Blogging like its 2006

We’re going to try something new(to us) around here(The Durango Cyclery website) and publish a blog and newsletter.  This will be a spot for Joe(usually) to jot down some thoughts about bikes, riding bikes, bike parts, the shop, and kinda random cultural, musical, social brain droppings(shout out to the late, great George Carlin for that phrase).

So, we might as well kick this off with the announcement that Durango Cyclery is no longer a repository, depository or dispensary of used parts and recycled bikes. Since I took over the shop almost 5 years ago I’ve heavily weighed this decision. It did not come easy. The used parts inventory was admittedly clutch during the parts shortages during Covid times. They got us through some hard times, but now they are potentially a harbinger of hard times for the business. 

I’ll preface this explanation with the admission that I love rad, rebuilt, repurposed bicycles from the 80s and 90s that are thoughtfully created to cruise the streets of small mountain towns with utility and transportation in mind. I have taken hundreds of pictures over the years of well-loved townies unlocked and locked to trees and lightposts in Durango, Bozeman, Jackson, Ketchum, Aspen, Crested Butte, Breck, Boulder, and even Denver and Salt Lake. As someone who started mtn biking as a high school kid in the late 80s, the bikes of this era hold a special energy of discovery, fun, and adventure. Some have heard my story of getting the key to the building/business on a rainy day in May 2020 at the notary and then driving over to the shop to find a Manitou full suspension bike, a true unicorn, left leaning in front of the shop, a donation. This blew my mind and strengthened my appreciation for the incredible bicycle community and history we enjoy here in Durango.

In the past couple of years as things ‘normalized’ after the Covid crazy times, we noticed that sales of recycled bikes and parts were shrinking. I have theories that this is both a result of shifting demographics and growth in Durango as well as the arrival of cheap and affordable e-bikes…and e-bikes in general. I believe this, in part, because I have multiple sweet, restored townie bikes in my garage, but 99% of the time I grab my e-bike to ride to work, dinner, Anrarchy Brewing, or errands and the grocery store. A few minutes spent on any well used bike route like the Animas path, Florida path, Main St, or West 2nd confirms that e-bike usage is abundant and growing. This is great. I repeat, this is great. E-bikes make the decision process easier when considering whether to grab the car key or the bike lock keys. I would much rather a fellow Durangotang jump on an ebike to run to the store or pick up kids than jump in the car. 

A few years ago, the choice was a townie, or a non-e-assist cargo bike for these journeys - but now e-bikes are so ubiquitous and available, and even subsidized by various layers of government and utility, that the decisions are easy! 

This was a long way of getting around to the fact that we are sitting on our recycled bike rebuilds for far longer than we were a few years ago. They aren’t selling like they used to and they end up occupying a lot of valuable space in the shop. The bike business is tough. Small business is tough.  For a shop the scale of the Cyclery, every square foot matters, and the truth is, we had way too much space occupied by recycled bikes and parts that don’t produce enough returns. Our donations have also been waning, and in a lot of popular categories like wheels, shifters, brakes and rear derailleurs, we are down to the dregs.  We’ll often grab multiple used components during a repair that would be a good fit for recycled parts, only to find that what we’ve got left is also damaged and working at a capability below our standard. This occupies time..which in our business is money. It's not sustainable.

There are numerous co-op and non-profit bike shops around the country that can make a go with recycled parts and “community” based models with a dedication to workspaces, clinics, and grants…but I have come to the conclusion that it is not feasible to run a ‘normal’ bike shop and a recycled bike shop simultaneously in this location and market.

I want Durango Cyclery to be about as normal as I can handle, which is to say..its gonna be a little abnormal. Our tag line “Low Key, High Performance” hopefully captures some of that abnormal/normal balance that I strive for. I’ve always tried to fly a little under the radar and then deliver a bit more than what folks expected. As this blog expands with my brain wanderings, readers will hopefully gain a better understanding of this balance. 

We will still work on just about anything that comes in the door, the difference being that we will be choosing affordable new parts instead of rolling the dice on the installation of used parts. Repairs of these sorts might become marginally more expensive, but things will work better and be more dependable, and Durango Cyclery will be more sustainable and continue to contribute to this exceptional bicycle community and culture here in Durango.