Google Maps Bike There…for a safer, healthier, happier world. :-)

Bike sales are booming. Great. Now what? Well, it’s Bike-to-Work Week. I say we put some more people on bikes!

But how?

I stumbled onto the website of a local Austin triathlon shop, Jack and Adam’s, and they had three triathlon packages. I thought, “Great! This is exactly what we need to turn commuter motorists into commuter cyclists.” To attract more people to bicycling, I would very much like to see a “Commuter Package” in every bike shop and retailer in America and around the world.

Of course, this idea of a commuter package could be a total disaster (and it’s not even necessarily new). I could also just be completely wrong that this would be at all useful. On the other hand, you/we might be able pull something like this off with a relatively small amount of effort. Details below.

Here are the details of Jack and Adam’s Rookie Package (miniaturized a bit to fit on this page):

First, I want to point out what I think are the brilliant aspects of package deals and this particular implementation:

• It’s a known price, so customers can work out the financials. (Comfort)
• Every item is listed and details about them can be found online. (Comfort)
• The package level is intuitive. (Comfort)
• The package is not just a salesperson telling a potential customer about some unseen package deal that includes a myriad of options about which the customer has no information whatsoever. This package is marketed online, allowing the customer to get completely comfortable at their own pace with the lifestyle they’re about to buy into. (Comfort)
• The package deal might be more attractive to the value-conscious customer. (Value)
• It is obvious to the customer that someone has made a significant effort to market to new triathletes. The customer appreciates the attention to detail, as well as knowing that any salesperson they encounter at the shop will be fully knowledgeable of the significant information overload confronting any new triathlete. (Expertise, comfort)
• This web page / ad is very visually appealing: the design is crisp, focusing on the core component—the bike. The price is clear. The discount is clear. It all seems pretty straightforward. (Experience, comfort)

I soon stumbled onto the Austin Tri-Cyclist website, another triathlon shop in Austin which also has four triathlete packages. Here is their Newbie Package. I really like the name Newbie because it’s honest and simple; I imagine it would significantly simplify communications between sales staff and customers.

Imagine someone thinking about trying out this cool triathlon stuff they heard about on the radio or from a friend. They hear about the Newbie Package at Austin Tri-Cyclist, check it out online, start looking at some upcoming races, maybe take a peek at some training programs, and think, “Hmmm…I wonder if I can do that?”. And they eventually decide that they can.

So they get in touch with Team in Training or some other training program and then head down to Jack and Adam’s or Austin Tri-Cyclist to buy a triathlete package. When they walk in the door, they say, “Hi. I was checking out the Rookie/Newbie Package,” and the salesperson can take it from there. There’s no fear, no groveling, and no further explanation needed. The shop person will get the future triathlete outfitted with the correct bike and gear sizes, big-up their confidence a bit, make sure they’re on track with a training program, and send them on their way to a fuller, happier, better life. Austin has a new triathlete, local walking / running / swimming / cycling groups may get a new advocate, the local economy gets a boost, and these retailers get an immediate sale with repeat business to come. Just like that.

It’s easy. And it should be.

But it is only easy for the customer / future triathlete because someone took the time to make a big effort in compiling these packages, getting the pricing down, designing the web ads, thinking ahead, staying on top of things, and generally making the entire activity of triathloning much more approachable than it would otherwise be.

We need the same thing for cycling—in particular, bicycle commuting (usually we think of this as “to and from work”) and “lifestyle” cycling (“to and from the grocery store, to visit friends, etc.”).

I posted this idea to our local cycling list and got some good feedback. They were two main types of feedback: a) this “packages” concept already exists, and b) you forgot to put item x/y/z in your commuter package item list.

For a), I think it’s not enough to tell folks after they come in the door of your shop that you have some deal going on with the twenty items they’re going to need to become commuters. It’s too much information to process at once, and they might get suspicious. Having it on the website and available for inspection is a big deal, in my opinion. I’d say it is crucial; if you are not advertising your commuter package on your website or in a newspaper or on a flyer/handout, then you don’t really offer a package.

For b), if I don’t get hammered on this post too much, I’d like to put up a separate page proposing what I and others (including you!) think would be good items to include in any commuter package. These will be things like: a “commuter bike” that comes standard with the following items:

• Chainguard and fenders
• Front and rear lights
• Lock
• Bell
• Back rack
• Panniers
• Gearing suggestions
• Repair kit / tube / tire levers
• Membership to local cycling group
• City cycling / Road I / Confident Cycling training ride,
• Route-finding / bikepooling help

If you have a suggestion or comment, please leave a comment or send an email and I’d be very happy to make sure it is included if and when we create this page (I still have all original email list replies).

