REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Stepped back behind the counter again.

2665 Views 17 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Happybill68, 11 mo ago

Happybill68

Discussion Starter · Nov 12, 2021

After 6 years away from retail I was called by a recruiter to see about working with bikes again. It’s a big box store but bikes are bikes to me.

Did my first shift yesterday and really enjoyed being back working with the public again. They are giving me as many hours a week as I want/handle.

I built bikes and it was fun.

This is really a trial period to see if I want to retire from my full time gig in a year and a half (when I’m eligible to retire) and do something like this instead with my life.

Let’s see how things go

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: 5

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

Stahr_Nut

· #2 · Nov 12, 2021

Cool! You don't name names so I'm not sure exactly what you mean by big box. Could be REI or could be Walmart. But either way your post sounds good to me. The guys working the bike dept. at my REI are just as knowledgeable and down to earth as any of my LBSs. If its Walmart, its good to hear they have a guy like you doing assembly for them.

Reactions: 2

kosmo

· #3 · Nov 14, 2021

Stahr_Nut said:
Cool! You don't name names so I'm not sure exactly what you mean by big box. Could be REI or could be Walmart.

I've heard Walmart bike builders get a free one week vacation to Bentonville for every 1,000 bikes they build.

Happybill68

Discussion Starter · #4 · Nov 15, 2021

It’s Dicks sporting goods. Did my second day, a busy Sunday and the day just flew by.

Definitely enjoying the whole thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: 2

Crankout

· #5 · Nov 15, 2021

Happybill68 said:
It’s Dicks sporting goods. Did my second day, a busy Sunday and the day just flew by.

Definitely enjoying the whole thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's a great idea to give it a trial run ahead of time.

I've got 4 or 5 more years until retirement and want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.

Reactions: 1

prj71

· #6 · Nov 15, 2021

Happybill68 said:
This is really a trial period to see if I want to retire from my full time gig in a year and a half (when I’m eligible to retire) and do something like this instead with my life.

I have a hard time figuring out why someone will retire and then go back to work.

Once I retire (in about 5 years) I have so many things I want to do and working won't be one of them.

Happybill68

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 15, 2021

Crankout said:
That's a great idea to give it a trial run ahead of time.

I've got 4 or 5 more years until retirement and want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.

Yea I’m very burned out at my current job. So trying something new has been good for me: trying this new job has opened my eyes to how much different my life could be.

It’s definitely worth doing

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: 2

Happybill68

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 15, 2021

prj71 said:
I have a hard time figuring out why someone will retire and then go back to work.

Once I retire (in about 5 years) I have so many things I want to do and working won't be one of them.

My retirement is generous, but all my retirements don’t kick in until age 60.

I guess I just like working with people. It’s fun to me. But to each his own. Hopefully you have a great retirement in 5 years.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: 2

prj71

· #9 · Nov 15, 2021

You can take earlier than 60...

www.forbes.com

Guide To Rule 72(t) And Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SEPPs)

Tax-advantaged retirement accounts provide you with plenty of valuable benefits. In exchange, you agree to lock up your money for the long term. Need early access to your retirement savings? The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may charge an early withdrawal penalty. That’s why you need to understa

www.forbes.com

www.investopedia.com

Substantially Equal Periodic Payment (SEPP)

A Substantially Equal Periodic Payment plan allows individuals with qualified retirement plans to withdraw funds before the age of 59 1/2 without penalties.

www.investopedia.com

Sparticus

· #10 · Nov 15, 2021

Crankout said:
That's a great idea to give it a trial run ahead of time.

I've got 4 or 5 more years until retirement and want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.

Everyone in retail works with animals.

=sParty

Reactions: 5

WHALENARD

· #11 · Nov 15, 2021

Crankout said:
want to work with animals in some capacity at that time.

That would be a dream. Any ideas in what capacity?

