I love how this thread is going.

Another issue I have notice, especially in NZ is the openeing and closing of bike shops. There's one particular bike importer who likes to open bike shops here and there, and in 8-12 months time closes them down. Please! How is the average person supposed to create a relationship of trust with a store when they flit off once "plundering" the sales in the area?

And the people who often open stores- well quite a few are former professional or elite level athletes. That doesn't mean they make a good bike shop owner. Basically they are satisfying their ego by being able to surround themselves with people and bikes (that's OK) but only so they can keep on riding the latest and greatest model, participate in the cycling industry and not so much for being a guiding hand for newbies. Their shop rides are for their buddies or to create a "club" around them. And worse if they have no business sense or no person skills. One store I know the owner was too nice, extended too mcuh credit to customers and didn't know how to handle the books. He ended up getting ripped off by the "manager" he employed, his wife took over the books and found out how bad a suitation they were in. Bike shop which was rather good now down the drain. So off DH and I go to find a new store we can build a level of trust in.

And often our cycle clubs are just as bad. When I was running membership of one club and answered people's enquiry emails I tried to be nice, but clear- our club wasn't for beginners. There was no way a new person could join our rides on any old bike, we didn't cater for them. And that's because no one was willing (except DH and I) to forgo their riding goals/training program to help people. You drop off the back- well I have to get home to go for a run, you have a puncture, well that ruins my heart rate zone! Almost everyone was so focussed one themselves it wasn't funny. That's why I loved a Veterans cycle club. Older people are not so goal focussed. Having to go slow to help someone complete a ride isn't the end of everything. The ride was more about being with friends.

We don't make things easy for people to join the cycling community (and I know its the same in running clubs etc), becuase we are often so focussed on ourselves and our goals, and cannot take time out to lend a hand on a a regular basis.