It may very well be the case that some bicycle retailers may not have the time or money to do something like this. I understand that. The more I learn about the bicycle retailing world, the more I wonder how it’s possible for any independent bicycle dealer (IBD) / local bicycle shop (LBS) to even stay in business. The stories of these smaller shops closing down by the hundreds per year or being forced to move about just to stay afloat are sadly not news to anyone in the bike business.

That’s not to preclude smaller shops from offering this or other inventive products and services; I’m merely acknowledging that resources are limited.

So who else could market these kinds of packages?

Well, there are national chains like Performance Bike, which I just started working for part-time. (Yes, I’ve pitched the idea already, but no, I have not quite been successful yet). Is Performance the only regional/national bike chain?

There are stores like Walmart, Target, and REI, but I don’t feel like they’re necessarily good advocates for lifestyle and commuter cycling. Not that they couldn’t be—it’s just that they probably would not want to be. There’s not enough money in it for them, I suspect, and doing so is just not really in line with their business. Nonetheless, I’d wholly encourage them be bigger / better / stronger advocates for lifestyle cycling.

There are somewhat-larger independent bike shops, like Bicycle Sport Shop here in Austin—a place with an intense local following, a long history of community involvement, and deservedly loyal customers—and they’re big enough that they might be able to pull off something like this. That is, they might have the time / money / floor space / window space / attention to assemble a full-on commuter package.

Any thoughts? In the meantime, Happy Bike-to-Work Week. Get out there and ride!

I was definitely a bit of a skeptic, and I’m not saying that Mellow Johnny’s is going to be a runaway success, but I have a very good impression after my first visit. I feel very confident – as much as one can from a first visit – that Mellow Johnny’s can and will have a big impact on cycling in Austin, and even cycling in Texas and America. Yes – I think it can be that big of a deal.

I’ll update this post a bit later with some pictures I took, and a short video of the mens bathroom/shower area, with some additional notes. In short, the mens bathroom was on the smallish side, but about what you’d expect. Two bathroom stalls (I think), with three showers.

The schedule for the rest of the day:

12 noon – Michael Ward (Mike and the Bike)

2 pm – Chris Carmichael (wiki)

4 pm – Gary Fisher (wiki)

6 pm – Lance Armstrong (wiki)

There was probably about ten of us waiting to get in this morning – not the mad rush and lines I expected. A few bikey events are going on around town, including the annual Armadillo, so that probably pulled a good number of people away from the opening this morning.

The store is very nice/appealing, as you might expect – not sure what the style is called, but it reminded me of cycling store version of Chipotle. Sorry – that’s the best description I can think of.

The coffee shop had good coffee, and a wifi signal, but I couldn’t get my laptop to connect to the net there. I’m at a Wahoo’s around the corner.

The maintenance/repair section of the shop is very very clean. That was a bit weird. Is a bike shop maintenance area supposed to be that clean? Maybe so.

When you walk in, you are greeted by lots of bikes – with a commuter bike being the absolute prime attraction – a $699 Swobo Novak, complete with chain guard and front and rear fenders, and rear panniers. Awesome.

Lots of the bikes are decently-priced – $400s to $600s. There are a few different commuter bikes, including a Dahon. There were also a few Seven bikes.

They had some fixies and a couple of low-riders and a couple of vintage bikes.

There were lots of clothes, including running clothes.

The downstairs is not finished yet. When it is, they’ll offer spinning and yoga classes, private bicycle storage, etc.

I picked up a copy of Momentum – score!

The prime window of the whole store (in my opinion – I’m no retailer, yet) is occupied by some clothing on a mannequin and backed by another commuter bike that has the rear panniers (saddlebags) filled with groceries. Awesome. It also has an attached Soma coffee mug holder if you’re the type who would start cycling to work, but aren’t crazy at the thought of giving up your morning jolt.

All seven of Lance’s yellow jerseys are up on the walls, there are lots of near-life-sized pictures of Tour scenery – very inspirational.

There are a few high-end bikes that roll up into the $8k+ range and more. There’s a whole wall of mountain bikes.

