The Dream of a Bike Shop

My bike-related Playmobil collection

When I was stationed in Batangas City back in late '90s and early 2000s, I had a dream of opening a bike shop that would cater to cycling enthusiasts in the area. 

This idea didn't come out from nowhere. It's rooted from something I observed -- even though there were bike shops in the city, most of them didn't carry some of the stuff that cyclists looked for. So often, people would travel to Lipa, Lemery, or even Manila to buy their cycling components and gear.

Back then, bike shops were dark and filthy, and prices were written in codes only bitchy salespeople would know.

I was thinking of something opposite of that. A refreshing take on what a bike shop could be -- a mid-range bike shop that sells value-for-money components and bicycles, and where cyclists can hangout and have their bikes serviced. 

Most of the newer bike shops nowadays are pretty much like this nowadays, but before, you can count these with one hand.

I never did pursue the dream. I didn't have the huge capital needed. Plus in my talks with several bike shop owners at that time, I know running a bike shop is a lot of hard work.

Maybe when I retire, I'll revisit this. Or maybe I'll open an online shop. Bahala na.

Thanks for reading.