Community engagement from a bike shop....More than bikes!

"When people refer to the LBS (local bike shop), this is exactly what they're talking about. Over the past seven years Bicycle World has become my home away from home. The guys here are extremely welcoming, and the shop has made itself an integral part of the local cycling community with support for everyone from skinny-jeans hipsters to Lycra-clad racers. The service is prompt and consistently high quality, and the sales staff know how to match people with the right bike for their goals, lifestyle, and price range. If you're interested in racing (or just getting more fit), the Bicycle World club is also second to none. The club members span a broad swath of our Houston community, and a wide range of athletic abilities. It's a wonderful way to meet people and get involved in triathlons, running, and mountain biking." Mark K. via Google review of Bicycle World of West U. Houston, TX

Home away from home--I have been saying this about my LBS for years--I just stop for no other reason but to say hello, to engage with them in good conversation about bikes, local community, fund raisers, etc....

While gearing up for my jaunt to Florida from Indiana I used to stop by the shop three or four times a week. Advice, equipment, nutrition and most important gaining knowledge of a sport I knew so very little. 

But more, I was gaining information  about the bicycle world--Bike Month, World Bicycle Relief, People for Bikes, Tour for the Cure, community rides(200 riders) two times a week, youth programs(daughter in them), colleges that have cycling programs, trails, RAAM rides, bike across Indiana, Bike across Ohio, sprint events(doughnut ride), 24 hour rides for cancer and diabetes and more.

Bikes are more than for riding I was learning, the LBS was providing me and my family with more than 2 wheeled transportation--they were providing us with a service--community service and superb customer service. 

The review nails the LBS epicenter, they are more than a bike shop---they are a home.    

More than 5,000 in the US alone, so stop by one and see what I and Mark are talking about...