Texas Tri Shop Reviews

Triathlon Forum
1

I live in Austin Texas, and I have been a triathlete, runner, a former employee of Austin Tri Cyclist prior to Don and Missy buying the shop and I worked for them during the first and a half year they were open. I have also worked at Jack & Adams on occasion. Jack of Jack & Adam’s also worked with me at Austin Tricyclist, 3 years pior to Don & Missy purchasing the store from Jon Hill and Jack worked for Don and Missy for 2 years after they bought the store. So I think that I am better qualified than Dan Empified in accessing the “tenure” of each of the shops.

What has pissed me off about your reveiw more than anything you said, even if it is inaccurate, is you are opening a can of worms that no one in Austin,Texas wants opened. I believe that triathletes in this town are glad to have 2 tri shops. Isn’t it the American way, competition? It definitely gives triathletes a lot more choices in Austin. I think that triathletes are lucky to have 2 stores. But we don’t need an outsider stirring things up for us here in Austin. Basically, BUTT out! If we wanted to have an ugly fight it would of occurred. Instead the community has been able to support both stores. We don’t need your inaccurate review.

I am sure that there are good and bad things that we as triathletes in Austin say to each other privately about the 2 shops, BUT we don’t really want an outsider, especially one that was just got payed a large amount of money by the people at Austin Tricyclist to teach them how to fit bikes to “review” the 2 stores! I really question whether you know anything about Jack Murray or Adam Reiser. Or you are just looking at your bank account.

It would be really benefical to those of us would live here if you would simply say something nice or don’t say anything at all. It’s that what your parents taught you? And I admit people are looking to see which is better, but we are just getting over the storm here in Austin and this is the LAST thing that triathletes in Austin want or need.

Maybe you should call your good friends Missy and Don up and ask them for the facts before you start something ugly. Because this could get ugly…there is lots of dirt and I don’t think anyone here wants to get into that. You might check your own forum sometime. It contains some pretty ugly information and it might give you some insight.

Just so you know Jack Murray taught Missy and Don how to run a bike shop. He doesn’t lack any “tenure.” No denying that. So why don’t you tell me who lacks tenure?

2

Dude, I can’t wait for Slowman’s reply!

Scott

3

hmmm, did I miss something that you didn’t? I don’t recall anywhere in the reviews where it said one bike shop was better than the other? And the author gave Jack M. his props. Did you not see that?

4

You did not read it last night I guess, before some more “information” to Jack & Adam’s review was added. And he still is claiming or implying that Missy and Don have more tenure…but I think more importantly he is just giving a better reivew because of the large $$$ he received from ATC owners.

5

I hadn’t bothered to read the Texas Austin Tri Shop Review until your post.

I was fully expecting a negative review from what you stated but what I found was that the tone of the review was quite positive.

I think maybe you have some harsh feelings boiling below the surface because you apparently are/were involved with the people in this review. It’s rearing it’s ugly head here for everyone to see and I think that it’s painfully obvious. I don’t think your beef is with Slowman but rather someone else.

Hey, just an observation and I hope you resolve whatever ill-will you have.

Sincerly.

6

In all fairness I didn’t see the review before today.

I think we all understand Slowmans interest with FIST related shops and he seems pretty upfront about that.

He came up with the FIST system out of a genuine place, at least I feel. He wants to see triathletes positioned correctly and he puts the blame on both the manufactures and bike shop owners for not putting their customers on bikes that fit them.

…and yes I realize as well as others realize that he makes money from this…the dude though has never struck me as a Bull-Shitter.

7

I don’t have any thing boiling to the surface or repressed feelings, but Jack & Adam’s don’t lack tenure and neither does ATC, Don and Missy. But Dan just got paid a lot of money by ATC, isn’t it a conflict of interest to “review” two bike shops in the same town and call one more legitimate than the other, in this case he called the one who paid he money more legitimate than the shop that did not pay him money.

8

Why bother saying anything about Jack & Adam’s just say positive things about ATC and what a great job they do. There are other Tri shops in Texas. He only reviewed 3. I would agree that ATC and Jack & Adam’s are probably the only exclusive tri shops but he listed another shop and I know there is a shop in Houston that he could of review as well.

9

It is true that the subject header suggests reviewing tri-shops in Texas, yet focuses mainly on Austin? What about reviewing a Dallas store or two? What about Richardson Bike Mart? I deal with this shop every once in awhile, with both good and bad experiences…

10

So therefore by that rational he should have given the “better review” to the shop that was Not FISTed (that always just sounds wrong :wink: ) just because it doesn’t have the FIST training?

I think my point is that most, if not close to all people who read this site for the reviews, realize where FIST came from and they can draw their own conclusions to whether there is a conflict or not.

Remember that most people pull from a variety of different sources when they decide on a shop including actually going into the shop(s) and seeing for themselves what the inventory is like, seeing how they are treated, and quizzing the employees on what they know or don’t know.

I wouldn’t sweat it so much Rogue, it’s probably being made into a bigger deal than it really is.

BTW-If you don’t have repressed feeling then I apologize it just seems like you came out fighting mad out of nowhere (I notice that you are new to the board). Also, try sticking around and see if you like the place. Not everyone in here kisses Dan’s ass BTW ;-).

