Well, things are starting to move along. As I type this the air is filled with the noise of nail guns and miter-saws. In not too much more time things will really start to look like an actual shop. 

The service department will be 100% up and built out by Monday even though the rest of the shop is far from ready. It will feel good to get that out of the way so we can move on to building displays for merchandise.

There has been a bit of chatter out there in social media wondering exactly what the heck we are up to. So here is the deal:

When I decided to open a new shop I wanted to first and foremost challenge what it means to be a bike shop altogether. After working in other shops for over 13 years I saw all kinds of different customers and all kinds of different ways that shops try to cater to them. The approach here is something fresh. I get that bike shops often come off as exclusive, snobby, or a boys club. I have been trying to shatter this perception for years and while I think I have made progress here and there, overall I have fallen far short of that goal.

So this is a fresh start. I want to be the shop that riders of all ages and abilities feel comfortable walking into. I know that's a pretty big challenge but I think I'm up for it. After we soft launch things here in a few weeks and over the coming months stop in and and tell me what you think. As the saying goes: I'm all ears.

All that being said here's some actual details. We're a bike shop. One with a new approach but we will be selling bikes and accessories. We will have a full service department and a knowledgeable, friendly staff. But here's the catch. We will be much more than just another bike shop. Some of you have probably heard the talk about groceries. Well guess what? It's true. Things will be slow starting but over the coming months we will be expanding a smart selection of organic products that are sourced locally whenever possible.

A grocery store in a bike shop. It does sound a little weird at first but the way I see it the two really go hand in hand. A healthy lifestyle on two wheels calls for healthy food right? Maybe I'm crazy but when I started to just think about what experience I would want as a customer the notion of being able to get my bike tuned up, pick up eggs, coffee and cream and possibly grab a cold drink all at the same time sounded pretty darn awesome. So here we are... bikes, groceries and more.

While we are still a few weeks away from officially opening our doors, feel free to swing by and peek in the window. If we're not too tied up we might even have the doors open so you can stroll in and look around.

I'm looking forward to meeting each of you.

Let's ride!

More so than signing a lease, filling out tax info or even applying for a business license, things begin to feel real when you launch the website.

So here we go.

This is Outpost Richmond. It's a concept that's far to hard to explain at 10pm on a Wednesday night but when you see what we're up to I think things will speak for themselves.

In the meantime follow along on Instagram or Twitter as we get this thing up rolling along.