As an aside related to the poster who mentioned Budget Bikes on Regent in 
Madison. Anybody who visits Madison should take a gander at this place, as 
it is the most stupefying spectacle I've seen in cycling. There are 
actually, I think, four or five Budget Bike locations on Regent within a 
2-block stretch, but the one of interest is the used bike warehouse. 
Thousands of used bikes, many of which are pieces of undeniable cycling 
historical interest, occupy every square inch of this large, 
minimally-heated warehouse. The prices are nothing short of outrageous, 
like $500+ for an old Schwinn Varsity or an unremarkable ladies Raleigh 
Sports from the 1970s, and the price for anything even remotely more 
desirable will generally be $2000+. The rumor is that if you show interest 
in one of the bikes, the price will suddenly be significantly greater if 
you return to buy it the following day. My friend tried to buy a Jack 
Taylor tandem there once, and the price seemed about right. The employee 
said, sorry, not for sale. But there's a price tag on it, right? Turns out 
the price tag was for "insurance purposes". One current and one former 
employee there told me, when I asked about this curious business model, 
that the shop's owner focused on the "acquisition side" of the business, 
and that he made his living in real estate. The multiple bike shops are 
apparently some sort of hobby, or maybe a tax-avoidance scheme. In any 
case, I don't suggest buying anything there, but it sure is fun to wander 
around and look.

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW 
Owners Bunch" group.
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/XK6FJRDcNvEJ.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to 
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at 
http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.

Reply via email to