Slow News - How to Buy a Bike From Us
A guest essay, our money therapist, and the October calendar
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Hey Neighbors,
Jay here.
Our pal Bill has been coming to Community Night and rides for a few years now, and this year he bought a bike from us. He asked me if he could write a newsletter explaining how the process worked. I stared blankly. “Oh shit. I guess we don’t really talk about that, huh.” It’s the Gen X in me, the cringe at any idea of self-promotion. Which is dumb. So, now we have an official explainer thanks to Bill.
How to buy a bike from Scenic Routes
by Bill Gallagher
I've been hanging out at Scenic Routes since I discovered their Instagram in mid-2023 and rode my e-bike over from Noe Valley. Driven by a deeply sensed philosophical alignment, a desire for a place to hang out, and a comfort I felt around the people in the shop's orbit, I started attending every event I could. After a few years, I still didn't know much about bikes, but I knew I wanted a new, more lightweight bike. I knew Scenic Routes sold bikes, but I didn't understand the process, nor how to explain what I really wanted. What would feel different on a new bike? How much would it cost? How should I choose a bike if I don't know anything about bikes?
Eventually, I got up the courage to ask about it. I sidled over during Community Night (last Thursday of every month) and asked Jay what it was like to buy a bike from Scenic Routes. He patiently explained my options:
They could look for a good-quality bike frame on Craigslist, then send me to pick it up. Once I brought it back to the shop, I'd have two options:
Fix it up to be safely rideable, then add new, nicer components over a period of years. The goal was to start with a roughly $500 bike and end up with one worth $2,000 to $3,000.
Add a series of nice components right off the bat and start out with a relatively finished product, more in the $1,500 range.
I could get one of the bikes they had already assembled (with an eye on the budget) and priced in the shop.
I could buy a beautiful premium bike frame from one of the many framemakers you'll see in beautiful Instagram posts and have Scenic Routes complete it with beautiful components. This could run me anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000.
I was trying to buy one bike I could use for a lot of things for a long time, so I decided on option 1b: getting a Scenic Routes-recommended used frame and making it into the best bike it could be. The next step was to tell them what kind of bike I wanted.
The best recommendation I can make is to keep notes about what you want in plain language. Don't worry about technical terms like "integrated shifters" or "drivetrain." Be honest with yourself about what you want, so you can be honest with them. I knew that I needed a bike that was easy to use. A bike that's hard to use is a bike that gathers dust. That meant:
I needed to be able to climb easily, thanks to living in one of the hilliest neighborhoods in the country.
The bike needed to be versatile so I could use it on a variety of rides, around the neighborhood but also building up to 40- to 50-mile rides up to Marin.
The bike needed to be much lighter than my e-bike, so I could grab it and take it out without thinking too much.
I also wanted drop bars (I'm vain and they look and feel coolest to me), shifters on the handlebars rather than on the bike frame, and the ability to carry bags on the bike.
Eventually, Jay sent me a Craigslist post of an old Trek mountain bike frame (ed. note: technically a hybrid but also who knows?) that he thought would be a good fit. He told me to go check it out and what to look out for. I picked it up, and when I brought it in, Jay walked me through what the rest of the process would be and took a deposit. He helpfully emphasized that there were still many off-ramps in the process: just picking up the frame did not mean that I had committed to spending any amount of money on the bike. If I decided I didn't want it, they would buy the frame from me and build it into a Quercus to sell in the shop. We talked throughout the process, with a clear understanding of pricing at each step.
One Community Night a couple months later, I walked in and saw my new orange-painted bike sitting at the front of the shop. I'm riding it all the time in the ways I hoped I would, around my neighborhood for a quick errand and on longer rides with friends. I'm thinking about what I'll add next: nicer brakes, a basket, a dynamo light, a stem caddy. Most importantly, it feels great to ride: capable of tackling hills, with easy, smooth movement on flat ground, and it's rideable off-road, too. It's the kind of bike I can ride for a decade or more, built with deep care by people who knew what they were doing and loved that they were doing it. It exemplifies Scenic Routes' core. It's a mission statement on wheels.
