Bike Shop Lifers

Life in a bike shop. It can be a lot of fun, great people, good times. I hear from people time and time again how we have it made, we work on bikes, and get great discounts, and get to do what we love. Well that is all true.
What is also true, is that we make very little money. Work all the time so miss out on going out with friends and work every weekend, not to mention limited time to ride a bike. Our discounts dont make up for the loosy wages in the bike industry. And I know a few people who lost their love of the sport after working in a bike shop.
Most people work in a shop for a season or two, then get out. The got it out of their system, or could no longer afford it. Want a better employee in the bike shop you go to or better service, dont ask for a discount or expect free labor, real employees need real wages. But anyway most people dont last long.
It is the lifers you have to watch out for. The guys who 20 years later are still in a shop. Or the guy who opened a shop for the love of bikes, not he guy who wanted to open a business and just picked bikes. These tend to be the great people in the industry, they love all things bikes, they suffer for the sport, they often cant afford the best bike-but they sure can ride it. They always seem a little off their rocker, so watch out they might explode. You have to love the lifers, just keep an eye on them!!