by Steve Shoe
Hermosa Cyclery will celebrate cycling through five decades this Saturday, July 20 at its original, unchanged shop half a block off the Hermosa Strand, at 20th 13th Street.
Harold “Shu” Schumaker founded the bike shop on July 28, 1974, selling and renting bikes and surf mats. The business boomed when the roller skate craze took off in the late 70s.
“The police asked Schu to stop renting skates after 10 P.M. due to the crowds on The Strand,” said Steve Collins, an employee at the time
Half a century later the store experienced another boom with the renewed popularity in cycling, and e-biking.
And the tire air is still free.
In 2016, Hermosa Cyclery invented and installed 3 air-regulated Air Stations designed to prevent cyclists from over inflating and popping their tires.
In 2002, Schumaker passed away at just 60 years old.
“Schu’s was like a family. And the bike shop we all loved was in limbo. His brother stepped in to run it,” said Collins.
“Then came a phone call a couple of weeks later, from Shu’s niece. ‘Steve, we found a will in a small safe in the bike shop.’”
The will, written secretly 15 years earlier, read, “I give, devise and bequeath all of my estate … to Steve Collins, Larry Burke, Mark McNeill and Ken Liebowitz.’
The four had all worked together at the bike shop as kids.
“I was stunned and immediately called the other three, with whom we all had mostly lost touch since the ‘90s,” Collins said.
“The owner of our building at the time, Jeanette Oghigian, had faith in us to carry on the business.
The four partners observed their own milestone a couple of years ago, their 20th anniversary of being partners.In addition to running the bike shop, they host the bike corral at Fiesta Hermosa, a community bike entry in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and the Kids Races at the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. Their bike shop has been voted “Best Bike Shop” by Easy Reader readers each year since 2009.
“While our ownership at Hermosa Cyclery has changed twice in 50 years, it’s more like we’ve had one owner. The four of us practically grew up at Hermosa Cyclery during our teens alongside the man who founded and then gave it to us. Our store has the same soul and the owners, the same love of serving customers and the community that we’ve had all 50 years. We love this store and Hermosa Beach,” said Collins.
The 50th Anniversary will be celebrated Saturday, July 20, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Guitarist and singer BJ Arnold will perform. Free 50th anniversary T-shirt for the first 100 guests. Chamber ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. The public is invited. ER
