I will be working at a bike shop!
A riding buddy of mine owns this nice little bike shop 2 towns over. A friend of mine works at this nice little bike shop during the summer, and she mentioned in passing that she would not be able to pick-up as many hours this year. She said the owner (said riding buddy) was getting worried about summer coverage. He had hired high school kids in the past but they were not "customer service oriented".
I said I'm looking for something part time, think he’d hire me?
She said go talk to him, see what he says; well he said yes!

When the weather gets nicer I should be able to ride my bike in some days. It’s 15 miles each way; going in it won’t be too bad - more down hill than up, but going home, well...

Miss Jean, I am currently shopping for a set of panniers with the intention of doing tours in N. Hampshire several times this summer and lasting 3 to 4 days. If you post the name and location of your new job, I will stop in to ask for you by name and your employer will be impressed that you are drawing in people from out of state. I have enjoyed hiking in N. Hampshire's mountains and I'm looking forward cycling there as well as meeting a Bikeforums member.

I went for my first ride of 2011 today lasting a mere 12 miles or so. I have been skiing twice a week but still, my legs do not have the endurance and snap as the end of last summer. The good news is that I'm way further ahead of where I began last year. I'm impressed that you will do more work just getting to work than the average American does all day.

This sounds like it could be a very interesting summer for you. Keep us up to date!

A friend of mine works at a LBS and he's a retired MD. He does it mostly for the enjoyment of working on bikes plus he gets some extra money and a good employee discount. He also doesn't tell many people his former occupation.

A couple of things; find out what EP is, and start saving up your JRA stories.

Anyway, it's the best job I ever had ... and the worst paid, but who cares ;-)

That would be awesome! The shop is Souhegan Cycleworks (for non New Englanders: pronounced sow-He-gan) in Milford. Milford is southern/central NH. Have you planned out where in NH you will be touring yet?

Still sections of snow and ice on the path north of the traffic light in Barrington.

I have four panniers I got from Art. Two small for the front and two big for the back. They are good and inexpensive, but I don't think total downpour proof. I just put things in a few clear ziplock freezer storage bags. You can see what's in the bag, and take them out to look under things without getting stuff wet. One can even use the clear bags as a map protector.

JRA - know that one: just-riding-along

EP - hmmm. I'll let you know when I figure that one out.

Money - yup, he said it won't pay much, but I said if it was all about the money I would have stayed at the last job and put up w/the BS.

Opps.

Cool! We, the forum members, expect you to share your employee purchase discounts. I'm assembling a list of gear now.

Good luck missjean!, All the dudes and dudettes in the LBS's around here have tattoos. Do you have your new ink planned out yet?

Working in a bike shop has been a Walter Mitty dream of mine.

Best wishes, missjean.

What a great opportunity missjean! Your post made me remember the years I lived in Peterborough and think about how nice it would be to bike through southern NH in the summer - of course I would have to find a solution to the no-see-ums problem. Perhaps the answer is simply to ride faster than they can fly?

Miss Jean, I have not yet planned anything definate. There is so much pretty countryside and I want to ride it all. I have hiked Mt. Monodnock frequently and like the back roads in and around Jaffrey and Peterborough. I once backpacked a section of the Appalacian Trail beginning in Hanover and that area is, again pretty and bucolic as befits an Ivy League school (Dartmouth). Then there are the notches. Beginning in Lincoln, then through Franconia Notch, then past Bretton Woods and down Crawford notch to N. Conway and finally across the Kancamamgus Highway back to Lincoln makes a fine but tough century which I would need two days to complete. I have a bookmark somewhere of N. Hampshire routes to begin studying. Perhaps you could put together a nice route for your Bikeforum friends.

2Many, I road from my place in Bristol to Barrington today and that much was clear of snow. I'm going to have another look in Art's bike shop to see what he may have available or can order. Earlier this winter I gathered what camping equipment I would take on a 3 to 4 day tour and it came to 18 lbs. not including food and water. Volume wise I believe it will all fit into 2000 to 2200 sq. inches of space.

Cool beans MissJean. Unfortunately New Hampshire is a bit far this South Floridian to go to a Local Bike Shop. Have fun!

Let's get the easy one out the way; EP; not quite certain, but I understand it to mean Employee Preference or Purchase ... you'll get stuff below wholesale ...

JRA; Just Riding Along ... on my new bike I just bought from you and somehow the chain broke, jammed the gears which wound into the back wheel, which in turn broke the spokes and tacoed it, thus snapping the frame in two and narrowly avoided a fatality as I was crossing the railroad as a light aircraft was attempting to make an emergency landing, etc, etc ... and I'll never be able to play the concert piano again, dance for the Bolshoi or discover a cure for cancer ... what are you going to do about it???

I've turned down two chances to work at bike shops, simply because that now I'm retired, I don't have time! I get up early every morning so I'll have more time to loaf. I start the day with nothing to do, and at the end of the day, half of it is still not done.

I used to do a lot of backpacking in that area.

If you have it down to 18 lbs. you have done an excellent job.