"yes, but are you a CYCLIST?"

An interesting couple came in to shop for bikes the other day.

Woman: "Do you know where we could try to find these Fuji bikes on the Peninsula? Because thats where we live, and we want to test ride them."

Me: "You are welcome to ride them, just leave me your ID."

Man: "We don't like riding in the city. Its dangerous. we almost got hit the other day riding around here! Some people just have no respect for others on a bike!"

Me: "I understand completely. I'm sure you could look at the manufacturer's website and find a retailer local to you. If you ride on Shotwell Street around the corner, it has much less traffic than this intersection here."

Both of them: "Well. . . ok."

(They test rode some Fuji hybrids.)

Both: "That was GREAT!"

Me: "Awesome, glad you enjoyed it."

Man: "Do you think I could sustain 30 mph on this bike? Just riding around and stuff?"

Me: "Definitely. . . if you're going downhill. 30 mph is pretty fast to sustain on flat ground."

Man: "Yes, but ARE YOU A CYCLIST?"

Me: "uh, yeah. . . i do work at a bike shop. So YES, i am a cyclist."

Man: "I mean, a man can run faster than a car thats going 30 miles per hour. On a bike, you should be able to go much faster." (He was pretty serious and set on this factoid.)

Me: "I don't think Lance Armstrong even sustains 30mph in the Tour de France." (fact that i just googled: Lance averaged 33.5 mph in the prolog stage of last year's TdF.) "Either way: NO, you probably won't be averaging 30 mph on this hybrid bicycle."


I realize that some bike shops may employ "salespersons" who may or may not actually be a "cyclist." However, I find it highly improbable that a knowledgeable person who sells bicycle products or works as a mechanic at a bike shop doesn't have at least some first hand knowledge of the products and/or bicycles and bicycling in general.

Sure, you can be taught most things and can even learn a lot from the internet, but c'mon. . . you wouldn't walk into an auto shop and ask a car mechanic if he drives cars, right??