Holy Crap!
A Bike Shop Review!
Yes twerps, I actually went into an unfamiliar bike shop this past weekend, and as usual that means I need to feed my urge to talk badly about those around me who have actually gotten off their a$$es and committed their lives to bicycle retail and all that that entails, (you know, the drinking, debt, tax evasion, spousal abuse, drug addiction and trafficking, etc.)
First, Tallahassee is another in a long line of supposed college towns in Florida generally misinterpreted by definition and constructed by blind happenstance by a population of rather simple minded folks; who have never visited a legitimate college town, working hand in hand with a nest of inebriated FDOT roadway engineers. That is to say that the place is riddled with poorly conceived 4 lane roads and dilapidated sidewalks packed to the gills with single car drivers and featuring few pedestrians.
However, hats off to the throngs of tireless workers searching for and deploying ways to improve the vehicle dominated landscape into one more suited for the ped and pedal powered among us. "Tally", as the tattooed locals call it, is making strides in the right direction...
And this place is helping out! Once you get past the brand new homogenized strip style shopping facility which hosts the establishment, (a facility that also hosts a "Zaxby's"), you enter into a world seldom presented by bicycle retailers in the great state of Florida. A world where the proprietors recognize the value of stocking parts! High-end parts! Parts people actually WANT! WOOEEEE! 8 King headsets, 8 King bottom bracket sets, both in all sorts of colors, Salsa bits, Fox Forks, Turner frames, Niner goodies, all in stock and on the walls and for SALE!
You don't see that every day in Jax. You don't see that ever in Jax! If the QBP catalog disappeared most shops in Jax wouldn't know how to get their hands on anything even remotely high-end, short of asking their Specialized rep...
BUT! In the landscaping outside the shop, mere feet away from a display of vintage Diamond Back's, Cannondale's and even a "Spalding Blade" mountain bike from the late 80's, was this little nightmare!
Still, I bought socks. The fellas in the shop deserved it.
RING IT UP!
BIKES - Specialized and Cannondale. Even under Pacific ownership, Cannondale as a complimentary brand is quite a statement.
ENVIRO - They have a couch and beers!
MERCHANDISING - Joe blow cabinets and racks. Albeit dressed nicely with the King and Salsa bits.
DOODS - Good guys and lots of facial hair. A happy bunch, although one dood in particular wanted $20 for the cruddy stem next to my socks in the pic above.
INVENTORY - King Bits and Turner Frames. Done!
Grand Total!...
4 Flaming Babies!Higher Ground Bicycle Co.
2819 Mahan Drive #108
Tallahassee, FL 32308
850-942-BIKE
highergroundbikes@earthlink.net
