"Are you wearing shorts under your bike shorts, Kieley?"
"No sir, just underwear."
"Next time, go commando! That's how we do it around here to avoid lines that show through spandex."
This was my introduction to the weekly mountain bike ride with Scott's Bikes Centre on Tuesday night.
I arrived at the shop fully decked out with spandex cycling shorts, a new jersey, gloves, sunglasses, and my helmet.
It was hilarious to start the evening off with a command to "go commando!"
In case you missed my first blog, I'm in Cleveland, Tennessee for job #4 for the One-Week Job Project!
One of the keys to success for Scott's Bike Shop to grow their business is to offer weekly mountain bike and road bike rides. Not only do the rides provide a social outlet for regular riders, but they're also a great way for people who are new to cycling to give it a try. The group setting is great since the Scott's crew makes sure nobody gets left behind.
So I've tossed around the terms "road bike" and "mountain bike," so allow me to clarify the difference between the two:
A mountain bike is used for riding mountain terrain and has thick tires that withstand lots of action!
A road bike is a bike with "skinny tires" that's used for riding on smooth surfaces and for racing.
Just like my job at the coffee roastery, the bike shop has its own community. The owners of Scott's Bicycle Centre realize this and it drives them to provide awesome customer service. They are intentional about offering rides for all levels of riders.
Honestly, the best part of my week so far was riding up to the Brush Creek Trail with David Coulter, one of the owners of Scott's. He was very candid about his business and gave me advice about starting my own small business in the future. One thing that people don't realize is how much money it takes to run a bike shop. With a full spectrum of bikes, David and his brother have a lot of money invested in just bikes!
David asked me how I ended up in the One-Week Job Program and what my future plans are.
To explain how I got to have this fabulous experience:
After being in college for a year and switching my major 3 times, it was time for a break! I moved home from Chicago to Tennessee to work, regroup, and pursue my interests. This past spring, I worked full-time at Panera Bread and really enjoyed it, but wanted to pursue other jobs too!
When I saw the tweet (on Twitter, of course) about the Program I knew the program had my name all over it!
I applied, you voted, and I got in!
I don't take this experience for granted since I've met so many people in just the past month who would do anything to try different jobs.
I've been carrying around a small Moleskine notebook to record all the people I meet, what I do each day, and other insights.
To be gut honest, my big goal is to open a coffee shop & roastery in the future. After talking to David, I realized that I've got a lot of work ahead of me if that's what I pursue!
If any blog readers have business advice or general advice, what would you say to me? Please leave a comment since I'm very open to advice and would love to read the things you learned the hard way or principles that helped you to be successful in life & in business.
(If you prefer, you can email me here: bestweekjob@gmail.com)
This week has been a blast so far!
Not only did I get to work at Scott's Bike Centre, but I also got to ride with the Scott's weekly mountain bike ride group!
I could describe the 45-minute drive up the mountain, the killer views on the ride, and the rush of riding a bike in the mountains, but this video will do it justice, more than words can.
-Kieley B.