The Mellow Johnny’s/Six cycling team (??) showed up for a bit, and Mike Ward rode out with them ‘for 50 or 90, depending’.

The Austin farmer’s market was going on down the block, and a few thousand other people in the street for some kind of fun run/walk.

…no bike racks yet. No nitpicking, just pointing out. Sounds like the opening was crazy/hectic.

Here’s a quick video of the mens bathroom and shower area:

Mellow Johnny’s, Lance’s new bike shop to open soon in downtown Austin will be both, approximately two-thirds for racing, one-third for commuting.

Having any bike shop mention the word commuting in their marketing at all is a big deal—and a very good thing, in my opinion. Having such a marquee store doing it is an even bigger deal, and an even better thing.

That said, another part of me thinks that high-end bicycle racing gear and commuter/lifestyle gear do not necessarily go hand in hand in the retail space. With two very different cultures, they are about as close to inhabiting two different, parallel worlds as you could imagine.

Think fast food vs. slow food.

Racing vs. commuting.

Apples vs. oranges.

There’s nothing to read into with those analogies—racing is not better than commuting, nor is the opposite true. I’m just picking some non-controversial concepts to demonstrate what I think is the cultural difference between these two types of bike use.

That said, bike shops chains like Performance Bikes seem to be able to sell to all sorts of bike folks, from beginners to not-so-beginners. My last three bikes came from Performance: one hybrid, one single-speed, and a road (racing) bike. I had a good experience every time I bought from Performance, and I’ve often gone back for supplies. There’s definitely something to be said for chain stores; they’re big, and they probably have what you’re looking for if you’re just a regular biker. I’m not sure how much places like Performance appeal to hard-core bicycle racers, though. Any thoughts?

The awesome Momentum magazine has Lance on the cover this month. Be sure to check out what Lance and others have to say about the new store.

(Hopefully MJ’s will carry Momentum. I’m not really into most of the bike-related mags I see on the stand at bookstores, but for whatever reason, Momentum applies to my world. The everyday bike riders I see in their pictures are the people I actually see on the streets every day. They’re just like me. I want Momentum on the magazine racks in my town.)

The Charlotte Observer has a quick piece on the steady pace of business, and lack of the commuter infrastructure use, at Black Sheep Cycles:

One might think with gas prices at record highs, more people would turn to bicycles for their commute, especially urban-dwellers living near uptown.

Not so, says Ethan Grossman, who opened Black Sheep Cycles three years ago.

Grossman envisioned his store as a social club, where cyclists could relax and watch movies. Two plasma TVs hang in the 3,300-square-foot shop, nestled off West Morehead Street in west Charlotte.

He also bought an espresso machine, expecting to sell lattes and other coffee drinks. The store offers showers for commuters.

That part of the business never took off. So the front of his store sits unused, filled with bike tires, sofas and armless mannequins.

The proper reaction is not panic, but rather a willingness to learn and adapt as necessary, if necessary.

As a bike commuter and potential commuter bicycle buyer, I’m not particularly interested in shopping for my commuter bicycle at a high-end bike shop. That’s probably just me, but that’s the way I feel. For instance, if I am going in to buy a Honda Accord, I don’t necessary want to go into a shop whose floor space is two-thirds BMWs, with only a one-third left for my Accord. That’s the practical aspect of my preference. But the other aspect—the cultural aspect—is just as important, if not more so. I don’t want to buy a “boring” commuter bike from someone who would rather be selling high-end carbon frame racing bikes. My perception may or may not be accurate, and it may or may not be shared by anyone else in the whole world. But I suspect that most potential commuter buyers would rather go into a bike shop where they won’t fear getting lectured about the necessity of having clipless pedals (more on perception). This has a lot to do with marketing. Mellow Johnny’s seems to be doing good work, so far, in being welcoming to everyone—racers and commuters alike—but I wonder if just anyone could pull it off, or if it requires a personality/celebrity like Lance to pull it off. What do you think?

I’m also hoping Mellow Johnny’s can do some kind of lunch event, where they invite the tens of thousands of local office workers to come over and have a look around, ask questions about whatever they want, check out the facilities, and so forth. It’d be cool to have a nice video up on the website that basically does a walk-around of the store and especially of the shower/commuter facilities.

I’ve met and/or know of some of the folks involved with Mellow Johnny’s, and I’m more than convinced that they are exceptional people and have their bicycling hearts in the right places. I’m just not so crazy about that 1/3 share for commuters. Hey, I’m not hating; I just want more and better for commuters, who have a great chance to help reshape society for the better, and to have a very large impact right now. I have tremendous love for commuter/lifestyle cyclists.