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

Reactions: 1

Sanchofula

· #12 · Nov 15, 2021

prj71 said:
I have a hard time figuring out why someone will retire and then go back to work.

Once I retire (in about 5 years) I have so many things I want to do and working won't be one of them.

It's only work if you think about it that way.

If and when I retire, there are things I'd like to do such as: be a Barista, work on bikes, teach, work in a free medical clinic.

If I were retired and only had personal things to do, I'd end up working harder and having less fun because all I'd be doing is remodels, landscaping, and construction.

Since I ride all the time as a working stiff, there's not much more I'd do biking related other than travel to other riding areas more often.

Work is good for you

Sparticus

· #13 · Nov 15, 2021

Trailwork. Here in the rain forests of the PNW, there's always plenty of trailwork to do. I'm a lucky man.

=sParty

Reactions: 1

Crankout

· #14 · Nov 16, 2021

WHALENARD said:
That would be a dream. Any ideas in what capacity?

Sent from my Pixel 4a (5G) using Tapatalk

There's a local zoo, animal shelters and various wildlife sanctuaries around here. Honestly, the biggest turn off could be the folks who work at some of these places. Some could be hardcore Sierra Club peeps who may be hard to take, but that's an aside.

I mean really, I see some TikTok vids of people petting rescue cows or donkeys, and I could do that all day long.

Reactions: 1

dir-T

· #15 · Nov 16, 2021

Nurse Ben said:
It's only work if you think about it that way.

I agree. TLDR version of what follows: I seem to be on the "work a little bit for a long time" program.

Like the OP, I'm feeling burned out in my current job but it's a pretty good one WRT pay and (moreso) benefits. One of things I like about it is that I'm allowed to work part time in the winters, so I've spent the last 20 years doing that and snowboarding a ton. It's kinda like I've been semi-retired for my entire career.

That's been really really great but I'm not sure it's been stellar for my retirements savings. So, I'm considering quitting my "real" job when I hit my mid-to-late 50s (I'm 47 now) and finding something enjoyable that pays enough to cover the few expenses I'll have at that point while I wait to draw from my retirement savings sometime in my late 60s or so.

Depending on whether my wife and I relocate somewhere, we might be able to cash out of our house for a pretty penny too.

This all pretty loosy-goosy though, I need to take a closer look at my finances before I'll know if it's doable.

See less See more

Curveball

· #16 · Nov 22, 2021

Happybill68 said:
It’s Dicks sporting goods. Did my second day, a busy Sunday and the day just flew by.

Definitely enjoying the whole thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My son works at Dick's. He seems to like it. He wanted to work assembling bikes, but they put him in footwear and youth sports.

prj71

· #17 · Nov 23, 2021

Nurse Ben said:
It's only work if you think about it that way.

If and when I retire, there are things I'd like to do such as: be a Barista, work on bikes, teach, work in a free medical clinic.

If I were retired and only had personal things to do, I'd end up working harder and having less fun because all I'd be doing is remodels, landscaping, and construction.

Since I ride all the time as a working stiff, there's not much more I'd do biking related other than travel to other riding areas more often.

Work is good for you

No. It's work because I'm on their time schedule not mine and I'm not free to do the things I want to do other than in the evenings after work, weekends and when I take vacation.

When I retire I want to do the things I want to do on my own time schedule not someone else's time schedule. Personal things like remodels, landscaping etc. those are the types of things that I pay people to do. My time is more valuable then money.

As a retired person I would do all the same things I do now, but do more of it. Currently I mountain bike, road bike, fat bike, snow shoe, grouse hunt, fly fish, ice fish, kayak and dabble in a little bit of photography. There would be no time to work.

Reactions: 3

Happybill68

Discussion Starter · #18 · 11 mo ago

Update. Left the job at dicks sporting goods. The people were really nice but I hated the hours I was working.

Ended up at my local shop working more manageable hours and loving the work. Actually repairing old bikes and helping customers.

Much better fit

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: 3

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.