11

I will stick around some…it is nice to know there is no ass kissing here. I have actually been to the site for years just never on the forum. Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. You add a good perspective and point when you say that people on this website know what FIST is and implies.

12

thanks for reading, and for posting. i’ll answer a few of your issues.

first, as you are new to the forum, perhaps you’ll take some time to read a few of the overviews of other retailers around the country. we have dozens, perhaps upward of a hundred, i don’t know, and you’ll see that in every case we list both the pros and the cons.

in several such cases, we note when a shop is new. we list that as a possible negative. i noted that about another texas enterprise two years ago, bicycle sports in tyler, and i got a bit of heat for that as well. however, it appears that bicycle sports’ lack of tenure was impactful on its eventual fate.

in the bicycle sports case–as in the case of jack & adams–the lack of time in business was not at all reflective of a lack of time in the industry. john cobb had been around for 20 years or better and, as opposed to jack and adam, he’d been around as a bike industry business owner. but cody smith had not. jack and adam are great guys, and in many ways knowledgeable beyond their years. but though i don’t live in austin and you do, i’ve been selling to retaliers for 18 years and you haven’t. so…

when i talk about lack of tenure, i’m not talking about whether a guy has spent ten years adjusting derailleurs. i’m talking about whether a guy can make a payroll, and pay his vendors on time, and survive his big mistakes, which he will make. when you survive your first five years in business, it isn’t your competitors you’ve survived, it’s your own mistakes you’ve survived. jack and adam will probably do fine, but they have yet to demonstrate that over the long haul.

yes, you’re right, i was brought to texas by don & missy. however, two shops contacted me for that reason, jack & adams being the first. but don & missy pulled the trigger first. it would not make any sense for austin tri cyclist to bring me out again, so if i was going to suck up to anyone using my retailer reviews it would be jack & adam, as they have yet to follow through with their original intent and i might hope that they still may.

finally, you are right. i added a couple of lines about jack murray within 20 minutes of originally posting the review. this is because as i was posting it, i called jack & adams, asked them to read it, and asked if there was anything i should be adding that i don’t know about. i was apprised of some additional information, and added it immediately. i suppose i could have omitted taking the time to do this, but i wanted to be as thorough as i could, given the circumscription of the profiles that i publish.

also, as a new reader, you are not aware that i don’t publish all the reviews in a region at once. next up are bikesport in houston, soler’s tri sports in san antonio, richardson’s bike mart, websters, brittons, etc, and so forth. when i’m done you’ll have plenty of company, as i’ll have an entire state’s worth of angry posts on the forum, no doubt.

13

Thanks for the reply I have to respect that. You are right I am a new reader and don’t have all the incite into how you post information. But I do have information about this that you may not know.

“when i talk about lack of tenure, i’m not talking about whether a guy has spent ten years adjusting derailleurs. i’m talking about whether a guy can make a payroll, and pay his vendors on time, and survive his big mistakes, which he will make. when you survive your first five years in business, it isn’t your competitors you’ve survived, it’s your own mistakes you’ve survived. jack and adam will probably do fine, but they have yet to demonstrate that over the long haul.” Dan Empfield

3 points of contention here:

  1. Don and Missy have owned ATC since November 2002, that’s 3 years 8 months, not 5 years. Jack and Adam have owned the shop 1 year 7 months and so if 5 years is the bench mark number of years, as you point out above, well neither store is there. Doesn’t sound like a valid argument for tenure. Although I agree the first 5 years are very telling. It seems may that you are or aren’t aware that Jon Hill started Austin Tricyclist, the store name maybe 12 or so years old, but as owners of a retail store they have not been running it for the whole time.

  2. Making payroll, the first year that they owned the shop we were payed as contract employees eventhougth we were required to be there to open the shop at 10 am and close at 7pm, that way ATC did not have to pay payroll taxes for us. That’s not making payroll. I have no current knowledge of their payroll currently.

  3. Paying your vendors on time: Your past employer, currently has a lawsuit against ATC for lack of payment. That’s not paying your vendors.

Jack Murray ran the store before Jon Hill sold it to Don and Missy, he did not just manage it he paid bills, purchased the product, opened, closed the store and he continue to all that but pay the bills after it was purchased. So, is there really any difference in the 2 shops tenure. I don’t think so. But that’s just my opinion.

14

I’ve got to tell you, Rogue…I don’t find any can of worms in Dan’s review. I wouldn’t have guessed at anything had you not opened your keyboard about it. You’ve invested a lot of emotion in your posts that surely doesn’t seem warranted to this mostly disinterested 3rd party.

On the other hand…maybe Dan’s use of the word “tenure” does point at a small problem…to my consumer side view…using “tenure” in this instance DOES lend itself a bit to interpreting this as saying they aren’t experienced in the business…the details that both of you have provided in this thread bring a different meaning to what I might have otherwise inferred.

But hardly worth the angst you use…OBVIOUSLY there is something more that we’ll never know…and frankly…I don’t want to know…I’m not really interested in what seems to be a bit of a soap opera that you’re beating around the bush about.

