We greeted him as we always do, asking him how he was doing and if we could help him. He said, "I'm here to do some downhilling, I need to know where your downhill trails are." Since our trails aren't really downhill trails I did my best to tell him where our roughest gnarliest trails were and that he could shuttle The Ribbon.
It was pretty clear he wasn't listening to what I was saying. He couldn't wait to tell me about his super rad downhill bike, how fast he shreds downhills, and how he was sponsored by "some pretty big names in the industry."
At this point my eyes were beginning to glaze over, and I started trying to move toward the front of the shop, hoping for a phone call to save me from listening to how "bad ass" this guy was.
The phone call didn't come and my fellow employees didn't offer to save me from the barrage of self absorbed blather. About the time he was telling me "I pretty much break all my frames" it must have showed that I was losing interest, that I just wasn't listening.
And that is when it happened. A moment none of us will ever forget. He leaned forward towards me, flexed his arm muscles and said, "Listen man, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD I RIDE!"
I swear the music playing in the background came screeching to a hault, like a record needle being slid across a record. The guys in the shop poked their heads out, and everyone in the front of the store had open gaping mouths. It was clear at that point that we really did know just how hard he rides.
After meeting him it became the joke that just kept on giving. While eating a cheesburger we would loudly proclaim "You have no idea how hard I eat cheeseburgers." Or "You have no idea how hard I stocked those shelves." After a while all we had to say was "You have no idea." It was understood what was meant.
It occurred to us later that year that we owed "that guy" a testament of thanks. Something to remember all the good laughs. That's when we created the "You Have No Idea How Hard I Ride" stickers and T-shirts.
They are our best sellers, because lets face it, "You Have No Idea How Hard We Ride!"
