Once Again, Saturday Is A Go For Our BIG Move

It was a great day at 1248, progress everywhere. John Goshn, owner of the building was overseeing the paving of the parking lot and dropped back later in the evening to check on the buildings progress. Of course I was still there, because that's what I do, I outwork everybody else to stay ahead of them. You see, as a kid I was given way too many brains. I knew I was smarter than everybody else, but I didn't take advantage of it, didn't become a doctor, lawyer, or Indian Chief because none of those jobs interested me. So now some 30 years later I compensate by working harder than anybody else. I've always had this ability and in situations like this I utilize it to my maximum benefit. So Saturday is a definite go for the move, I repeat a definite go. After a few scary moments, everthing has fallen into place and we'll be ready to move at 9 am on Saturday at the old shop. Anybody interested in helping who hasn't volunteered already, please feel free to drop us a line. We'll give you the latest info and lowdown on move related facts. Don't be shy, as they say, the more the merrier!

It's A Green Light For This Saturday

Houston, countdown has begun, 120 hours and moving forward. Roger, Mission Control, we read you load and clear. So with a bit of help from the world wide web, a touch of well directed complaining, and a whole lot of help from Eastlink, it appears the no phone, hiccup has subsided. So armed with a phone, internet, and a building almost ready to go, we've got the green light to make our move this Saturday. So what's up with 1248? My focus has been to organize the move and enable us to get up and running and serving our customers as soon as possible. Saturday, Sunday, Monday will be toast, and with a Herculean effort by all, we're hoping to open Tuesday in some state, albeit probably very rough and disorganized at best. The basement has begun its "drying out" process. The front and back of the building will be paved tomorrow, the windows and doors are being worked, Aaron's new work place has been the key focus for me during my late nights at the new shop, in an attempt to minimize downtime for service work we are already swamped with. Signage is in the final stages of approval, the deck will be completed by weeks end, on and on and on. So yes, a pile of activity is going on, a pile still has still to go on, but things are really starting to take shape at 1248. Please bare with us during our transition, we're working as hard as we possibly can to help everyone get back on the road as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you at our new home, and hope "your socks are knocked off by what you see."

Will The Move Be Next Week?

Looks like that decision is still up in the air at this point in time. Still lots of finishing touches to be done at 1248, along with a few small hiccups that I'm sure can be overcome if the desire to address them is deemed a priority, but as it stands right now, things are not 100% a go for next week. I want to extend a huge thanks to my present Landlord, and local Bedford businessman, Mickey McDonald for not pulling the rug out from under me at the Old Ten Mile House. If it were not for his generosity and understanding, we could potentially be in a real pickle at this moment. Thanks Mickey! As for 1248, don't get me wrong, it's looking great, too great to show you yet, but with a week to go, and commitments made, it's looking less likely by the day that we'll be pulling the trigger on July 28th. But who knows, things change, and if the "Bike Gods" get aligned, everything may come off as planned. For those extremely generous souls who have volunteered to help us with the move, trust me, I'll keep you updated, and by mid week a decision will be made. Thanks to everyone who has followed this page, I've really enjoyed showing you the changes as they've happened. There is no doubt about it, when 1248 is ready to roll, it will become the new benchmark for bikes shops across the nation. We're just not sure when it will be ready to roll. Stay tuned for updates.

Things Are Coming Together

So I'm stressed about the move, because I've got too many things to do. Alarm systems, new signage, power hookup, internet connections, and a bit of carpentry work to take care of myself, but even with all this stuff hanging over my head, I'm very pleased with the way 1248 Bedford Highway is taking shape. Hardwood floors, spacious high ceilings, beyond belief amounts of natural light, stunning colors, and soon to be amazing product presentation, will all make this shop the envy of many independent bicycle retailers across Canada. Are you excited? We hope so. Plan on joining us for our Grand Reopening at 1248, the date to be announced shortly. Trust us, you won't want to miss this event!

Fill Those Cracks

Today was 1248 day, actually every Tuesday from here on in until we move will be 1248 designated day. That's the one day a week I focus on taking care of the most important next steps of our move. Visited the site today with Kristie, chatted with Will, and got the lowdown on what's going well and what's slowing things down. Crackfillers don't want to work when the carpenter is using his saw, as the dust messes with their work, the hardwood floor guys can't sand with the drywall guys dropping mud on their head, the wheel seems to go round and round. I have to admit, I liked it a lot better last week when I saw, the huge excavator out back, two electricians, two plumbers, and one carpenter all working in harmony together on the old building. But hey, I'm getting a little antsy, as the move approaches, and envision the last minute scramble coming to a head. They say patience is a virtue, too bad I don't have any.

Holmes On Homes?

Pretty cool to see how powerful the internet can be utilized as a tool to relay information to a very diverse audience. In a very short period, the numbers and interest have grown substantially on the progress of our beloved new location, 1248 Bedford Highway. As of today we've had over 3,000 hits on this page, as Metro cyclists, our best customers, friends, and family check in to see whats new, so I'm hoping we don't disappoint you. Today was an amazing day long before I made it to 1248 late in the day. It started off with a call from the building owner, John Ghosn, giving me a personal update on the status of 1248. I can't help mentioning how many times John mentioned "doing it right" during our conversation, and doing it right he is. That led the way to a wonderful day of blue skies , lots of interesting 1248 developements, and a bike ride to top all bike rides. OK, back to 1248 Bedford Highway, the drywall guys were hard at work hanging wall board, electricians were touching up odds and sods, and the new parking lot was covered with some fresh gravel, as progress continues both inside and outside of 1248. Tomorrow? More of the same. I meet with Rhonda early tomorrow morning to finalize colors to be used in the shop, flooring details, and more. I'll check in with Will in the afternoon and discuss slatwall location and needs, and give him a big hug for a special request by me he entertained and executed today. Thanks Will, I appreciate it. Updates to follow, so stay tuned.

Big Week Ahead

Well what's the latest and greatest at 1248 you ask? Let's have a look. The excavator thats been hammering rock for over three days in our new rear parking lot at a million dollars an hour, is now gone. (Please lets all take a collective sigh of relief at this moment to celebrate) But before leaving , the BIG Machine did manage to clean up the old deck, concrete steps, and retaining wall in the front of the building to allow Will and his crew to prepare for the new front deck installation. The new deck will be a platform for much joy and celebration during grand opening night, and hopefully for years to come as a spot for Metro cyclists to hang out after a refreshing local ride. Inside, all electrical, carpentry, and plumbing is complete. Drywall starts in earnest this week, and before you know it, the paint will be on the walls. Hardwood floor refinishing in the main showroom? That's also in the cards for the next week if we can dry the old building out enough.

Inside/Out

OK, up till now you have only seen the outside of 1248 as it goes through the process of being reborn. Today let's take a step inside and see what's in store for those who get past the exterior walls. Nothing special here folks, a major construction zone at present, but by weeks end the drywall will be going up, and after that, we'll see paint, colors, flooring, and finishing touches inside and out that will knock your socks off. 1248 will have a few surprises waiting for you if our hard work pans out, and we hope it does, so wish us well as we hope to expand our offerings to you, "Our most valued customers."