Support Your Local Bike Shop Part 3

I am grateful to live in a town that has several great bike shops. A coworker at Logicalis, Aaron Read, pointed me to yet another great place that I have also used. Bicycle Outfitters[www.bicycleoutfittersindy.com], shares the characteristics of the previously mentioned shops. They have knowledgeable people who understand the needs of bikers and take a consultative approach. They gave me a good deal on the Giro Aeon helmet I will be wearing. More importantly, they are an authorized dealer for the Axiom rear rack I am using. Because Hidalgo is an all carbon bike, there are no braze ons (screw mounting points integrated into the frame) to hold a rack to carry gear. I am using the Axiom Streamliner AxiomStreamliner-1 to support my panniers. It has a unique design that gets its support from the rear axle and rear brake support. This allows my road bike to be used as a touring bike. After the rack arrived, I tried unsuccessfully to mount it, as the width of the rack was too narrow to fit my frame. After taking it back to Bicycle Outfitters, they pulled some special spacers and longer bolts from their stash of spare parts and got the frame mounted as intended. Eight months later when the support bracket had metal fatigue, they worked with me to replace it under manufacturers warranty. They have been great to work with.

I will admit that I also take advantage of the mail order places. I have purchased clothing, some lights, tubes and a few other accessories from Bike Nashbar and Performance Cycle. They have good prices and the online chat and reviews help me make better purchase decisions. I think there is room in the world for both. However, I know I could not have survived without the local bike shop. Please continue to support them with your business as the great ones inevitably support the communities in which they do business.

The Lone Rider

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