There were many things I experienced today. All experiences were valuable, wonderful to me and bamboo bike2! So I write blog divided into 2 parts. One part is about the repairing of bamboo bike2 in bike shop in Charlottesville and another part is about the meeting and experiences in Twin Oaks community, Louisa, VA. This part "Twin Oaks Community(1)" was written about the experiences in a bike shop in Charlottesville.
In bike shop I met the President of the shop and talked about bike, bike business, bamboo bike, of course the repair was completely done. He also found the big problem of the rear wheel of bamboo bike2. The President, Rodger is also competitive bike racer. I had precious time to talk Rodger and was taught many things about bike. I and my spirit were inspired much by him, his passion for bike. In Twin Oaks Community I met David and Maggie and Paika, and many people in that community. Twin Oaks is an intentional community in Virginia, made up of around 92 adult members and 10 children. Since the community's beginning in 1967, they live to help each other, share profit of business, some property, and have high green conscious, ecological thinking. I was inspired so much by David, Maggie, the people in the community. and their pioneer spirits. In the community I pushed a big truck to move with them, molded some boxes for packing Tofu, ate eggs, vegetables, miso soup which they make by themselves.
I woke up 4:00a.m. and packed staff for departure. I ate some breads with coffee as breakfast. Around 8:00a.m. I called all the bike shops in Charlottesville, but there were no reply, of course the shops have not yet opened. The second call was around 9:00a.m., I could contact one bike shop but they said to me, " we could not repair today, today was Black Friday, so we were busy." , I see. The third call was 9:30a.m., no reply, the forth was 9:45, no reply. I must think plan of today again...if there were no shops which I could repair the bamboo bike in Charlottesville... I could not delay more....are there another way to repair here in Charlottesville? or are there any way to carry bamboo bike to other place which I ccoud repair?.... the fifth call was 10:00a.m., no reply... Though I have almost given up the contact to the bike shops in Charlottesville today, considering about the traffic and Black Friday, I decided that one more call to bike shops at 10:05a.m. and if there would be no reply, I would call Steve who hosted us in Fredericksburg tomorrow and asked him to pick up us.
10:05a.m. called.... "Hello, blue wheel bicycle...." Got it! ("Yatta!" in Japanese) I checked out the lodge and called taxi and visited bike shop, "Blue Wheel Bicycle" around 11:00a.m. There was a guy who worked at that shop, whose name is Rodger, the President of Blue Wheel Bicycle, he said to me "I needed 4 hours". I was happy to repair bamboo bike2 during the day. Though some customers visited shops, I could talk to Rodger for some time and interview. He talked about the difference of market between Japan and United States, and talked about the competitive market around VA. I asked some questions to him, I showed some of the interviews with him on blog.
1.What is the most important thing to run bike business?
Answer; You have to learn business skill, sense of marketing, customer service.
2.How do you overcome that competitive situation aorund here in VA?
A. Challenge!
3.How should I do to looking for the attractiveness of using bamboo for bike?
A. It is a difficult question. People need reason when they pay money to buy bike. So you have to write review on the internet or magazine, because people read magazine or articles on the internet.
During his working to rapair bamboo bike's wheel, I saw him how he worked. I felt some sense of joy, exciting. Because I love craftsmanship. I love to see someone making products and make by myself. He found a crack of rear wheel, and said "This was a big problem, you had to change the wheel, you had no choise." I bought a new wheel. I thought the crack was caused by the accident on the road, and felt lucky because we found this big problem before we would face another big accident. I apologized to bamboo bike2, "I am sorry for bamboo bike2, I could not find this problem for you till now." I got experience, to check tire but also wheels inside/ outside were important after accident or falling.
Finished repairing, recovering from injury, bamboo bike2 seemed to be happy for me When we left the shop, Rodger gave me advice to check the tension of spoke after 100miles running, and said to us, "Safe trip!"
Thank you so much, Rodger. While touching my hair which has grown, I felt my passion to my business with bamboo and passion to contribution to society in my heart with bamboo bike2. Lots of fallen leaves were moving on the road from south to north outside, strong wind was blown today.
glad you got the tire fixed. i would have hoped if it was broken after the accident they would have found that at the shop in paducah.
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteI do not know when the crack occurred in detail.