Re: [CR]Ye olde corner bike shoppe - or it pays to ask and not assume!

> In praise of ye olde corner bike shoppe - this afternoon, on realising
> that I needed some 1/8" bearings for my latest project, I phoned a local
> bike shop which has been in business for over 60 years. My opening line
> was "this may be a strange request, but I need some loose 1/8"
> bearings!" The chap at the other end said "we have loose bearings in all
> sorts of sizes at a dime a piece - and why is that a strange request?"
> My response was that I have become accustomed to higher end shops being
> more inclined to stock sealed units or bearings in clips. Moreover, I
> didn't really think that anyone would be doing repairs with smaller
> bearings these days.
>
> The shop is a couple of blocks from my daughter's school and I have only
> been in a couple of times before. It is a "family" oriented place which
> specialises in children's bikes, repro cruisers, etc. There is nothing
> in the way of high end or race-related bikes or parts. But they did have
> loose bearings (and it turns out another size of bearing which I had
> sent away for!). During my visit, I talked to the owners and it appears
> that they also still stock a range of tyre and tube sizes - including 26
> x 1-1/4" tyres!! And I had sent away for those too! One owner suggested
> that they have quite the stock of unusual things which they pick up from
> clearances and other types of sales. On leaving he said to me, with a
> slight smile, "you don't have to order everything online you know!"
>
> I never thought to ask locally and I guess several expressions come into
> play here - don't judge a book by its cover, it always pays to ask and
> don't assume anything! I will be going back there again - even with
> several higher end stores nearby.