Chango Unchained

Review of Cap's Westwood Cycle

Cap's Westwood Cycle...where to start. Currently, ...

Cap's Westwood Cycle...where to start. Currently, I am in my mid-life however as a child I spent many years biking on BMX (parks and pipe) and Road bikes (clocking tons of km). After too long of a sabbatical away from biking my 2.5 year old asked for a bike. I began thinking of all of the benefits of being on a bike and got excited at the idea of peddling again. So, I hit the internet and after seeing that there was a world of difference, I took to the streets. I visited bike shop after bike shop, about 15 in total. I noticed a trend, none of the sales staff seemed to be listening. They seemed more interested in listening for a minute and slinging what they had in stock. Then, on a whim, I stopped in at Cap's Westwood Bike Shop in Port Coquitlam; I ended up speaking to Evan. After carefully listening to me and asking pertinent questions, showing me he was listening to his potential customer, he started asking me even more questions. At first, I found this odd but I then realized that he was trying to find out more of where his customer was really coming from before even making a recommendation. I should add that it's sad when being treated like a customer is such a pleasant surprise. Evan then sent me home bike less, being a little overwhelmed I went with a wealth of information and things to think about. I returned the next day only to find that Evan was not working, enter Jamie, who along with all of the staff (especially Dan, Ryan, Nick, Emily, and Allix) at Cap's were very helpful. Here, however, is where it gets interesting, in asking some of the same and some new ones as well, I found all of the information I was getting was technically the same as what Evan had given me. Wow! Could it be? No way! Had I finally arrived at an organization, bike or otherwise, where people could have their own opinions based on their experiences while providing the same information technically?!? Yup! It seems so. In addition, I had been comparing the information that they had given me to friends who have been riding their entire lives (30+ years here in BC) and through a bike mechanic who is a friend of a friend at another leading shop in the lower mainland.

So, I purchased a bike...now this is what I want to emphasize to anyone reading this. It's not "IF" you fall, but when you do, how you behave when you get back up, even if you were right. So when I took delivery of the bike. I got it home and rode it in the lane way next to my house then put it away with a big smile on my face. Sadly, being bit by Mr. Murphy and his laws, my work spiked up and I could not ride for several days after taking delivery of my bike. Then, the spike subsided, I had made a plan to go for a ride, I was super excited, it was like new bike day all over again! I went into the garage only to find my rear tire was flat, (enter where most idiots jump on the internet and start flaming a bike shop), so I pumped it up and went for a ride. Two days later I showed up at Cap's to pick up some stuff that I had ordered, I was as asked how the first ride was. A little annoyed, I explained my work situation and how I found the rear tire. They calmly explained that there is a reasonable explanation for this and told me that I had to ride my bike for a little more. So I did, I took it for a long ride and it has been great since!

Since then I have found more and more of the same, things are going to happen and as a reborn rider I am building expectations based on these events, I know before "FREAKING OUT", I can feel comfortable going to my safety net and finding out why and what to expect moving forward. In addition, I no longer feel the need to go and check on things they tell me but rather I feel the need to recommend them to my friends. Let it be said, I do not work at Cap's Westwood Cycle, I did not know anyone there before walking in the front door that day and I do not know any of the people there outside of work or their friends; although I hope to one day.