Katie Compton\KFC...
yesterday my friend TJ was running up to Wilmington Delaware to swap out a new but damaged in shipping Trek eBike for a new\never ridden\never broken eBike of the same make\model...
having no plans on this day
I figured I would go along for the ride... or the drive... there was promise of a free lunch... thought it would be good to get out of DC for a minute...
the drive was trouble free...
when we arrived we were greeted by the friendly Trek Staff... they had been expecting TJ and this bike... it is an expensive rig... and well... they wanted to help to make things "right"
as TJ went over things with the mechanic I strolled about the shop's show room...
it was a nice space... decent size... nice layout... the shop was experiencing the same issue as most bicycle shops... there was a shortage of bicycles for sale...
the shop was a nice set up... lots of breathing room... no clutter... not an excess of bikes or accessories... I like the area dedicated to local bicycle routes (maps and information)... the wall decorations were colorful and full of energy... it was a nice looking shop... much like most Trek Stores... as I think there is a bit of a formula... it most certainly is a formula...
the exterior could use some help... the shop itself sits on a space that looks like it was once part of a Hotel No Tell... the building itself is on a busy road that is flanked by all sorts of commerce... long strip of commerce.. a taste of Anywhere USA... personally I felt the facade could have done more to alert the passerbys that this is in fact a bicycle store... maybe a color different than the surrounding set of beige buildings... to paint just the road facing side of the building TREK BLUE could help... that is neither here nor there... the building has an address and we used that to find the location...
while browsing I made small talk with the various employees... "what do you ride? where do you ride? have you heard of Katie Compton?"
Never heard of Katie Compton?Hold on... TREK STORE in the birthplace of Katie Compton and they do not know who Katie Compton is? I suggested to google the name and chase down some links... mentioned cyclocross... mentioned her local racing... her international racing... and her 13 National Cyclocross Titles...
in my mind I imagined having a wall space dedicated to Katie Compton... it seemed like something that Trek and the Owners could easily throw together... it could be a slight draw and a massive conversation piece...
if you are gonna have a photo of a person on a Trek bike... why not have it be Katie Compton?
https://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=compton
after a wonderful fish taco lunch at Iron Hill Brewery we returned to the shop... at the shop we learned the repair was not yet completed... the manager offered up some loaner bikes... I would have loved to borrow some mountain bikes for a tour of White Clay... Fairhill... Iron Hill or whatever local stuff they had to offer... but alas no... no mountain bikes to loan... all they had were a few Trek eBikes... with little hesitation I accepted the offer... why not check it out?
so... I borrowed a helmet and an eBike and TJ and I took to a sleepy neighborhood that backed up to the bike shop and took a casual loop around the golf course...
it was a nice little ride... but at this stage in the game... eBikes are not for me... I like motorcycles and I like bicycles... I just do not feel I need a motor on my bicycle... it seemed to me that the eMountainbike makes much more sense... if someone is looking for a car alternative... a standard motorcycle or Vespa style scooter would make more sense...
when we got back the shop manager asked about our ride... I simply told him that eBikes are not for me... then mistakenly I got into a conversation with a woman who worked in the shop... she spoke about the advantages... getting people out in nature and all the other things that eBike sales people say... it was an argument like many arguments... it was an argument that I had heard a thousand times before... a series of ideas that I do not agree with... an argument that does not sway either party in either direction... both the male and female store managers were not particularly fit... neither appeared to be cyclists... which is fine... but their perspective of bicycles was clearly different than mine... which is fine... and well... I feel it is unfortunate... eBikes are expensive... so... of course they want to sell that crap... I mean those eBikes... but it seemed clear to me that bikes are fine as bikes... and people are more capable than we give them credit for... eBikes are the bicycle version of a participation trophy...
I tried to be gracious... made sure to thank them again for the loaner bicycle...
the eBike repair was finished... TJ gave it a quick test ride before loading it up and returning to DC to pass this bicycle of to its owner..
I wonder if these people at the Trek Store will consider the Katie Compton Shrine in their shop...
it seems like an obvious thing to do...
KFC... an inspirational athlete to all... but especially to woman
an athlete with class and poise
an athlete with a winning history
it just seems logical to me to have some sort of space dedicated to this amazing (Trek Sponsored) cyclist from the town of Wilmington...
Trek Bikes Wilmington