bargainguy

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/reta...e#.XjNAzTJKiUk

The owner is planning a new venture in Pacifica once he's divested. Interesting to see what he comes up with.

gugie 

Well that sucks for C&V. That placed oozed of history.

repechage

No idea what their rent factor was but my bet the post retrofit rent was not comfortable

the sale prior to thin out the stock felt end of times to me.

SF is a tough market- last time I was up there a year ago I went to as many shops as I could- a few really looked in trouble. Some have moved way too often- each move is disruptive and trade needs to be rebuilt.

then there were a few boutique cycling clothing stores... really weird.

I liked Citizen Chain but they went weird too
the shop was there and no work hours- “ will be back at x pm” and nothing. Another sign - nothing.

I saw a few C&V bikes out- a lot of thrasher city bikes.

when I was growing up I loved going to “The City” - not any more. Tragic.

gaucho777 

That's too bad. When I did Eroica CA in 2016, I hitched on to a small group of 4-5 riders which included the owner (on a lovely orange Masi) and a couple of the American Cyclery staff. Really friendly group of guys.

3alarmer 

...the Rapha store there I went into a couple of years ago left me feeling confused and despondent.

gomango

My niece accepted a "first time" position in the city.

Every last one of us recommended against this and advised towards better options.

She lasted four months at a very reasonable salary.

She couldn't make ends meet.

She is now in Chicago and doing well.

madpogue 

^^^^^^^ Doesn't just happen at "entry level". Friend of mine is a vet with her own practice. Years ago, her then-husband, an experienced chemist at the UW, got an offer at one of the Universities out there. Major promotion, major raise. The wife had several options for mid-level placement in a vet clinic, with option to become a partner. Still had to turn it down; they couldn't find housing they could afford.

RobbieTunes

And crime is a bit less legal in the City of Broad Shoulders.

Salamandrine 

Bummer. Wasn't American Cyclery the last hold out on the old bike shop row on Stanyan? One more reason to think that SF will never be cool again.

It was recently asked where this whole C&V thing started. American Cyclery circa about 1990 was one of the ignition points. Planetary Gear around the same year was another one a few blocks away. Also GP was starting to dab in increasingly retro styles at this time, and would soon start Rivendell. It was all sort of backlash to all the tasteless neon of that era.

madpogue 

Which, coming up on 30 years later, is now considered another flavor of C&V, in its own kitschy way.

Everything old is... old again?

jetboy 

SF is in all sorts of trouble. At some point it will all come tumbling down..but in the meantime it churns through people and businesses that actually help on the local level.

Chombi1 

I saw this coming after the big old shop on Valencia Street closed a couple of years ago.
I wonder how long other similar shops like Odyssey in Sausalito can stay in business, especially considering the rent where they are...... C&Vers are running out of places to go in the SF area.... Heck!, even the old Cow Palace bike expo and swap meet is long gone now! This suuuucks!
I hope the people that worked at American Cyclery will find new jobs. They were really nice over there and although most of them were young, were quite knowledgable on C&V parts and mechanics......unlike a salesman at PBS I encountered a few years ago, just south of the City, who did not even know what a tubular tire even was!

Wulf

Stanyan street was silly with bike shops in the early 70s when I lived there.

unworthy1

I predicted this would happen, based on the now familiar pattern of small-business closures due to a sudden rash of anti-earthquake foundation retrofitting/upgrades. Don't understand how come 30 years after Loma Preita there's this newly discovered "crisis" that so many structures all have to upgraded all at once and, hey, they just happen to be all small, well-established neighborhood commercial properties! I have noticed that most of the businesses who got pushed out while the upgrade work was done have "for lease" signs on them now (and those shops are NOT EVER coming back, I will bet).
RIP American Cyclery!
I hope Bradley manages to rise again out of the ashes and his staff find jobs that pay a wage they can live on....but I think all SF will get in place of an iconic small business is yet another mid-rise of "condos for millionaires".

unworthy1

Some good news, I have not gone by yet to see how the shop looks but will do that soon (as the rain lets up)
This came to the CR List via Jon Spangler, I just copied the bulk of it here:

American Cyclery has reopened after being closed for months because their
building was being seismically strengthened/retrofitted.

American Cyclery
510 Frederick Street (at Stanyan)
SF CA 94117
https://americancyclery.com

EMAIL: info@americancyclery.com
415.664.4545


Bradley wrote:



*Please do me a favor and let the CR folks know that American Cyclery is
back open after a long winter of being shut down.*

*We are filling the place up with lots of interesting stuff for sale.*
*Our Campagnolo pile amd vintage selection has grown bigger since we were
last open. *

*Even if people can't congregate at Eroica they can certainly get a taste
with a visit to American.*


*Thank you,*

*Bradley Woehl*
*American Cyclery*
*Purveyor of fine bicycles since 1941*

merziac

This is great news, hopefully they make a good stand and carry on for a long time.

TiHabanero

I think it was American Cyclery that provided a raffle bike to the Le Tour de Sanfrancisco back in 1983. I won a Schwinn Le Tour from that raffle. Got the largest frame that it was made in and gave it to my buddy who was 6'7". He still has it! I remember the shop had dark stained front door and was on Frederick street. I think this is the same shop.

Kabuki12

I met the Citizen Chain folks at the 2016 Eroica and they were really nice folks with lots of c&v parts and bikes for reasonable prices. Not too long ago I heard they were closing up , bummer. Not very many left.

unworthy1

Same shop but back in '83 it was TWO shops: the current one on the Northwest corner of Frederick and Stanyan, plus they had the former Schwinn dealership on the opposite (Northeast) corner, too! At least I think they had it in the early '80s, they sure did later in that decade. The Schwinn location is no longer their property and not a bike shop, either.

Kilroy1988 

When I lived in the city I bought a 1974 Raleigh Professional from the owner, who was selling it for a client. It had a big squeeze mark from a bike stand on the seat tube that he hadn't even noticed, so he threw in an extra Professional frame set off that big stand that they kept out front for free. Good times!

-Gregory

gugie 

So, I'm a bit confused. They shut down for seismic retrofit, owner said he would reopen in Pacifica. The website says they're closed, and the shop is for sale. Now it's reopened.

Is this the same owner, or a new one? And if it's open, why is the website unchanged? Or is the guy too busy worrying about the currrent coronavirus situation? Just looking for info here, not trying to stir anything up.

unworthy1

You too? Yes, welcome to the confusion of 2020! From what I gather, this is exactly the chain of events: Bradley Woehl is still the sole proprietor, he had to have a sale to reduce stocks; vacate the premises for an extensive "seismic retrofit"; planned to move his operation elsewhere (Pacifica,CA) because that's been the pattern in SF: once you vacate you can't move back; but if facts are true he beat that system and his business has returned to the previous site on Frederick and Stanyan. I will take a hike by there and see for myself if it's true. I'd guess he has not updated the website yet. I wonder how many of his employees can return or have moved on/elsewhere.

TiHabanero

Unworthy1, thanks for confirming my long term memory is still working! I have not lived in California in over 35 years, but do remember a lot of things about the time I spent there. I do recall that it was indeed two shops and the guy at he ride made sure I went to the correct one to claim the bike. Irony is that I was working at Alameda Bicycles at the time and had access to lots of tall bikes from Centurion and Raleigh, but the Le Tour was the prize!

santa fe 2926 

Had my recently acquired Roberts, overhauled at Stone’s in Alameda. Visiting from Oklahoma City, it’s a wonderful store for classic and modern steel bikes.

noobinsf 

Looks like the website is current again, shows that they're open, but also remain for sale.