Sorry I'm popping in. Looking for a semi-neutral place to complain.
I'm open. I'm "essential" as are all other bike shops in the state. In the city there are a lot of people who use bikes as transportation (justification). Yes but these people are not working for emergency services, probably shouldn't even be out, and don't actually need the services of a shop on the daily enough to justify shops staying open. The reality is that many of them are simply just selling what they can and running as many tuneups as possible in hopes of being around in a couple of months. I get that but I also think it's the wrong decision. That said, I ended up meeting a customer at his car yesterday to grab 2 tuneups because... "hey why not".
I bought Enzo's ButtonHole Chamois Cream (the company) in January. That business is helping a ton. Weird timing.
My position on not thinking shops are essential seems to be like like walking into the Road forum and telling people that they don't need whatever bike it is that they're riding. People in the industry are losing their mind (in my direction). A few have reached out behind the scenes to agree with me but I am left in the town square covered in rotten fruit. Kind of sick of always being that guy yet can't keep factual information to myself. My life moto seems to be "Hold on, someone it wrong on the internet! I must fix it."
My wife is an RN that is in charge of running an immediate care facility in a Chicago Suburb for one of the largest hospital systems in the country. They are amazing with what they do. They are all pretty ragged at this point and while they won't say it there seems to be an air of resignation among them. Primary care physicians seem to be washing their hands of everything- sending everyone to get tested and refusing to see them. Their facility was being forced to work without any PPE when patients presented without Covid-19 symptoms in some sort of effort to save PPE I guess. As a result they know of at least one patient who came in 3 times in 4 days with non-Covid-19 symptoms that ended up in the ICU with bi-lateral pneumonia from Covid-19 on the 5th day. Taking an RN and Dr out of action because of the lack of PPE.
They've now gone to all drive up. The system is no longer testing anyone unless they are in large enough respiratory distress that they need to be in the ICU. This has been the case since the beginning - that almost no one is actually tested. This is why any actual numbers that anyone shows .... I just can't look. They are at least an order of magnitude off. Every 10 patients they might see who have the symptoms damn near all 10 are simply sent home with instructions on how to self quarantine.
Oh well. She's scared. I'm scared because she is. Every time I try and express that people should just STFU and take things seriously someone has to get political. It's tiring. No matter what the cycling industry is 100% destroyed at this point. It will not be the industry as you know it ever again. OEM's and distributors are now using this as their opportunity to roll out direct to consumer drop shipping to "make it easier on the shops". They will not go back when this is done. I would venture to guess 75% of all shops that are not large chains will be gone when this clears or within the year. Racing is dead. Completely. I am discussing with a lot of the state's promoters but it looks like almost everyone will just pack it in for the year and take a mulligan.
This does have the potential of rearranging everything we have known into a better system in the end though and it might actually refuel the desire some people have to race. Cross season will be NUTS this year.... and we have Nationals in town. So at least we have that going for us. Stay safe folks. I like you gals and guys...well most of you at least.