Tag Archives: remodel

A 90-second tour of our Redwood City remodel


A fast & furious look at our January 2nd-13th remodel in our Redwood City store. Yes, we have bravely brought our retail standards up from 1980 to 1997 or so, with help from Trek Bicycles Retail Services Division. There are some on our staff who were disappointed that I wasn’t more actively involved in the design and final layout, but too much input from me would have resulted in an extrapolation of what we already had. We needed a new look, which is beyond my expertise. I know bikes, the Retail Services guys know what a great store looks like. So I pretty much let Tim, James & Brian have a free hand in most things, including picking flooring, fixtures and walls. My primary contribution was an insistence that we have a workable mechanic area downstairs, so we could have more expertise writing up repairs and running down unusual parts (and, hopefully, fewer people calling to me for help). So far, so good!

If you’re on our email list you’ll get something early next week promoting our grand reopening (never mind that we were never actually closed during the remodel, which was quite remarkable). I’m looking at this as the Bay Area’s newest bike shop is 32 years old!

We’ve still got more to do, and a now modern-looking facility that’s worthy of better upkeep (which means more sweeping & wiping & keeping things in their place). And I’m still trying to figure out where everything is, but remarkably, the most-significant thing that got lost in the transition was a paper shredder. Might have ended up in the massive pile of old electronic stuff we’ve collected over the past 24 years at this location.

Stop by and check out the place. Same friendly and helpful people as before, but a much nicer presentation. –Mike–

Reality Distortion Field hits Chain Reaction!


You’re looking at a work-in-progress; our Redwood City remodel project began with ambitious plans & goals almost exactly a year ago, with little bits & pieces falling into place… until now. It’s wholesale destruction and reconstruction, and through it all, we’re attempting to remain open & functional.

The process is both lengthy and fast at the same time. It’s amazing, given the scope of the project, that it will all be done by the end of next week. That’s roughly a week longer than the initial timetable (two weeks of the “heavy” stuff will actually become three) but faster than any estimate I’d come up with on my own. Yes, little glitches here and there (like our vault door… what to do with it? The flooring won’t fit underneath, and it weighs more than a big truck so it’s not like we can lift it out!), but progress is sure and steady. That’s from my perspective. I’m sure Tim, the guy from Trek Retail Services division who’s in charge of things, sees things differently. He probably gets to spend far too much time focusing on things that aren’t going according to plan and doesn’t think about stepping back for a second and saying wow, this is pretty awesome. As a business owner, I can relate to that!

So for now, Tim, James & Brian, kick us out of the way when you need room, grab us when you need help, and thank you for lending your talents to a shop desperately in need of them! –Mike Jacoubowsky, Partner, Chain Reaction Bicycles