I first staggered into Spin, back in 1992 or so, when it was still located up the road, around the corner and down the way from the current location, in what was once a laundromat, I think. Back then, the shop sold a gazillion cool high end trinkets for the mountain bike student, from Ringle stems and hubs, to Nuke Proof stuff. Their bike brands back then were Kona, Balance and Yeti. Balance, I believe, is no longer around...at all...anywhere.
That shop was a clean little place, heavy on the green paint, with a dinky parking lot behind the building and a glut of handmade display space inside. The rigid Konas and Yeti frames were great, and to me, made the shop the number one destination in Gainesville, rivaled maybe by Primo (now DOA), which if memory serves, was Spin's parent shop.
Spin, at that time, was called BWA..."Bikes With Attitude", seen here advertised on one of my many well used bottles still in service. The dirt adds flavor.
So in summary, my grading scale, the fabled flaming babies, applies as follows...
Selection!
- 3 torched tots. Not much new to drool over, but then again, new doesn't make me drool much anymore, and new also doesn't reel in the nearly naked college kids.
Ambiance and Merchandising!
- 4 engaged embryos. What a place. Huge and dirty with something neat to poke around every corner. Not to be confused with a Performance Outlet in any way.
Staff!
- 5 fully-involved fledgelings. Blatant hoot-peeking aside, they were very friendly, and hey...hoot peeking is a college pass-time...especially at the state's "premier institution for higher learning." Besides, they let me rummage.
Bike!
- 1 lowly smoker. Weird used junk. Too much worthless fixie and not enough substance. Pass on this place if you want anything Hydroformed...or even turn key rideable.
Fuzzy Feeling!
- 5 fully-involved fledgelings. Pull up a chair, people watch, and hang out over a few hundred hours of old trail war stories. These guys are a good hearted crew, with very little interest in turning the hard press dollar.
Final tally...3.6! No baby chopping - round up please!
Next up, Recycle Bicycles
2 comments:
Hmmmm...who was REALLY peeking at the chest of the chick with the ringed nose??? Seems to me you caught a lot of detail, there. :)
I love this flaming baby scale. Hilarious.
There's 'noticing' and then there's removing your eyes from your skull and placing them ever so gently in her cleavage....
...for 20 minutes.
HA!
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