Where the

bike shops are

There are terrific locally owned Monterey County bike shops in:

• Carmel (mouth of the valley)
• Marina
• Monterey – New Monterey/Cannery Row
  
• Monterey – Old Monterey [5/15/12 update below: "Looking for some old favorites?"]
  
• Pacific Grove
• Salinas – North Salinas
• Salinas – Oldtown
  
• Seaside

Here’s a sampling….

Below, get a taste of some of Monterey County’s bicycle shops.  You’ll find these and more on this site’s Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page, “Section 2, Bike Shops.”

Sports Center Bicycles, Seaside

Home of Team Everybody: The slogan of Sports Center Bicycles, Seaside, epitomizes what Bicycling Monterey, and the heart of the Monterey County bike community, are all about:  “the home of Team Everybody!”  Sports Center loves to help others bike, whether you are a racer, a commuter, or a preschooler on two wheels for the first time.  My 23-year-old got her last bicycle there, having long graduated from her Burley trailer.

Visit the Sports Center website for images of the types of cyclists they serve–yup, Team Everybody!  Or stop by their shop and get a chuckle from the sign in their window.  There you’ll see their own list of “Why bike?” in their window. Their reasons:   “*@#! BP, breathe deep, fatten your wallet, slim your backside, and teach your children.”  

While they express their beliefs with a dose of humor, the staff at Sports Center is seriously dedicated to their customers’ biking experience.  Intimidated about stepping into a bike shop?  Some folks are.  But after your first visit, you’ll realize that you needn’t be at Sports Center Bicycles!

Robert Cepeda, service manager at Sports Center Bicycles of Seaside

provided complimentary mobile bike mechanic services

at the Intergenerational Ride, a new Bike Week activity in 2012.

Winning Wheels, Pacific Grove

The Monterey County Weekly’s readers say, “Best Bike Shop of 2012!“  The  Weekly‘s 22nd annual readers’ poll awarded Winning Wheels of Pacific Grove the honor of Best Bike Shop.  Stop by and learn why this business of 25+ years is such a favorite:  318 Grand Avenue, Pacific Grove; phone 831/375-4322.

 Avid cyclist Patty at Winning Wheels in Pacific Grove

Aquarian at Bay Bikes, Old Monterey

Triangle’s Fun Social Spot:  Aquarian at Bay Bikes is another local shop with a longstanding reputation for helpfulness. This is the shop where our family purchased a Burley bike trailer back when my 23-year-old was a baby.  Located at 486 Washington Street in Monterey,  Aquarian is next door to the East Village Coffee Lounge at the corner of Washington and Pearl.  You’ll often see Velo Club and other bikers relaxing there on the triangle plaza. (Direx tip: Munras becomes Abrego at Eldorado; and Abrego becomes Washington at Pearl.  If you’re confused about our streets, it’s not you, it’s Old Monterey!)

Aquarian at Bay Bikes, and its neighbor, East Village Coffee Lounge, draw a lot of cyclists to the triangle plaza.

(Photo above courtesy of Leo Kodl.)

Salinas:  Bobcat Bicycles in Oldtown Salinas is near the National Steinbeck Center.

Carmel:  Residents wished for bike shops and got two at the mouth of the valley, Carmel Bicycle and Bay Bikes.

Looking for some old favorites?

Joselyn’s Bicycles closed January 2012.  The Joselyn’s crew is alive and well, and you’ll find some of them working at local bike shops.

Aquarian Bicycles (AKA Aquarian at Bay Bikes) was acquired by Bay Bikes of Monterey, Inc. in spring 2012; many of the old Aquarian crew members continue to work in the bike community as well.

Here’s an update as of May 15, 2012 from Devin Michael Meheen of Bay Bikes of Monterey, Inc, which includes Carmel (Barnyard), Downtown Monterey (former Aquarian), and New Monterey (Cannery Row) locations.

• Frank Pinto,  former owner of Joselyn’s, is now shop supervisor at the Carmel Bay Bikes location.  Former Bay Bikes Carmel manager Marissa Herold has been promoted to general manager of the business.
• Micah Mozal, a fifteen-year employee of Joselyn’s, and Jackson Sherry, formerly with both Joselyn’s and Aquarian, have also joined the Bay Bikes of Monterey, Inc. crew.
• Native Mackenzie (Mack) Crouch is now shop supervisor at Aquarian at Bay Bikes.  Mack worked at Aquarian for seven years before joining the Bay Bikes team in 2011.
• Existing Bay Bikes of Monterey, Inc. staff members Robin Roby, Mark Daniels, and Chris Paruolo will be present at all locations to bring along their expertise and certified mechanic skills to all of Bay Bikes.

Tips on Purchasing

Here are tips on selecting a bike from San Francisco’s 511.org.

New bike

Investing in a new bicycle from a local shop–where clerks are knowledgeable and can find the right bike for your body and your needs–is first choice.

Check those 511.org tips on selecting a bike, then ask local bike shop staff for more guidance.

Used bike

If your budget doesn’t permit a new bike, or if you aren’t really sure if you’ll bike much and just want to test out an inexpensive used bike for awhile, what to do?

First, check with local bike rental stores. For instance, at least one of them typically sells their used bikes in October.  They had purchased the bikes new at wholesale prices, maintained them well throughout their rental life, and are now ready to sell them to prepare for purchasing new ones again for next season. What does this mean to you?  The possibility of finding a sweet deal on a used bike!

You may also want to consider Craigslist or yard sales.  However, if you are not mechanically savvy, it’s wise to take a used bike for a safety check-up and maintenance recommendations at a local maintenance/repair shop. Most of April, and through Bike Week in May, those are only $10; year-round, simply ask for their best price on safety inspections.

These tips on “How to buy a great used bicycle” may also be helpful to you.