What’s up Element.ly readers? My name is Niklas Pearce and I’m the owner of a small boutique bike store called Cykel located in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. We offer full service, repairs, bike fits and sales.
I got roped into writing a column for this site and the hope is that I can give you a little peek behind the curtain at what it’s like to run a shop. Sometimes I’m just gonna rant, but I also hope that you’ll ask me questions in the comments so we can get a dialogue going. Or even better, swing by the shop and we can talk in person about all things bike related.
I’ll start by giving you a little background about what I ride. At the moment, my favorite whip is my Fairdale Weekender bike (First Generation). It’s an all-steel badass commuter. As a shop owner and new dad, I don’t have much free time, so commuting is where it’s at these days. If I do have a moment to get out on a road bike, I’m on a Ritte Vlaanderen that has a custom pink paint job. It’s bright, and that’s how I like it.
If you’re looking for a new bike, here’s my advice. Don’t buy a stupid expensive carbon road bike to start. Carbon bikes are great, but often times they’re overkill if you just want to get out and ride. Although I will say this, plan on spending at least $1,500 whenever you buy a bike. Most bikes under that price are usually crap.
That’s all I have to blabber about this week. Have a great weekend and don’t forget to pull on those sexy socks when you head out. The sock game is a big deal in the cycling world. You gotta look good when you ride. In fact, it’s 90% of road riding. And yes, there is a required length to the socks as well. No ankle socks and no two-inchers. A full five inches is the only way to go. The tan lines these socks create are a badge of honor, and when other cyclists see your legs they’ll get that you’re in the know.