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Saturday, 20 February 2010 18:24 |
By Brian Barnes - mydirtworld.com
Many people make successes in their life. Some even gain a good deal of notoriety doing so, while others pass on in obscurity having never left a dent in the lives of those around them. In late March 2009 an elderly, life-long bachelor with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a passion for motorcycles and the people who rode them passed away. Behind him he left a legacy that will impact generations and most of them simply knew him as Bob.
In 1971 Bob started acting on his hobby of tinkering with motorcycles by buying repairable bikes that no one wanted in the pre-freeze days of autumn. All winter Bob would fix them in his house basement while old man winter raged outside. When the ground finally began to thaw and the first buds appeared on the maple trees, Bob had his bikes ready for sale. Parts were required to fix all those broken bikes so Bob would order what he required and supply friends with their needs at the good buddy discount of 10% off retail. Well you can’t keep a good secret quiet for long and it didn’t take much time before a friend of a friend of a friend would show up at Bob’s door wondering if he too could get some gear or parts at that friendly discount price. So began the story of Bob and his cycle supply store. He spent 30 years in the motorcycle business mostly supporting amateur and local riders in a state that no one rode in half the year since it resembled a walk in freezer. The rest, as they say, is history.
What developed in the decades to come were three location changes, 5 expansions and thousands upon thousands of people who were touched by his generosity, work ethic, kindness, enthusiasm and dedication to his chosen sport. Nobody paid retail at Bob’s and nobody was a stranger. He wasn’t the kind of person to hoard the benefits of his growing business to himself. Bob was much more about sharing his success with others. To all the people who ventured onto a track or trail with thoughts of riding their way to motorcycle glory if only a moment, Bob made that dream a little easier to reach because all that stuff they needed was a little more affordable at Bob’s. He wasn’t fond of sponsoring the famous or well to do. He liked to support the beginning rider or the struggling privateer. He found his customer base in the weekend warriors of Minnesota and believed in extolling his generosity on those very same folks. Give a little kid a pair of gloves for a trophy finish at the local motocross race, and the twinkle in his eye says he’s a factory star for a day. Bob got a big kick out of getting the little kids started in their first gear, first bike, first ride or first race. He wanted to share in their success and wanted them to share in his. As a testament to the nature of his spirit, Bob did that thousands of times. But those were just his customers.
To the people who worked for Bob it was typically even more personal and significant. Around the shop he was often known as “Uncle Bob” whether you were related or not. He liked to give everyone nicknames, some of which are still carried today in certain circles. Bob set the example of a good day’s work and demonstrated a higher level of integrity than most. He enjoyed hiring young kids to work in his shop, marketing their enthusiasm to be around all that cool stuff. Part time hours in the winter and full time hours during the busier summers worked out well with their school schedules and it meant that many had year round employment. All along Bob was there guiding, coaching and setting the higher example of how to have integrity and purpose in what you do, be gracious and outgoing to others and just enjoy every moment.
Bob retired from the shop in 1998 having handed it over to some of those young kids he’d hired so many years before and taught so well. He’d still come by the shop every so often to yuck it up with the employees and chat with customers. To fill his days he’d get busy in his garden revisiting his interest in horticulture and spent many long months traveling the country in his motorhome with his sheltie, Dino. After 30 years in the motorcycle industry, Bob had friends all over the country and wanted to visit them all. He did just that, no doubt passing on the blessing of his friendship and time with each person he stopped in to see.
I spoke with Scott Muellner, the now President and CEO of Bob’s Cycle Supply, in preparation for this story and in the twenty minutes he spent graciously giving me the insight on Bob he kept saying “he was just a really cool guy”. He’d tell me about this story or that and then finish, “he was just a really cool guy”. He’d reminisce about the employees Bob had over the years, the racers he befriended and the people he helped and then with his gaze somewhere over my shoulder and with emotion building in his eyes, he’d say “he was just a really cooool guy”. The respect and admiration that Scott has for his friend, boss and mentor of over 30 years is evident.
Shortly after his passing they set up a memorial board at the Bob’s Cycle Supply website so that those that knew and were impacted by Bob could pay their respects and share their memories. Many people pass from this world and receive posthumous notes from contacts, business partners and acquaintances. What’s unique about Bob’s is how many people are including a note about how he impacted their lives directly, taught them something meaningful or cheered them on in pursuit of their dreams. Bob was someone who literally lived to put good things into others and for that reason you will be hard pressed to find anyone uttering a cross word about Bob. It’s obvious that the message boards of those he came in contact with will be filled with similar notes when they too pass. That was how Bob ran it. When you knew Bob, you were better off for it and that’s the prize you took with you to pass on to others, and so on.
We all have the chance to pay an extra moment’s attention to someone, give them the opportunity to feel special in some way or pass an encouraging word. These are all lessons well spent on us. We could all afford to embody a little more of the traits that Bob demonstrated so easily. But then again, what else would you expect from a really cool guy? God bless you Bob.
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