folder fanatic

Remember I simply was cleaning out my hard drive and came across those old photos. Now I could get rid of (delete) them and that will be that. But occasionally, I am still asked about the bike shops around here (which has no bearings to most of you) offline with other local cyclists. Online, I still add pages to my old Website as the need (via Private Mail) indicates: Brompton Easy Wheels Substitute Ideas, so I keep anything I happen to document. Or read about online. Or physically pass by when out cycling-i.e. the Dahon HQ periodically. I document-even old news like Dahon/Tern-as I review where my precious money & time should or could be better spent. Except for 1 special bike that I am strongly considering to be purchased in the near future (see Am-star-dam), my bike needs have been met.

I was not looking for agreement. I was looking for change within others. Not there yet.

I am a custormer at times-just not with their bikes anymore-just accessories. I had plenty of problems with those bikes. Even in the middle of a bike ride, I had to stop & tighten something, or address an problem. Nevermind about locating the replacement latches. With the 3 present bikes I have, nothing for 2 years. And the replacement screws are easy to come by in the local hardware store.

Who says I'm not a customer? I don't buy the bikes anymore, but I do sometimes buy their bags-and perhaps other accessories-either for myself or gifts for present Dahon owners. I don't live in a vacuum or choose my friends because they have different bikes than I do.


Oh, so you don't like my old Raleigh is that then? Matters little as I like it fine and that is enough for me. I do admit I don't ride that bike or any other one like I used to. Here in Los Angeles, the infrastructure is set up for cars-even older ones hailing from the 60s & 70s. Bicycles are in the way except for some limited recreational use. But the sole reason for having them has not changed and except for the Am-star-dam bike, they must all be ready to fold or separate up and go into trunks or hidden in bags. Or else out they go too along with the former Dahons-Terns or anything else that takes up valuable space without nothing in return.

Remember Thor, I have been around for a quite number of years in a hostile-to-bicycles environment, Los Angeles. I saw many wonderful bike shops go away or even close shop because their owners retire like my Flying Dutchman bike shop did back in 1980 or so or change hands. So will you do too when the time comes & probably disappear from this forum forever, no matter the promises you make, wish to make, or others make for you here even now. Because that is a fact of life. The only constant in business relationships is change. Rewriting history or wishing it away does not make is so.

And I don't forget my hard won lessons from that same shop all those years ago. Even today, I still am attracted to the bikes I have now or will soon because of that wonderful Dutch immigrant family and doing business with them. And I kept photographs gathered all over the Internet to remind me of those exact same bikes. Their strong points and their weaknesses. I did not dare to load up my Boardwalk with groceries which I can do with ease with my Jetstar. It's rear rack is in reality, part of the frame itself and can carry far more heavier loads that I need to. Even my non-cycling mother did not want me to put too much on the Boardwalk. She thought it would bend from the weight!

I also have seen my community flooded by way too many bike shops right now. And there is much back stabbing and in fighting going on. I choose to remove myself and go farther out into Suburbia all things bikes until the dust settles. Anything else is suicide-or being careless.