Originally Posted by
badger_biker
I was the jack of all trades including mechanic in a small town shop in 1984. Sold mostly Bridgestone with some Gitane, Motobecane and Kuwahara. The shop tried to empathize touring bikes and equipment but mostly sold mid to low end Bridgestones.
Didn’t make much money but I developed a life long love of anything touring and bikes from the mid 80’s. I developed a sickness that directly resulted in 8 touring bikes vintage 1983 - 1987 hanging in my garage today😊
curious about where in western WI you worked.
I will tell my boring story too, in case anyone is interested. I started wrenching on my own bikes as young as 13 or 14, always tinkering, adjusting, upgrading etc. When I went away to college in 1978 in River Falls WI, I took a bicycle maintenance class at the local bike shop... The Village Pedaler if IRC. it was a multi week course on a weeknight. I helped all of the students with their bikes, my Aerospace Pro didn't need any maintenance. At the end of the night, Tim asked me why I took the class, and I said I wanted to learn about trueing and building wheels. he offered me a job, and I worked there during the school year for 2 years. Tim was a frame builder, and he and I designed a custom for me, and I did a lot of the work, and he wielded the torch. When I moved back to Green Bay (to be closer to my GF, (kids huh?, but I am still married to her, so there is that!) I started working at Wheels and Boards for the summers as a second job. mostly as a mechanic, and once in a while helping on the sales floor. I did that from 1980 to 1985. I took a lot of my earnings in bike stuff, so it was a good thing I lived with mom and dad, and had a day job! I still remember the blue 3Rensho frame that was hanging on the wall there, and lusting after it! That and Phil's very early Allez, that was a hot bike!