In praise of my local convenience store

[BumbleBeeDave]

The "bike rack outside of LBS store" thread got me thinking . . . Now that season is starting again here in the arctic wilds of Upstate NY, I will once again be planning to stop at many Stewart's Stores as I go cruising around the countryside around here. There's one in just about every small village or hamlet for over a hundred miles around.

They have earned my business because I can always, always count on stopping at one of their stores as a rest stop. They are always clean, always have friendly staff who will let me bring my bike inside if I am riding alone, and they always have a reasonably clean restroom inside the store that I can use without feeling pressure to buy something.

Conversely, I generally always DO buy something anyway--Gatorade, Power Bar, 5 pound bag of fried pork rinds to munch on while riding--just because they leave me feeling like they really deserve my business. They just get it.

How about you? Any favorite local rest stops? :confused:

Or the opposite--avoid at all cost? :eek:

BBD

[Nooch]

I was out for a ride with my boss and some teammates over the summer and was bonking very, very hard -- hadn't planned to stay out for the full ride, and as such didn't have the supplies. While Mike had extra and helped get me through it, he refused to stop until we hit a certain Quick Check. Let me tell you, that store was an oasis in the middle of the desert. Clean, certainly well stocked, and gave me enough fuel to get home..

[christian]

There's a 7-Eleven in Yorktown, NY, just about 15 miles from home. I've bonked and had to resurrect myself at that 7-Eleven a number of times. I don't think it's anything special, actually, but those few times, it's been an oasis.

[William]

I always like to stop at one of these when I find them on a long ride.:)

http://www.mansfieldshelter.org/images/NewsAndEvents/Kids/Rumford%20Kids.jpg






William

[crownjewelwl]

next time you're in a stewart's treat yourself to a milkshake or a float!!

The "bike rack outside of LBS store" thread got me thinking . . . Now that season is starting again here in the arctic wilds of Upstate NY, I will once again be planning to stop at many Stewart's Stores as I go cruising around the countryside around here. There's one in just about every small village or hamlet for over a hundred miles around.

They have earned my business because I can always, always count on stopping at one of their stores as a rest stop. They are always clean, always have friendly staff who will let me bring my bike inside if I am riding alone, and they always have a reasonably clean restroom inside the store that I can use without feeling pressure to buy something.

Conversely, I generally always DO buy something anyway--Gatorade, Power Bar, 5 pound bag of fried pork rinds to munch on while riding--just because they leave me feeling like they really deserve my business. They just get it.

How about you? Any favorite local rest stops? :confused:

Or the opposite--avoid at all cost? :eek:

BBD

[Cat3roadracer]

I got reprimanded by the manager of the Stewarts on Delaware Ave., Delmar, for bringing my cycle into the shop. 10:00pm ice cream run for Mother (wife), the manager said someone tripped over a bike in another store and sued. He said the company policy is no bikes inside the store. He was not very pleasant, have not seen him since.

[BumbleBeeDave]

I got reprimanded by the manager of the Stewarts on Delaware Ave., Delmar, for bringing my cycle into the shop. 10:00pm ice cream run for Mother (wife), the manager said someone tripped over a bike in another store and sued. He said the company policy is no bikes inside the store. He was not very pleasant, have not seen him since.

Never had anything even remotely like that experience.

Oh, well it was Delmar . . . That could explain a lot! :p

BBD

[William]

Any place that has push-pops or Gummy....um....Lighthouses?


:eek:
William

[CNY rider]

next time you're in a stewart's treat yourself to a milkshake or a float!!

+1 on the Stewart's love.
The best antidote to bonk is a Stewart's ice cream cone.

[SpokeValley]

Any place that has push-pops or Gummy....um....Lighthouses?


:eek:
William

Those are lighthouses?? They kind of look like...oh never mind.

[msl819]

Any place that has push-pops or Gummy....um....Lighthouses?


:eek:
William

Now that is funny!

