B I K E H E R O Uri Bergbaum, of Uri's Beach Bikes Dania Beach, Florida Nominated by Keith Moss |
Yesterday I went to Uri's Beach Bikes for help with some difficult welds on a stretch bike I'm building. A huge old Doberman was sleeping on the sidewalk outside the open front door. It was a hot August day and Uri was shirtless behind the counter fixing a flat on a kid's BMX bike. Tanned and muscular, the 51-year-old Uri takes the bike off the stand and the kid rides out the door saying "thanks". I said to Uri, "what? No money?" and Uri says "You can't ask them for something they don't have". Another guy comes in with an expensive-looking Trek mountain bike. The front gear shifter is not working correctly The guy says a big bike shop told him he needed new sprockets costing $500. Uri put the bike on the stand and with couple of minutes of adjustments, the bike was shifting smoothly. Again, no charge and the guy goes out the door with a very big smile. Several more bikes come in and Uri fixes each in less than a minute and the cash register hasn't opened once. With the store now empty, Uri has time to weld my bike frame, I brought my welding helmet so I could watch him and try improve my own welding. Watching someone who knows what they're doing is the best way to learn. Priceless. While waiting for the frame to cool down, a customer brings in a motorcycle wheel to be relaced. Uri starts putting spokes in the hub and connects them to the rim. In a few minutes his expert eye has trued the wheel perfectly straight. At $40 it's a great bargain for the customer. Uri says this kind of work is what keeps the bike shop going. The future of Uri's Beach Bikes is uncertain, with the cost of overhead increasing, he may not be able to afford to keep the shop open. Small neighborhood bike shops like Uri's are struggling to compete with the giant bike stores. I'd like to recognise their valuable service to the community before they're all gone. I nominate my local bike shop, Uri's Beach Bikes for the Bike Hero Award. Keith Moss |
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