Free Transportation 3

...The story continues again
(see Free Transportation & Free Transportation 2)

A few years ago I was commuting to the UofU in Salt Lake City from Provo via UTA. The bus schedule was bad and I had to wait an hour after class to go home. I tried to run downtown once but barely missed the bus and had to wait for the next one in the cold wind after getting sweaty from the run. I thought of building an adult sized scooter to solve my problem, but never did it. Then about a year after that I saw a Xootr scooter at Lunar Design in Palo Alto, CA when I was on a college trip. I fell in love with it. It was perfect, but I wasn't commuting the same way any more. Xootr scooters are adult sized fold up scooters. They are the best built scooters you can buy. They are built in Scranton, Pennsylvania by people who ride them. Sounds like a plug, sorry, but I love these scooters.

I was walking down York Avenue today and passed by Nycewheels, a bike shop. But not just any bike shop, they specialize in urban transportation. Electric and fold up, bicycles and electric and kick adult sized scooters. If you think this is a plug, it is, they are awesome!

I love bike shops, always have, always will. Only the mom and pop kind are good, the big chains(cute wording) are awful. Big chains have a staff of people that only know mountain bikes, or at least pretend to. Their mantra is buy the expensive one, it is the best. That must give them a better commission. I have always liked to repair my bikes and keep them going for as long as I can. The big chains are no help with repairing, they only know new. I have also gotten into beach cruisers, again no help at the big chains. The mom and pop kind has a staff of people who ride and repair the product. They know their stuff. They help get you the product that meets your task and fits your body, not their paycheck. They also don't pressure you, they let you think about your money. They must live on a budget too. It think they make a profit by earning customers loyalty. These kind of sales people are also happy and laid back. Probably from riding bicycles to work. It makes for a great atmosphere. A place where people are cool. I love bike shops

Nycewheels is a perfect example of a small bike shop that beats the big store by having a staff of urban commuters that use the store's products. I had questions about several different products, bikes and scooters, and Bert knew everything. He even knew exactly how to turn my beach cruiser into an electric bicycle. He has done it several times. I love bike shops. You might think I am raving about something simple. I am not. The big bike stores are not a pleasant place to shop. And the sales staff are just that, sales staff. That is all they know, they could be put in the gap and their script wouldn't change. Bert at Nycewheels knows that his products sell themselves so he doesn't push. While I was there he even assisted someone who bought her bike from a big store and did not know how to use it, or knew if it was even the correct size for her. Bert showed here the correct fit and taught her how to remove the front wheel to put the bike in her car. She didn't know. The big box sent her out the door without making sure she know how to use the product. That single incident makes my point exactly.

I have to get to the title of this post. While talking to me about a Xootr scooter, Bert realized that I might possibly be the 20,000 customer. He checked his computer and yeah!!! Free scooter!!!!! It is even the new MG model as well. I can't believe it. I rode away laughing with glee and smiling like a 7 year old with a new pair of shoes, or a new scooter I guess. This story just keeps getting better. I am going to fly home for Christmas in my free jet. Bert, you are a good man.