Going to the store

Bike riders are paying customers when they can park securely.

It's not even two miles to go to the local grocery store. But I don't do it on my bike. I like my bike, I like riding it. It is a low end road bike that I put a rack on, and have both a trunk bag and a large pannier (side bag). So I should be able to use it for shopping.

But I don't because I don't want it damaged or stolen. Maybe I got away cheap spending under $1,000 for a road bike, but I don't like leaving it unattended.

I thought that maybe Trader Joe's (Owings Mills) would be more progressive, and asked the "Captain" about bringing the bike in. He said no, (and has had several requests) so I asked about getting a bike rack out front. I was told that the landlord was against the idea, and was told that I could call First Washington Realty at 703 442-4323. Ginny Brown is who I was told to ask for.

If you have a retail business, why not install a bike rack and have it in a visible and safe location? If you really want a good image, have a water cooler inside like Race Pace in Owings Mills does. Free ice water was the foundation for Wall Drug in South Dakota. They offer it now as they did in the '30s and are a huge business, especially by the standards of Wall, South Dakota.


The Baltimore Bicycle Club has some rides that include a one hour or so siesta at a pizza place (is it proper to say Siesta around Italian food?). About a dozen more paying customers arrive because our group was riding by them. If a business wanted more clientele, why not attract the cyclist by providing a nice place to park our light and refined machines?

We like being able to go as fast as a racehorse with our bikes. Having a destination is even better, and destinations are determined largely by how much risk the bike is subject to. Provide a good place for bikes and it will be noticed.

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Baltimore Spokes
https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20080823055141680