Should we start a thing?

Hello!

I have a question for you all, raised by an email I found this morning:

Should we start a Spoke & Sprocket (customer) buy and sell community?

The emailer in question has shoes and pedals to sell. She wants, I imagine, to make sure that the money she spent on shoes that don't work for her isn't going to be totally wasted and someone is going to get good use from them.

I am considering this (although I have yet to talk to Mike 😂.I will, though. Probably before sending this out) because we get a lot of people looking for or looking to sell used bikes, or component or shoes.

There would be rules, of course.

I'd put a message board on the website where you can post what you're looking for/selling and standard don't-be-a-jerk rules would apply. The window at the front of the shop, where we have a security camera, would be a safe-trade meeting place. This would be preferably during shop hours, but we have the camera so that wouldn't be set in stone, I suppose. Mike gets an alert every time the camera is triggered.

(Yep, I'm thinking this out some as I write.)

I would have to research to see if there are any by-laws or laws involved.

Now, the biggest reason I hesitate is because there are already places like Facebook Marketplace and the group 519 Bicycles.

I suppose the biggest advantage to doing it through us would be that you could request a quality check on the item you're thinking about buying. (This might cost 10 bucks, because it is our time being taken. Is that fair?)

Let me know what you think! I'll be giving it some thought.

And, yes, I'll talk to Mike.

Should we start a buy & sell community?

• Hells yes. We want to know we're getting what we pay for.
• Nah. There're a lot of places already.
• Sure. I might use it.
• No... we can find our own way.

Okay, talked to Mike. He doesn't like the idea but he also kind of likes the idea. Mostly, the dislike is for two reasons: 1. There are already lots of places, as I mentioned (fb places plus Kijiji, as he reminded me); and 2. He is concerned about the liability of being a safe trade place.

Understandable, both those things, and I get it. It concerns me, too, but I think that we have fantastic customers and that this would be an advantage for you. So I'm putting the question to you all anyway.

On another note, our hours for the next six weeks are a little up and down. First, there's this Canada Day weekend. We will be open on Saturday, but only until 4.

Second, my surgery is August 8th. That is the Tuesday after the August Civil long weekend. I believe we will be open on that Monday, to make up for being closed on Tuesday. Since I will be spending the night in Cambridge, Mike will have to come and get me that Wednesday morning. I think we will leave the shop open with our employee Jason but we will see. Hours will be confirmed closer to the day.

One more question!

Since I am a rewards-driven person, I am trying to come up with two for myself. I'll need a goal and a way to mark it. Time, most likely, since my riding will be on a trainer and distance isn't a thing. So, here's what I'm thinking:

A new jersey or kit for successfully finishing my rehab to the point I can ride outdoors again.

A puzzle mat for continuing to do my best to ride up to the surgery. Or maybe a night out the night before my surgery at one of the two of my favourite places. (Or maybe somewhere I've been wanting to go to play darts.)

I'd have to define "doing my best to ride" wouldn't I? lol That's at least 25 minutes, 5 days a week, reasonably. The goal for this riding is to strength my hip so the muscles will be good to go for the swap.

(Mike, btw, will say this is personal stuff, and he'd be right but most of you know I'm doing the surgery, and I think better out loud. Plus, I've never had a joint replaced before. I've had 8 or 9 surgeries and I know that having a weak core didn't help me much.)

Do I need to define a gear as well? Or just leave it at 25 minutes with 15 minutes at the highest gear that won't hurt me? And whether that's intervals or middle minutes, I dunno.

I think the physio goals will have to be defined better when I know what they want me to do, yeah?

Okay, now I'm rambling.

I am putting the buy & sell question out to our community because I think it could work. I'd like your input, then, if it's something you all would want, Mike and I will figure it out.

Have a fantastic long weekend!

Edit: It has been pointed out to me that cycling is kind of niche and while Kijiji is good for some things, it's not great for cycling stuff. Does that hold true for FB Marketplace as well?