[BumbleBeeDave]

Those are lighthouses?? They kind of look like...oh never mind.

. . . they certainy end up that way! :eek: :banana: :p

Somebody stop me or I may have to ban myself!

BBD

[EDS]

The "bike rack outside of LBS store" thread got me thinking . . . Now that season is starting again here in the arctic wilds of Upstate NY, I will once again be planning to stop at many Stewart's Stores as I go cruising around the countryside around here. There's one in just about every small village or hamlet for over a hundred miles around.

They have earned my business because I can always, always count on stopping at one of their stores as a rest stop. They are always clean, always have friendly staff who will let me bring my bike inside if I am riding alone, and they always have a reasonably clean restroom inside the store that I can use without feeling pressure to buy something.

Conversely, I generally always DO buy something anyway--Gatorade, Power Bar, 5 pound bag of fried pork rinds to munch on while riding--just because they leave me feeling like they really deserve my business. They just get it.

How about you? Any favorite local rest stops? :confused:

Or the opposite--avoid at all cost? :eek:

BBD

Whenever I am riding upstate and hit a Stewarts I always feel like I have walked back in time about 20 years due to the decor and typical attire of most patrons - the one on Rte. 20 near Duanesberg in particular. But I am almost always pleased to have them as options for refueling on long rides.

For rides out of NYC the obvious favorites among cyclists are the coffee shops in the Piermont/Nyack such as the Runciple Spoon, Bunberry Cafe and Gypsy Donuts.

[Hank Scorpio]

In my section of NJ it seems like most rides pass by Cocoluxe bakery in Peapack. My group never stops there but on the weekends there will be at least two groups sitting around enjoying some snacks. I like to keep it old school at the Oldwick deli.

[fiamme red]

In my section of NJ it seems like most rides pass by Cocoluxe bakery in Peapack. My group never stops there but on the weekends there will be at least two groups sitting around enjoying some snacks. I like to keep it old school at the Oldwick deli.I liked the New Gladstone Market up the road from Cocoluxe, but I heard that it has moved or closed.

However, I don't think either place qualifies as a "convenience" store.

[christian]

However, I don't think either place qualifies as a "convenience" store.
http://www.stager.ch/markus/comics/Inconvenience_store.JPG

[Hank Scorpio]

I liked the New Gladstone Market up the road from Cocoluxe, but I heard that it has moved or closed.

However, I don't think either place qualifies as a "convenience" store.

I never went to the New Gladstone Market. The oddest place we stop is the Sergeantsville deli. A cross between a mom and pop general store and a chinese restaurant all rolled into one.

[gavingould]

a gas station with cans or bottles of Coke and maybe a freezer with some Choco Tacos or Snickers ice cream bars is good for me...

they can get you through some dark times on the bike.

[bluesea]

Honolulu 7-11's have excellent pbj sandwiches.

[maunahaole]

Honolulu 7-11's have excellent pbj sandwiches.

They also have great spam musubi.

Kalapawai store in Kailua has a floorpump behind the counter. Not to mention great scenery going to and from the beach park.

[bironi]

All my favorite local stops are pubs with good beer selection and hopefully outdoor seating. That push-up meal William posted would scare me out of any store, even if they had a great beer selection.:beer:

[csm]

When 7 mile island in south jersey the Princeton bar and grill is a regular stop. We don't ride very hard sometimes and a rum and coke hits the spot.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[bluesea]

They also have great spam musubi.

Kalapawai store in Kailua has a floorpump behind the counter. Not to mention great scenery going to and from the beach park.



Y-u-u-p

[I Want Sachs?]

5 pound bag of fried pork rinds to munch on while riding

5 lbs? :eek:

[Frankwurst]

The "bike rack outside of LBS store" thread got me thinking . . . Now that season is starting again here in the arctic wilds of Upstate NY, I will once again be planning to stop at many Stewart's Stores as I go cruising around the countryside around here. There's one in just about every small village or hamlet for over a hundred miles around.

