My Favorite TC Bike Shops, Part III
January 31st, 2007 |One of my first local races and I’m still figuring out the local personalities. I can’t help but notice this particular loud guy, tall, skinny, talk-yelling about this and that. He rolls out his bike, and it’s THE bike, a polished aluminum American in a sea of dull, skinny-tubed steel bikes. I’m jealous, where’d he get it? Who is this guy, all talk? Jay Henderson, of the changing nicknames. Party on.
I saw him at all my road races and sometimes he’d do well. Fairgrounds, OPUS, Northtown, Green Isle, Duluth. We moved up the categories together. Along the way, I started seeing him at mtn bike races, on another polished American. WTF? Same schtick. He occasionally sticks it out long enough to finish. Rad jay.
Eventually, he starts showing up at ‘cross races. He always tries to get the holeshot and goes out like a rabbit. He starts living with my friend Pike and I couldn’t help but get to know him. Jay’s working at Erik’s by this time; he’s Jay Wrench.
Jay worked in a few other shops, stopped riding the Americans when he started riding Cannondales. At some point he became Hollywood. During the years when I was racing both days every weekend, I saw him all the time. Always Jay Wrench to me.
I also saw him as we’d ride around town, critical mass rides, bar rides, Uptown, Downtown, etc.
Then one day he tells me that he’s opening a shop in Bloomington, in the old REI space. “Living the dream.” I’m fully supportive. I stop in, check it out, buy some stuff, wish him well. It’s funny seeing Jay in there. We literally came up together. And he’s got the whole early GP thing going - helping developing riders, leaving crap all over the counter, grabbing rides when he can.
Jay is a master mechanic. Does top notch work on my bikes. Cleans the chains so they shine.
Jay also does a brisk biz fitting folks to bikes, esp tt/tri stuff. Jay’s always been agog over aero bits and developed deep knowledge and quite a following. He set me up with a terrific TT position last year, pro all the way. I actually like riding my TT bike now.
And, when the situation arises, Jay has no problem with me dismantling my bike in the middle of his shop. That doesn’t mean you can, but he’ll take care of you.