Bill Gallagher
Ed. note, for the nerds: we got Bill an early-’90s Trek 720, one of my favorite bikes of all time. 700c wheels with heaps of clearance for 40mm tires and long chainstays (good for stability and comfort). We started with bar-end shifters but ended up switching to integrated shifters. The Shimano Tiagra 4700 10-speed integrated shifters are the nicest 10-speed integrated shifters Shimano still makes for mechanical (not hydraulic) brakes. I love the Tiagra 4700 shifter: sturdy and well built. Excellent shifting action. Long lasting. We also started Bill out with a good set of cheap cantilever brakes, but after he rode my bike with the Paul Mini Motos it was clear the cantis had to go. (That happened after he wrote the above, which is why brakes are still on his wish list.) The bike is set now (until he wants a dynamo, and the getting-dark-early season is coming quick) and rides wonderfully. We’re so stoked to have Bill as a friend and a customer (the line between the two is often nonexistent around here).
Other things you should know:
Our accountant has a newsletter and it's hella better than ours. Liz, of Liz is All Biz, does our books. She’s shown up in past newsletters (told us not to become a nonprofit, and we call her our money therapist, which, so far, she has not objected to). She writes a must-read newsletter called In The Black, and this month’s is about the IRS finally moving on a shitton of stalled cases of rich people who quite simply don’t file their fucking taxes. Almost $16 billion worth, and she writes cogently about why you should want the IRS funded even though calling them is a nightmare. Also, if you run anything: the 1099 threshold went from $600 to $2,000 this year, and they’re due at the end of January with no extensions (rude). If you have a li’l business or a side hustle you’re hoping nobody notices, read her instead of us.
October at the shop
FIRST THINGS FIRST: I’m on my honeymoon from October 7th to the 26th. Turkey and Greece. The shop is open as usual while I’m gone, except Mondays. (Oh, yeah: we’re open on Mondays now. Just not October 12 or 19 or the 26th.) So I won’t be here for my beloved Night Moves. The ride will still be happening, led by someone. (Jerry will be there, and maybe Bill.) My standing offer: $2 in store credit for every cookie you bring to Night Moves.
Tonight: Flat Fix Class, Thursday, October 1, 7:00–9:00pm
It's tonight, and there are still a few spots. We'll hold your hand through removing your tire, patching your tube, troubleshooting the repair, and getting your wheel back into a rideable state. All supplies are included, but feel free to bring your own flat tire. Classes are the one thing you sign up for.
Night Moves, Thursday, October 8, 7:00–9:00pm
Cookies, tea, and the beach. Meet at the shop; we'll roll at 7:30. Slow, social, and no-drop. No sign-up needed, just show up.
Rotating Mechanics Class, Thursday, October 15, 7:00–9:00pm
Our monthly hands-on mechanics class. The topic rotates; if we haven't announced it yet, text the shop and tell us what you want to learn.
Day Grooves, Sunday, October 25, meet at 10:45am
A ride for the girls, the gays, and the theys, plus allies who are hella chill. Slow pace, pop music, almost definitely coffee. Meet at 521 Balboa Street and roll at 11:00. No sign-up needed, just show up.
Community Night, Thursday, October 29, 7:00–8:00pm
The whole crew, no agenda. We keep the doors open late, turn up the music, pull the beer and LaCroix out of the fridge, and hang out. It's two days before Halloween. Costumes are not required, but we will notice. This is also where Bill asked about buying a bike. Just show up.
Keep the free work free
Last month we asked for money. A bunch of you became sustaining members, and the friends of the shop who offered to match every new one are still matching. Thank you, specifically. The arithmetic hasn't changed: free repairs for the person with eleven dollars and a shredded cable, free classes, paid ride leaders, and mechanics who can afford to live near the shop. Sustaining memberships, $25 to $1,000 a month, cover that, and every dollar is still doubled.
Give monthly Become a Sustaining Member Every new sustaining membership is currently matched dollar for dollar by friends of the shop. Every $25 becomes $50 toward keeping this place what it is.
Not monthly? Make a one-time contribution |
If $25 a month isn't comfortable, don't stretch. Come by, bring your bike, ask about buying one. Bill did.
– Jay
