TriSports.com Blog

24 HIOP

The 24 HIOP (Hours In the Old Pueblo) is a 24-hour mountain bike race that has been going on here in Tucson for the last 11 years.  I have done this race for 8 of the 11 years (the first 7 and again this year).  The course is fun yet challenging and it is a great melting pot of all types of cyclists – roadies, trigeeks, fixies, hippies, and everything else young and old.  I was forwarded this video by Vladimir Chaloupka.  Mr. Chaloupka is amazing with a video camera and really captured the spirit of the event.  If you are ever in the Old Pueblo (yes, that’s what we call Tucson) in mid February you might want to come check out the event (oh yes, if you do want to race it does fill up early).  P.S. I do make a short cameo in the film during the stampede!  P.S.S. Check out the TriSports Cycling guys at the front of the start!

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo from Vladimir Chaloupka on Vimeo.

We Have New Doors….

Our new automatic, double door is in.  Finally we can get bikes out of the shop without clipping the rear derailleur.    Here is a shot of the progress:

The new doors are not the only new items  coming along.  Our run fit area is starting to take more shape as it is framed and dry walled.

Besides the new doors and new dry wall on the inside we have some brand new beams that will be the start of our new top secret rear deck with superpowers.

More to come on our deck with superpowers in later posts.  Stay Tuned.  Dont forget the first weekend of TriFest is right around the corner.  visit http://www.trifest.com to get a full listing of all the events and vendors.

TriSports Cycling Bullet Train

Twelve months ago TriSports.com did not have a cycling club or team.  Fast forward a year and we have now, with the help of many people, built up the most dominant cycling club and team in Arizona, if not the entire southwest.  The club is well over 120 members and we have both a men’s and women’s Cat 1/2 team (riding on Scott, SRAM Force, Zipp equiped bikes).  Look out for more inforation on the club and team in the months to come.

Another Great TriSports.com Video Production

This past weekend, a small crew of TriSports.com staff and TriSports Cycling club members joined our fellow sponsors of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team p/b Maxxis in Fountain Hills, AZ for a little bit of business and a lot of fun. The purpose of the weekend was for the sponsors to get to hang out with the team and introduce themselves to the riders and one another. We were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather for the morning group rides out to Saguaro Lake – a real treat for those who flew in from colder areas of the country. Saturday the attending sponsors were able to officially address the team to provide knowledge about their products. Since we do not providing a specific product, we thought it would be a good idea to let the team (and now the world) know exactly why a triathlon retailer has chosen (for the 2nd year in a row) to sponsor a pro cycling team. The reason is pretty simple: we all love to ride our bikes! We decided to get this point across, we’d make a little video…

Special thanks to Zachary, our Media Artist, for making the message come alive in a funny, light-hearted way!

Contruction Progress

Progress!!!! We are finally starting to see the new shape of the store come together. We have moved our bikes near the windows, which has really made a big impact on the store. The other big news is that we now have the first bits of our 2010 triathlon clothing up on our new wall.  It was such an awesome thing to get the fixtures hung, and the clothing added.  Please come by and check it out. With the arrival of the steel beams this week, we will finally get the rest of the walls framed out, and the store will finally have its final shape. We are anxious to get our bike fit and run fit studios completed. With the addition of Tom Demerly this year and his fit expertise, we can’t wait to get rocking and rolling. Please don’t forget about our “pick up” option if you only have a few moments to dash in and grab something in your lunch hour or just after work.

Alex the demolition man

One of the biggest compliments we get from people when they are in our retail store is the register counters. They are quite impressive – over 60 feet of custom concrete counter tops. After being in the space for three years, we learned that they are great for serving food but take up a bit too much space in our retail floor.  Along with the rest of our retail remodel, these counters got a nice visit from a man named Alex – Alex the Demolition Man.  It is sad to see them go, but the steel and drywall are being recycled and the actual counter top is going to be reused in a separate phase of construction. 

Alex the Demo Man

Where in the world is TriSports.com?

