Quote Originally Posted by Jolt View Post
Good thread! I suppose my shop would be in the downtown area of a smaller city with a lot of cyclists and would cater to utility/commuter/touring cyclists more so than racing types. There would be refurbished used bikes along with new ones, and lots of accessories to make bikes more useful for everyday transportation--racks, panniers, trailers, fenders, lights etc. A mix of men and women on staff, with people who are knowledgeable about fitting and helping people choose the right bike for their style of riding. Ability to get parts in quickly so the turnaround time for repairs is kept to a minimum. Classes on riding safely in traffic, how to use a bike for transportation, and basic maintenance/repairs. I would try to stock bikes in a wide range of sizes so shorter or taller people can test ride. As far as clothing goes, I would definitely carry Ibex! Maybe a section for clothing consignment as well.

ETA: As far as brands for new bikes, probably Surly and Jamis. Maybe others as well but definitely those two--nice versatile steel-framed bikes.
Jolt, if you are ever in Boise, you will have to come see us. 2/3 of what you said describes our shop but as we are small we only stock Surly's, no room for refurbished although we do keep a list of used for sale by cusomters and don't carry clothes