15

“It seems may that you are or aren’t aware that Jon Hill started Austin Tricyclist”

one of QR’s models is the “tequilo.” it’s a play on words, as the model just below it, QR’s flagship model for years, was the kilo. anywho, when the tequilo first came out, it had a model-specific logo attached to it, a top tube decal, an armadillo sitting under an umbrella, with a drink in its hand. that might sound familiar to you. i’ve known jon hill for quite a number of years, certainly since he started his shop and was one of my retailers.

“Your past employer, currently has a lawsuit against ATC for lack of payment.”

if it’s QR you’re talking about, that’s sort of my past employer, i guess, since my paycheck did have QR on it. perhaps you might look further to find out a little more about my past relationship with QR. but to your assertion that you “have information about this that may not know…”

your information might not be as reliable as you think, esp as regards any unfinished business between ABG and ATC. yes, they have had their rocky times in past years, but it is in fact all in the past. i think there is plenty of blame to go around about that, when you consider ATC’s brand spankin’ new ownership of 4 years ago, and ABG’s brand spankin’ new ownership of an aluminum tri bike company. neither knew much of what it was doing–neither enjoyed much tenure in the biz :wink:

what is more germain is that QR has a very fine line of bikes now, and a very fine dealer in austin (jack & adams) to sell them. conversely, QR’s hardest competitor, cervelo, has a very able retailer in town as well, one who pays his bike bills on time (since you brought it up).

now, if you go back and read the overviews, i don’t think they favor one over the other, rather the glaring omission is what is by far the largest bike dealer in the barton springs area. that ought to tell you what i consider a shop that has earned triathletes’ business, versus a shop that hasn’t done much to earn it.

since austin “triathletes are lucky to have 2 stores,” and since, “the community has been able to support both stores,” i’m sure you’ll be glad that i support your desire not to get into an “ugly fight.”

16

Ah, i don’t mean to get in the middle of this - but QR’s aren’t sold at jack and adams (unless they have been negotiating for '06) - they are sold at Bicycle Sport Shop (which is on the same road as ATC and Jack and Adams - all within one mile of each other)

Many, many years ago I worked at Bicycle Sport Shop and was the only triathlete in a large high-end mountain and road focused shop. They kinda looked at me like a strange alien. I spent my entire time there trying to explain how a tri bike should fit and that a road bike with aero bars does not a tri bike make. I also begged for brands like QR,…cervelo… anything!! What did I get to push? Trek’s Hilo - sigh They later found the light and now carry specialized and ABG tri bikes.

Anyway, my long, rambling point is that there are many more shops in town. Surprisingly high end shops. Several of those sell tri bikes and gear (this is tri mecca !) I personally went into both ATC, BSS and Jack and Adams today to shop for a new bike for my brother who did his first tri this year. I was able to look at almost every bike we had on a wish list. We are lucky to have such a selection here in Austin.

PS - got great service from all 3 shops, even though they all know me and know that I think I know everything already :sunglasses:

17

“QR’s aren’t sold at jack and adams (unless they have been negotiating for '06) - they are sold at Bicycle Sport Shop”

i suspect you’ll find that jack & adams is going to have QR for '06. bicycle sport shop is a fine shop and, you’re right, there are several good shops in austin. but both jack & adams and ATC have really taken the tri-specific niche and done a ton more with it. bicycle sport shop is a great place to go for general stuff, good wrench work, floor pump, helmet, and to buy a road race bike. but my 411 tells me that when you go in there to buy a QR, you get pushed toward a road race bike. and i’ve heard this more than once.

this is fine, if this is what you believe. but i don’t believe this is correct thinking, so obviously i’m not going to endorse a shop that endorses that view. except for floor pumps, which are seat angle irrespective. so, road race bike for road racing, bicycle sport shop. but tri bike for tri bike riding, i would need to see evidence that bicycle sport shop carries this as a priority, and i haven’t seen evidence of that as of this date. i’m willing to be educated if i’m wrong.

18

No, you are right - they will try to sell you a road bike and have had a hard time with the tri stuff. I get left alone 'cause as a former employee I can go “No, THIS is how it should be and THIS is what tri bike should be”. Basically, go in there if you know exactly what you need and how to size yourself.

What I was trying to get at was - if you know what you need, you can drive around Austin and find almost every tri bike in existence. I think that’s cool

other good (we carry very nice tri bikes but are road centered shops) -
Nelo’s Pro Cycles
Cycle 360
Freewheeling

I dig Austin.

PS - but nothing beats (and a tri scene REQUIRES) a professional staff with a deep knowledge in triathlon.

19

I have to admit, I see nothing wrong with what Slowman wrote. I know the folks at both shops as friends and fellow racers going back many years. I think Dan gave a fair assessment of Jack and Adam’s. They are two fine young men with alot of knowledge and ability and I think that was effectively pointed out. Indeed Austin is most fortunate to have such a varied selection of quality tri shops.

Ironjack

20

jack, i’ve been missing that sexy head of yours. where have you been keeping yourself? austin may have a lot going for it, but it doesn’t have you or the mavericks.