This is Jacob, our new shop grommet. He is, hell I don't know, 7+ ft. tall and like 500 pounds of pure muscle. He plays football and has decided that cycling needs the athletic skills that he has to offer. He is also 17, which makes him a junior category cyclist. Jacob will be participating in the Luna Cycles winter 'cross campaign this season. I want to give you a mental image: Jacob lines up with all the other junior cyclists ( decidedly waifish and pigeon-chested lot ) at the start line. I'm gonna go with Jacob on the whole intimidation factor...
"So, what is a shop grommet?", you ask. The grommet (or grom) is the first step on that wonderful ladder to riches and fame that is the bike business. "Wow, how do I become a grommet?", you cry. Easy. Step one: hang around a bike shop until the owners start asking you to either leave or start dusting and sweeping. Step two: Continue to hang out at the aforementioned bike shop, but occasionally bring your bike with you and start asking for help fixing it. Step three: be willing to suffer harassment and hazing practices of loooooooooooooong time bike shop denizens. Follow these simple steps and be willing to not get paid for anything you do and you are well on your way to grommethood. "Why?", you now whimper. Well, the grommet is the first step in the long and arduous apprenticeship that takes earnest, good-natured young people and turns them into the subversive, misanthropic characters that inhabit the grease and rubber scented caverns of the true bike shop. The kind of shop where you feel like you've been let in on a secret about how to have more fun than most adults think is possible...
1 comment:
Come on now, I only seem that tall because of all of my hair. And I only seem that big because of my greek god-like body. More comments like this will give me a big head.
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