They have earned my business because I can always, always count on stopping at one of their stores as a rest stop. They are always clean, always have friendly staff who will let me bring my bike inside if I am riding alone, and they always have a reasonably clean restroom inside the store that I can use without feeling pressure to buy something.

Conversely, I generally always DO buy something anyway--Gatorade, Power Bar, 5 pound bag of fried pork rinds to munch on while riding--just because they leave me feeling like they really deserve my business. They just get it.

How about you? Any favorite local rest stops? :confused:

Or the opposite--avoid at all cost? :eek:

BBD

It's been a long winter and about the time I think I might want to move somewhere else along comes a post like this. I don't have to ever concern myself with taking my bike inside. I can go to the grocery,liquor,hardware, or any other store,restaraunt,sports bar and grill (good stops) or anywhere else for that matter and never worry about my bike being outside. Even downtown in any town I can ride to from my house. Hell we leave our cars run in mid winter when we go into some places of business when the mercury disappears. The land of the great chill factor has it's disadvantages but there is a silver lining in evey cloud. Not to mention the riding is great for the 6 weeks we can ride :rolleyes: But I always do buy something if I stop somewhere so I understand what you're saying.:beer:

[zennmotion]

The "bike rack outside of LBS store" thread got me thinking . . . Now that season is starting again here in the arctic wilds of Upstate NY, I will once again be planning to stop at many Stewart's Stores as I go cruising around the countryside around here. There's one in just about every small village or hamlet for over a hundred miles around.

They have earned my business because I can always, always count on stopping at one of their stores as a rest stop. They are always clean, always have friendly staff who will let me bring my bike inside if I am riding alone, and they always have a reasonably clean restroom inside the store that I can use without feeling pressure to buy something.

Conversely, I generally always DO buy something anyway--Gatorade, Power Bar, 5 pound bag of fried pork rinds to munch on while riding--just because they leave me feeling like they really deserve my business. They just get it.

How about you? Any favorite local rest stops? :confused:

Or the opposite--avoid at all cost? :eek:

BBD

This is one of my favorite convenience stores- at a key crossroads on the Pine Creek rail trail, Millers Store at Blackwell, near the "Grand Canyon of central Pennsylvania" (yep, really). I found this place last summer after being drenched repeatedly by severe thunder and hail storms on a 120 mile day that was supposed to be "mostly sunny" according the the government NOAA weather app on my phone. The usual convenience store fodder, three kinds of sandwiches made to order (Ham, cheese, or ham and cheese). "Hand dipped" Perry's ice cream - cone or cup in 20+ flavors. A basket of spare tubes by the cash register, free airhose and water spigot outside (with a sign to please turn it off tight so it doesn't drip), and paintings made by area artists on the wall for sale. The lady saw me shivering and offered a dry T-shirt "Just send it back when you get home". Heaven. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Millers-Store-Blackwell/106976392729991

[MattTuck]

Dave, I think there is a place off the highway somewhere near you called betty beavers. Interesting signs they have...

[zennmotion]

These days, convenience stores are a cold dark shadow, the resplendent technicolors of safety orange cheetos and radioactive blue slurpees are faded. Even the homecooked warmth and sustenance of rotisserie hot dogs aged to perfection fails to cheer me after this year's tragic loss- the death of the Twinkie. Alors, je suis dévasté. The perfect training food, I could jam one in each cheek while riding and slowly swallow them a little at a time without hardly chewing, while climbing out of the saddle or on the rivet desperate to catch back on the back of a paceline. No need for any water either, they were THAT good. Better living through chemistry...
I dedicate this link to that pillar of convenience store goodness, the Twinkie
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/twinkie-rest-in-peeps/2013/03/26/c3c63582-962a-11e2-894a-b984cbdff2e6_video.html

[tiretrax]

There is a 7-11 on my route that gets hundreds of cyclists on summer weekends and many during the year. They are friendly and welcome lots of $1-2 sales from the cyclists. Unfortunately, they don't allow bikes inside, but it's understandable because a child pulled one down on itself and got hurt. Nor do they have erotic gummy candy.

