a bike there are some things you can't pull on a bike....jet skis, a boat, a trailer, parts for your store, etc.

You're probably right, but the mindset of some of us is that cycling is a way of life. Just as most Christians wouldn't ever buy a bible printed by the Chinese government, a Cyclist who rides 365 days a year, and chooses not to drive, is going to preffer buying a bike from someone who harbors the same ideals as him. This isn't bad, it's natural.

I also don't think that owning an SUV, in itself is bad. An SUV is a tool that can be used responsibly. Now a two stoke engine on anything, that's just BAD.

There's not enough info to comment about it, certainly not enough info to judge the guy. Maybe he drops off a wheelchair-bound wife or child at work or school before he comes in to work. Could be any of a million things.

Joe

It's a big honking thing. Too cold and dark to go measure it right now.

I looked at the other products that paddleboy has, and I might be more interested in four wheels, and a juryrigged mechanism for towing the canoe. That way I could ride right into the water, and throw the bike in the canoe when the craft is floating.

I've been using Tony Hoar's "trayak (http://www.tonystrailers.com/Departments/kayak_trailers.htm)" for a couple of summers now. No real touring with it, but perhaps a total of 150kms of short (5-10 kms each way) trips with a 5,5m long sea kayak. Have been very happy.

For open top canoes you don't necessarily need a full trailer. Swedish canoe manufacturer Linder (http://www.linder.se) have a design where you only attach a pair of wheels under the canoe, and an "arm" of sorts in the bow (easy with a canoe, more complicated with a kayak). The arm then attaches to your seat post.

--J

[QUOTE Now a two stoke engine on anything, that's just BAD.[/QUOTE]

My deah, a Vespa ET2 (my main transportation) has a lovely two-stroke engine. It's utterly efficient and gets me there in style and a moderate bit of speed.
Back to the question: Yes, this bike owner is a hypocrite. And the speculation about his owning jet skis, a boat, a litter, etc....if I knew that to be the case, I would make a point of avoiding his shop.

It's unbelievably petty to even be concerned about this. I suppose if you discovered the guy who sold you a cord of firewood had a gas furnace in his house, he'd be a hypocrite too, eh? For pity's sake -- get a life, live your own beliefs and don't worry about other people's, and take yourself less seriously. Everything isn't political. Honest.

Maybe he lives way out in the boonies, beyond practical cycling distance. Also, as a rule, I have found most LBS personnel seem to think cycling is only a sport and are utterly clueless on commuting. I also think he should be commended for belonging to Transportation Alternatives regardless of how he gets around.

Paul

Alanbikehouston and Clancy98 have it right: This will hurt his business because he will be less helpful to his customers. I can buy a lot of stuff off the web cheaper than my LBS. I go to my LBS when I need advice before purchasing. I trust their advice because everyone there is a regular cyclists. I wouldn't trust the owner your describe. I'd just buy online.

It's unbelievably petty to even be concerned about this. I suppose if you discovered the guy who sold you a cord of firewood had a gas furnace in his house, he'd be a hypocrite too, eh? For pity's sake -- get a life, live your own beliefs and don't worry about other people's, and take yourself less seriously. Everything isn't political. Honest.

If that guy was giving me advice as to what type of firewood to use and which brand he would recommend, as well as if he was to be responsible for any PROBLEMS I may have with my firewood, I would damn sure expect the guy to have a woodburner...

there, no politics, just wood.