Sometimes it’s not about the bike
The bike business is what puts the food on table for us here at Bicycle Sport. But sometimes, what we do goes way beyond what’s written in any sort of business plan, and probably falls way outside the lines of any job description we could work up. No, we’re not talking about taking out trash and cleaning bathrooms, although we wish those things would take care of themselves, too!
Over the years we’ve realized that we’re in it deeper than just being Charlotte’s favorite bike shop. Bicycle Sport is one of the threads that weaves the Charlotte cycling community together. Yeah, that seems weird talking about a bike shop like that, but that’s how all small businesses were back in the day. The corner grocery, the doctor, even the post office. Back before everything went all big and corporate, small businesses were the backbone of the communities they served; it was a symbiotic relationship.
That’s how we see Bicycle Sport today. We don’t thrive without a thriving cycling community. And Charlotte doesn’t have a growing, dynamic cycling community just because it has a great bike shop. People have to want to ride, and feel safe and comfortable out on the streets. That doesn’t happen by itself. There are lots of good folks working on the bigger picture – to stripe more bike lanes, plant more bike racks, and plot safe routes to school, work and shopping. Those are all integral pieces of the puzzle. And what makes all their efforts worthwhile is to see more and more people using those amenities.
For our part, we’re taking on the challenge of teaching as many kids (and grown-ups!) to ride as possible. Each one of us out there riding is another advocate for cycling in Charlotte; another face and voice for the cycling community. Each one of us riding makes us all more visible. Each one of us riding means being on a bike is that much easier, safer and convenient. Those are all great things, whether you ride to race, ride to work, ride to school, or ride for fun. It’s also pretty good if you’re in the bike business, too!
Want to know more about how we’re reaching and teaching kids to ride? Call us at the shop at 704.358.0713 or message us at www.facebook.com/bicyclesport.
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Learn to Ride – the Sequel! Coming June 1st!
Well, our phone’s been buzzing about this ever since we did it back in April. Kids and parents took on the pouring rain to let us teach them how to ride a bike. It was a pretty incredible experience! You’ve asked, we’ve hear you… so we’re doing it again! Bicycle Sport and our friends at the Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance and Trips for Kids – Charlotte want to get 100 kids riding a bike in ONE DAY!
What: Learn to Ride a Bike!
When: Saturday June 1 (rain date Sun., June 2)
Time: 1PM-4PM
Where: Alexander Graham middle school track
Who: Kids (or grownups) who want to learn to ride a bike!
For parents and kids alike! Learn to ride using the simple, proven balance bike method. Bring your bike and helmet and let’s learn to ride! Already know how? Come out to volunteer!! Contact Bicycle Sport at 704.335.0323 or email dclucchesi@gmail.com!
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Good Folks and Good Work
When you do stuff for the greater good, you’re not in it for the recognition. Sure, it’s nice to get it, but that’s not what drives you to do it. You get out there because you know there’s work to do and you’ve got the resources to get the work done. Sometimes it’s thankless work, sometimes it’s dirty work, sometimes it’s simple stuff, sometimes it’s fun stuff. Sometimes it’s all that.
Cleaning up on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway Sunday was easy to realize how we’re part of something bigger, and how easy it is for folks coming from seemingly different angles intersect for that greater good. And once at that intersection, it doesn’t take long to figure out there’s a lot we have in common. Getting together with folks from the Carolina Thread Trail and the MS Society over coffee and donuts, rubber gloves and trash bags on a rainy Sunday morning illustrated that point. While none of us likely have cleaning up trash on public property as part of our mission and vision, the call to do some “greater good” is one we’re all capable of answering.
Check out out photo album from our Greenway Cleanup!
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Good, Clean Karma THIS SUNDAY!
Bicycle Sport and our partners Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance, Carolina Thread Trail and others invite you to come help clean up one of the most loved bike and pedestrian paths in Charlotte: the Little Sugar Creek Greenway! We’ll get it all started where the greenway intersects with Brandywine Road. (Just down the hill from the shop!) We’ll provide trashbags, rubber gloves, and refreshments! All you need to do is BE THERE!
Location: Little Sugar Creek Greenway at Brandywine Rd
Time-Date: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Sunday May 5
Who Participates: Open to everyone!
Cost: FREE!
Contact: Bicycle Sport @ http://bicyclesport.com/ or 704.335.0323
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Up on Two Wheels
They did it! They learned to ri
de! The kids (and parents) who came out Sunday didn’t leave disappointed. If you came out Sunday, you REALLY wanted to learn to ride. And if you came out Sunday, you left WITHOUT training wheels – good for you! It was amazing to see what a couple of guys from here at Bicycle Sport and a handful of like-minded friends could pull off.
There’s something pretty great about learning to ride. That freedom and independence you earn from getting up on two wheels and finally realizing your world is just about to get a whole lot bigger. You’re gonna see more stuff, do more things, and go more places than you ever did before. And you might get there faster, too, but that’s up to you. You might never race your bike or travel the world with it, but now that you can ride you’ll always have those options open to you. And if you never do, no worries. You’ll be able to ride to school, ride to the store, ride to a friend’s house, and on and on.
More of us on bicycles means more advocates for a bicycle-friendly community, making it safer and more fun for everyone no matter how and where we ride. And we just grew that community a little more Sunday. That’s pretty awesome. Take a look at our photo album to see more.
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