At times, running a small business for the last two decades has stressed out Pedal Power Bicycle owner Chuck Cryor. But, because he’s also an avid cyclist, he tries to balance work and play.
As Cryor was being interviewed on July 1, he stopped mid-conversation and had a moment of clarity, realizing that July marks the 20th anniversary since his shop opened. It was as if he couldn’t believe his shop’s been open for that long. But that’s what life is like for the Santa Maria native when work is almost like a hobby.
Some of Cryor’s favorite rides include a stretch from Santa Maria to Sisquoc—or Gary—and back, or something quick on his mountain bike at Orcutt Hill.
“Riding is good stress relief,” Cryor said, occasionally stopping the interview to greet customers as they entered the store.
The tall man with the finely trimmed salt-and-pepper mustache leaps from behind the counter to talk to an older customer. It seems like they’ve known each other for a while.
“I want one of everything!” said the man, with slight sarcasm.
Inside the store, rows of ready-to-ride mountain and road bikes line the walls and the floor. Some of the brands include Yeti, Specialized, and Redline.
Inside a cubby hole off to the left, a life-size cardboard cutout of Homer Simpson seems to stare out in all directions. Accessories adorn the insides of the glass counter, where a blue workbench is covered with tools illuminated by a skinny florescent light.
The shop once had a repair service, but now Cryor only services what he sells, which is almost everything. He tries to be as versatile as he can, selling “not a lot of one thing, but a lot of everything.”
That makes Cryor’s shop a haven for all types of riders: BMX-ers, mountain bikers, and everyday citizens trying to get to work—which echoes the progression of Cryor’s own cycling hobby. He talked about the dangers of riding along busy highways like the 101, with cars and bicycles forced to share the road.
“Sometimes they work well together, sometimes they don’t,” Cryor said. “You just find those times when it’s not busy.”
According to Cryor, it’s an offensive tactic.
“Find out what the busier roads are and stay away from those,” he said.
Texting and driving scares him a little, and he said it’s the reason why many people are switching from road biking to mountain biking.
For those who haven’t made the switch or choose to ride both the roads and mountains in Santa Barbara County, Cryor wants to see a separate, albeit smaller, paved road for cyclists similar to the protected lanes built in Seattle.
Existing for decades in some European cities, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, protected bike lanes are simply bicycle-only lanes that usually run parallel to the road with a physical barrier between the bikes and cars. According to peopleforbikes.org, Seattle was selected along with five other cities in the U.S. to receive protected lanes.
From striped buffers to “turtle bumps” and parked cars, the website gives an infographic on the costs and varying levels of protection certain types of physical barriers give to protected lanes. Parked cars offer one of the best, and least inexpensive, levels of protection, according to the website.
It will benefit all riders, Cryor said, especially the ones who commute to work through the vast spaces between cities. A combination of riding the bus and the bike is a safer bet than relying solely on a bike, plus it saves time, according to Cryor.
While he’s waiting for that protected lane, Cryor will continue his cycle of life by maintaining a small business and keeping the hobby alive.
“It’s all about small business,” Cryor said. “I want to thank all people who work small business. They really make the difference.”
Pedal Power Bicycles is located at 1740 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. The shop is open five days a week, Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 349-2294.
Biz Highlights
• The Transportation Committee of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce meets at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 313 W. Tunnell St. on July 13 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The monthly meeting will discuss various road projects in and around the city of Santa Maria. Typically, a presentation’s given by a member of the transportation industry along with an update from both Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol. There’s no cost to attend, but the Chamber’s accepting $13 preorders for lunch provided by Panera Bread. For more information, call Hallie Holden at 925-0951, Ext. 225.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Jul 9-16, 2015.