I like surprises.  I think it is nice when something unexpected happens – obviously as long as that surprise is a positive experience.  For example, I had never had a surprise birthday party until this past year.  I was completely caught off-guard and was more than grateful to the people involved in planning and attending.   As a more recent example, I was given a small Christmas gift from someone who I never expected anything from.  I was very touched.  In both of these examples, the surprises were planned in advance and showed me that these people cared enough to make it happen.

Over the years, our small triathlon company here has grown into a large triathlon company but we are so small in the grand scheme of the world in which we live in.  One of my favorite surprises here at TriSports.com is seeing the unsolicited support of our customers around the world.  Our customers are spreading the good word of TriSports.com without our knowledge.  When I first started with the company over 6 years ago, I most likely knew everyone wearing a TriSports.com T-Shirt or logo on their tri top but now that has changed dramatically.  Now I see and hear TriSports.com all over.  I have traveled a fair amount this year and here are my favorite TriSports.com surprises from the road:

• TriSports.com Decal in Baltimore Safeway Parking Lot (2000 miles from Tucson) – It was cold.  There was snow on the ground.  I was making a quick grocery store run.  I get out of the car, start rushing toward the entrance and then stop in my tracks.  The car I parked next to had a TriSports.com Decal on their back window.  Just so random – it made my day.
• TriSports.com Quebec Customer (2300 miles from Tucson) – Part of my job is meeting with vendors and sometimes visiting their facilities.  I can tell you that almost trip visiting a vendor results in a conversation from one of their employees talking to me about how they order from us.  It makes me smile and it is always unexpected even though it happens almost every time.  I picked Quebec for this example because it just happens to be the most recent example.
• TriSports.com Uniform at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (9100 miles from Tucson) – When I was in Thailand this past month, one of the biggest triathlons in Asia was going on – the Laguna Phuket Triathlon.  Just before the swim start, I catch a quick glance of Mr. Race Number 150.  See picture below.  I have no idea who this gentleman is, but he was sporting the TriSports.com colors on the other side of the globe.  The race was about to begin so I was not able to introduce myself.

Thanks to all you out there helping us build the TriSports.com and making us proud – especially you Mr. Race Number 150.

New Bike Fit Area

Here is a our architects rendition of what the outside of our new bike department will look like.  Right now the space is just a bunch of metal studs; however, progress is happening fast in order to meet our deadline!

New Bike Department Area

Job Opening

We’re hiring! We are now accepting applications for the position of Sponsorship Coordinator. This position is full-time with benefits. The Sponsorship Coordinator works within the Marketing Department but also works closely with our Retail, Buying, Customer Service and Bike Departments. This key position is perfect for the social triathlete who likes to travel and attend events, is highly organized and who is motivated to help TriSports.com continue to be triathlon’s #1 retail store.

Duties include:
• Managing sponsorship of clubs, races and individuals (Team TriSports.com).
• Maintaining sponsorship website.
• Helping develop and participating in social and event marketing efforts, including maintenance of various social media.
• Frequent travel to events, often on weekends.
• Serving as a key member of the TriSports.com traveling expo crew.
You can view the job opening on the TriSports.com Employment Opportunities page!

Green Demolition

Just over three years ago we moved into our current location.  We spent months planning doing our best to build for our future.  I am now sitting in my office listening to some guys absolutely demolish the walls we just erected a few short years ago to make room for our new expansion.  Before this project started I was very clear that we had to do what we could to recycle/reuse materials (this is a very tall order in the construction industry as they have little concept of the word “reuse” or “recycle”).  To accomodate our request our contractor found us a recycler that is taking our demolished dry wall and steel.  This service cost us a significant amount more money but the price is worth it to us.  We are also able to reuse several items such as doors, windows, electrical plates, lighting, and more.  All in all, our goal is to recycle or reuse over 80% of the demolition material.  Keeping true to our values.

The metal recycling dumpster

The drywall recycling dumpster