[zennmotion]

Any place that has push-pops or Gummy....um....Lighthouses?


:eek:
William

Those lighthouses look like something... else. Sure it was a convenience store? Windows painted black? Curtained off section?

[sevencyclist]

This is where I refuel on longer rides to the coast.
http://www.sangregoriostore.com/

I also like to stop by the bike hut and pick up chocolate covered pretzels. Honor system.
http://potreronuevofarm.org/thebikehut.html

[Tom]

The one at the bottom of Lake Desolation gets it. It is also often very entertaining.

I have more than once, however, had to ask if somebody wants to actually run the goddamn register. People go over to get a cone, can't decide what they want, the person working there patiently waits for them to decide, more people come in and line up for ice cream, each one can't decide and by now there's four cars lined up waiting on each side of the gas pumps because the customers are lined up 8 deep at the register waiting to pay for gas, 12-packs of Milwaukee's Best, scratch-offs and there's one extremely sweaty guy dressed in the most outlandish getup causing small children to cry.

[EDS]

These days, convenience stores are a cold dark shadow, the resplendent technicolors of safety orange cheetos and radioactive blue slurpees are faded. Even the homecooked warmth and sustenance of rotisserie hot dogs aged to perfection fails to cheer me after this year's tragic loss- the death of the Twinkie. Alors, je suis dévasté. The perfect training food, I could jam one in each cheek while riding and slowly swallow them a little at a time without hardly chewing, while climbing out of the saddle or on the rivet desperate to catch back on the back of a paceline. No need for any water either, they were THAT good. Better living through chemistry...
I dedicate this link to that pillar of convenience store goodness, the Twinkie
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/twinkie-rest-in-peeps/2013/03/26/c3c63582-962a-11e2-894a-b984cbdff2e6_video.html

No worries, Twinkies and many of the other hostess products will likely be back on shelves in the fall.

[BumbleBeeDave]

The one at the bottom of Lake Desolation gets it. It is also often very entertaining.

I have more than once, however, had to ask if somebody wants to actually run the goddamn register. People go over to get a cone, can't decide what they want, the person working there patiently waits for them to decide, more people come in and line up for ice cream, each one can't decide and by now there's four cars lined up waiting on each side of the gas pumps because the customers are lined up 8 deep at the register waiting to pay for gas, 12-packs of Milwaukee's Best, scratch-offs and there's one extremely sweaty guy dressed in the most outlandish getup causing small children to cry.

. . . do tick me off. Only one register open and they are scratch-off shopping and go on, and on, and ON. I have had to stifle myself from telling them if they want to throw away their money why not just get into cycling!

BBD

[zennmotion]

No worries, Twinkies and many of the other hostess products will likely be back on shelves in the fall.

I only hope the new brand owners treat their workers better than the old ones. For that reason, they were definitely a guilty pleasure.

[Lazer]

In eastern KS, the convenience store of choice is Casey's General Store. I like them because they have doughnuts.

[thwart]

The land of the great chill factor has it's disadvantages but there is a silver lining in every cloud. Not to mention the riding is great for the 6 weeks we can ride.Frank, this year we only get 4 weeks. ;)

[Frankwurst]

Frank, this year we only get 4 weeks. ;)

Maybe down by you. I'm thinkin' maybe less in the northwoods. :beer:

[MattTuck]

Yes, those are 3 dimensional

http://rarerborealis.com/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_0796.jpg

[BumbleBeeDave]

She's in Canajoharie and South Glens Falls, too!

:banana:

BBD

[Mr. Squirrel]

http://rarerborealis.com/wordpressblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/IMG_0796.jpg

beaverrrrrrrr rrrrrrr!! nuk nuk nuk!!!:hello:

mr. squirrel