It's Time to Ride
Los Gatos Cyclery has found a new home on N. Santa Cruz Avenue near Blossom Hill Road, a location that manager Brian Mallison describes as perfect.
He explains, "It's not quite downtown, but it's really close. We just don't have the parking problem downtown does," he says.
The 35-year-old store reopened its new doors a week ago, after moving out of its former building on Los Gatos Boulevard. Work remains to be done on the floors and walls, and the owner intends to set up manufacturer displays in the near future. But walking into the clean, well-lit building, it's hard to notice much except the impressive array of bikes lined up around the store. The Cyclery has added two new bike lines to its inventory, including Havo Backtrail dirt bikes, which are designed by Los Gatan Ryan Nyquist.
The store is trying to expand to enthusiasts and racers. "We're hoping to cover the whole spectrum," Mallison says. Road bikes and higher-end mountain bikes with full suspensions are just a few of the newer self-propelled vehicles being offered.
Still, Los Gatos Cyclery continues to place its primary emphasis on serving local families. Many local bike shops refer customers to Los Gatos Cyclery for children's bikes. The shop will even be conducting "bike rodeos" at local schools as part of its promotional outreach. "We have a lot of people who mention they've bought their whole family bikes here," Mallison said.
And he should know. He's worked at Los Gatos Cyclery for 10 years, beginning when he was a student at Los Gatos High School. He said over the last few years customer demands have shifted away from strictly high-performance models. "Comfort seems to be the thing that's selling right now," Mallison said. The rising popularity of old-fashioned cruisers is just one example.
Los Gatos Cyclery, 652-A N. Santa Cruz Ave. Hours are Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 408.399.5099.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