For the record, I want to see a full-on commuter bicycle shop in downtown Austin and in downtowns everywhere. I think downtown Austin and other large cities could support several full-service bike shops. And I wouldn’t mind having the bicycle community reach out to area gyms to do some joint marketing. Maybe bicycle commuters could use the shower and laundry facilities at local gyms, which are already established in the downtown core areas. Individual riders already do it; we should formalize it and make it easier for folks.

Of course, I hope I’m wrong about a “racing shop” being not the best match for a “commuting shop” in terms of retailing. (And it would not be uncommon for me to be wrong, of course.) But I do want to think about the big questions and be ready to adapt if the time comes to do so.

My message to customers and potential customers alike? We’re growing both sides of the business aggressively, and if things go well we may have separate full-on facilities for both: one focused on commuter/lifestyle cycling, and the other for racing cycling.

Springtime is here, and business is booming. If ever there was a time to be optimistic and try new things, it’s now.

A couple more pre-opening pics of Mellow Johnny’s:

…added the bottom three night photos, from tonight….a few hours before opening.

This issue has more to do with bicycle maps (probably), than it does with bicycle directions, per se, but it’s still an important point. Our petition is primarily about bicycle directions, not maps – but maps obviously play an important role.

Check out the following map comparison (click for a bigger version). On the left is a view of Austin from Google Maps with the blue and green bike lanes highlighted (it’s incomplete, and I didn’t do red bike lanes because I think red bike lanes are worthless, or worse). On the right is a clip out of the Austin Bicycle Route map, which is in PDF format. They’re not correctly aligned, but I did the best I could.

I started recreating the Austin Bicycle Route map – the PDF – on a Google Map using the ‘My Maps’ feature of Google Maps. I thought it’d be cool to try, and I was curious what it would look like. I have even used it a bit to find my way around, but there are several things wrong with it – one of them being that it can be difficult to make out the actual bicycle lanes on the google map.

To me, the map on the right – the PDF – is the better bicycle map. The main (only?) reason it is better is because you can actually see all the bike routes clearly. And the reason you can see all the routes clearly is because of the PDF map’s white background. Compare that to the Google Map which has the grey background. The Google Map version also uses more and deeper colors for roads (yellows) and green areas (green). Those are great for directions, but they’re not so great for showing bicycle routes on a map because they just make it that much harder to see the bicycle lanes.

Myself and other folks have tried, with some success, to automatically convert GIS data from the city of Austin, and other places, into/onto Google Maps. I think it would be really cool if we could pull this off and have it look awesome. Right now, we’re not there yet, but that’s a hope.

So, how does all this apply to bicycle directions as opposed to just bicycle maps? Well, bicycle directions, in an ideal and completely awesome world, would be able to tell us which parts of the directions were which type of bicycle route – ‘easy’ (green), ‘medium’ (blue), or ‘difficult’ (red). If we want to see this ‘nice-to-have’ feature as part of our bicycle directions on Google Maps, we’ll probably need a white backgrounded Google Maps interface.

…ps – Happy Bike Month!

Mellow Johnny’s is Lance‘s new bike shop, about to open in downtown Austin.

In theory, some aspect of it will be commuter-focused, which, in my opinion, would be extremely cool, because I’ve never seen a bike shop cater to commuters – even a little bit. The store might have lockers and/or showers for commuters – we’ll know in about nine days.

The picture is from my cell phone – thus the low quality. It’s one of a couple signs up on the outside of the store.

Here is a embedded Google Street View of the store:
View Larger Map

Notice the garzagantuanishohmygoshthatthingishuge building going up right across the street from the store. That’s a pretty common sight in downtown Austin these days, as it is in lots of cities across America (San Diego, Portland, and Miami come to mind).

…The wiki page explains how the nickname ‘Mellow Johnny’ came about: (from ‘Maillot Jaune’, French for ‘Yellow jersey’).

…previous article in the local Austin paper.

There’s not one that I know of. Not yet, anyways.

The pictured logo is the special Google Earth Day logo. Pretty cool, huh?

Google has a long history of creating special holiday-themed logos–check them out.

Do we have any artists in the house who want to take a stab at a Google Bike Month logo? Or maybe develop a Bike-to-Work-Day logo?