Hmmm, good point.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'm a chiropractor. Maybe I'm just not busy enough and need more patients! We had freezing rain to day which caused quite a number of cancellations and rebooking. So I've got lots of time today to play. Actually I keep the computer on my desk in the office and leave it wired to the net all day. Check in on the forum every now and then.

Your second paragraph is spot on. It's like the people I work with who are always complaining that they have to "work 10 hour days" when really they spend half of their time surfing the web, IMing friends, checking out Mets box scores and so forth. Work is like a minimal insertion mission for me - get in, get it done right, and get the hell out of there. One thing that IM training has done is made me a master of time management.

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com

I know I am a lucky one - PC's on all day, AIM all day, chat rooms, BBS's and on and on - every now and again I do work even. And to think I am paid for this!!!

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I've never met Tom, but his web site says his store is open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m to 7 or 9p.m. on weekdays. It's the middle of winter in the the midwest, its after the holidays, and before the spring rush. My guess is he has a lot of free time at the present.

Most everything he posts is positive, whats the big deal?

There is no "big deal". Not sure why you think there is a "big deal".

I made an observation on Tom's posting volume, which seems far and above that of any other poster on the forum. Somewhat of a surprise since I remember reading some time ago on some post about the amount of sleep that people get, that he owned a bike shop and how he stayed at work late building bikes and struggled to find time to train.

I guess one could wonder the same thing about Gerard from Cervelo. There was a point there that the guy seemed to be running the Slowtwitch Forum rather than a bike company.

Again, just an observation. Don't bother reading into it. No hidden message here.

Your point is valid and you are right. I'll snap out of it. A good kick in the ass and some honest observations don't hurt. It helps.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I agree that minimum insertion and time management are important, but, in Tom's defense, he is running a retail operation. Your approach works well in a situation where one has specific tasks, particularly if assigned and prioritized by someone else, and your day is a success when certain tasks are "checked off". In contrast, Tom's store has to be open specific hours, and customers expect him to be there most of the time. If he chooses to spend some downtime while he's waiting around for customers surfing and posting, so what? On the other hand, if he's screwing around on slowtwitch when he should be building up my bike, well, that's a problem.

In Tom's defense, there is down time of 30 minutes here, and 10 minutes there. Not enough time to train, but enough time to play on Slowtwitch and write his articles on his own website. He also owns the place and has employees that he can delgate things too. Just like me, I own a home improvement business and this is my slow work time. In the summer you won't here from me.

I think Tom is crazy like a fox. Free advertising to his nitche market seems like time well spent.

At first I felt pretty shitty about this whole thread, but now you guys are making me feel better. Thank you. I needed that. Now, any advice on the girl thing? I gotta put that behind me somehow...... It's killing me.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Yea, either get on the trainer and watch ironman video or some of the TDF tapes you have and remember you want to win Wisconson race! Or go have a couple of beers and remember you can't change who you basically are--which is a good person and you can't change her. Get up tommorow and train, and work and live it up knowing you are making feel better everyday by helping them in things they love--bikes!



Oh yea give it time--it always helps.

Thanks man. This is killing me. Thank God for the bikes and you guys.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'm in school and work on my computer all all all day so this is my form of relaxation... ahh making my study breaks worthwile

I do agree with the second thing you say... I fall into the I bitched so much about how little time I had that I ran out of time...

One really good thing about bikes is; they don't get jealous if you go out and jump on another bike!

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Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

Somehow this seems to have turned sour and reads a bit like I'm pointing the finger at Tom in a negative fashion.

WRONG.

Again, I was just pointing out what seems to be a fact about the volume of Tom's posting and its relation to his work/training.

Lets stop signaling Tom out. There are plenty of other guys, like Gerard who for some time there was posting 20+ messages per day.

Anyhow, Tom knows what I mean which is all that matters to me.

Not to defend Tom or anything, and certainly not reading anything between the lines Velo, but this forum is a form of business for people like myself and Tom. I see a lot of posts by Tom asking things like "what does everyone think of so and so product?" This is a good place to do polling for opinions etc and has a return in the form of business for Tom. Before this forum I had never heard of Tom before or of his store. Now I know of both and if I am in the area I would certainly make it a point to go by and meet him, see his store and probably buy something. So by being visable here there is a certain long term goodwill and business building aspect to it.

I certainly don't get to post on here as much as I would like to, even though I am in front of this computer full time for work. Sometimes it is the choice between answering a work related e-mail or posting a response here and 99% of the time that e-mail is going to get answered first and if there is time and mental energy left after that, the odd post will slip in from me. It is also sometimes and escape and a break from regular work to peruse what is the hot topic of the day on here.

It would be a boring place to hang out here if everyone just worked all day and didn't come in here to play, kind of like the weekends on this board.

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Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

I don't think people on this forum do sob that much. In fact I was impressed by how much training some of you guys get done whilst commuting and taking care of the family.

I start my day in the office with a surf to see whats going in in the world and then drop by with my coffee in sandwiches at regular intervals. Time management (or knowing what you're doing and getting on with it rather than fafffing) is the key.

I also would be dropping into Tom's shop if I was in the area. Highly unlikely but you never know.

 We should consider ourselves lucky. Given the fact that Tom's shop is in Michigan (and its nasty here!) He may have a little more free time on his hands. Come spring and summer - I would'nt doubt his posting volume will decrease.

OK guys, it's 2:26 am here and I am finally leaving the store. just finished tomorrow's editorial (Stormclouds), wrote some e-mails, cashed out the register, put away the two Compu-Trainers (rode 20 miles earlier with Michael R. Rabe)ate dinner with the men and did a shitload of posting on Slowtwitch on a number of interesting topics. So there you go. A day in the life....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

How's this any of your bussiness. Hell you have to much time on your hands if you can't find something better than this to worry about. Plus I'm sure Tom learns a lot about likes, worries, dislikes, thinking of triathletes. One thing I always ask when someone acts like an expert on triathlon and whats going on is " do you read the slowtwitch forum" This would not make them an expert but would be a good starting point. Plus I think your a pin head!!!!!!!

It's an observation. Just like your observation that I'm a "pinhead", but with substance. It was an observation on the amount of posting some folks do on this forum. Since Tom's name appeared on large number of the posts on the screen at that moment, I used his name as an example (not sure why I'm explaining myself - I guess some folks just don't get things). It could have been any of a dozen or so folks that seem to post far above the average poster.

I see nothing wrong with it and most importantly, neither does Tom. I have nothing what so ever against Tom, on the contrary actually.

You don't know me from a hole in the wall, so I think it might be best if you keep insults to yourself and refrain from making comments that are completely out of place.

Seems to me like the pinhead here is YOU.

Good points, Mike.

I work in the new media/Web business and the type of feedback that can be had from a niche market that this is, I would think is very valuable. If you filter out the extreme views, I am sure that people like yourself who let's face it, mine this market for business, get some very good information from what goes down on this forum. Big companies pay huge amounts of money to do the very same type of market research - I know this, because they pay us to do that kind of work.

What I always find interesting is the big company, who does not get the importance of the Web, or their site or these types of message boards. They seem oblivious to it all.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Alright 1st you ask a dumb question and now you hurt my feelings by calling me a pinhead. Didn't your mother tell you that just becouse someone says something rude that it doesn't give you the right to do it also?????I guess if I jumped off a cliff

I find it quite admirable that Tom, Gerard, Mike Plumb, and the like post on this board. In addition to providing many of us with valuable information we would not otherwise be privy to, it also generates business for them. I for one would not hesitate to visit Demerly's shop in Michigan if I ever find myself up there. And if he ever opens up his business to online sales, I would buy from him in a minute (as would many, many others who frequent this site). On the old forum, Gerard once insulted the way I looked at bike sizing without insulting me personally -- it was a very tactful way of questioning my logic. He was correct, and I appreciated that. It has made me much more serious about considering a Cervelo when I purchase a tri bike. So offering opinions, insight and advice not only makes the sport better by helping create a more informed group of participants, it also helps generate business. Posting on this forum is one of the smartest things a coach, company or retailer could do. My hat's off to those who have figured this out, and I appreciate them for their openness and willingness to share with the masses.

RP

Please cut the crap.

Agreed... Thanks velo123, and for you notes too, I appreciate your thoughts.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I sorry that I acted the way I did toward Velo123's question. There are no stupid questions------just stupid p _ o _ l e.

or stupid answers

Where's GT ? GT could you jump your dumb butt in here ? I would like to hear another goofy opinion!!!!!



This is great much more like rec.sport.tri
Name calling and everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now if someone would just threaten to whip someones butt

It would seem to me that Tom has the "real job" many of us like to dream about, but probably wouldn't enjoy the reality of so much. Owning a bike shop doesn't exactly generate huge revenues, especially when you have such a high commitment to excellence and quality of service as he provides. I'm sure the time he spends grinding cable housing and providing free fittings for people could be used to generate more profits, but his passion for the sport, for helping people, and his just plain perfectionist-like quality compells him to operate his business in this manner.

It must be said that his presence here also benefits his business. I for one would not hesitate to visit his store if within driving distance, and if he decided to go on-line, would undoubtedly purchase hardgoods from him. Tom's input (as well as that of many others here) is one of the things that make this such a great board, and I am very glad that he joined us. I had seen his website and read his reviews prior to his joining the Slowtwitch community, but since his involvement here my estimation of him has grown a thousand fold. Tom is the man.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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