Three’s Company
When the O’Brien’s opened up their bike shop at 138 Bradley Street, sometime in the early 1900’s, I can only imagine that they thought the location was special. East Rock’s summit was just as much in view then, if not more so. The street may not have been one way like it is today, but some of the homes that existed then, are still here today, and those that are, are as cute as can be. Yale would have been up the road and the Peabody Museum too, though the Age of Reptiles mural had yet to be painted. Whether or not the cycling scene was extra special, due to the bike having been patented in New Haven about forty years prior, I have no idea, but I’d like to think so.
I’ve been thinking about 138 Bradley Street’s bike history because today there are three new, individual bike businesses occupying the same address. The first to arrive, was the Bradley Street Bicycle Co-Op (BSBC) which started about a year ago, and was founded by John Martin, whose family has owned the building for decades. The BSBC is a membership based bike workshop that allows members access to bike stands, tools, and mechanical guidance from the owner himself if you need it. The shop is fun, orderly, and jumps to life during open hours. Giving the space a real bike shop feel are the hundred or so bikes that have been donated to the Co-Op. These bikes will be tuned up by John, me, and other volunteers before being handed off to BEEEP, the second entity under the big top.
The second business is a non-profit organization called BEEEP! which stands for Bicycle Education, Entrepreneurship, and Enrichment Programs. BEEEP! is a “New Haven based non-profit that recycles bikes, teaches repair and riding skills, and enriches the community through biking for people who don’t have bikes, who have broken bikes, and who don’t feel safe riding in the city.” John is also a member of the three person team. Paul Hammer and Joel LaChance are the others. Between the three of them, there is a lot of bicycling know how, and a real drive to help get kids on bike. It’s not uncommon to hear laughter and excitement throughout the building while Joel teaches a handful of Wilbur Cross kids the ins and outs of bike mechanics. In addition to education, BEEEP! donates bikes to organizations who need them within the city.
Three weeks ago, True Cyclery began moving in as well.
At exactly one hundred twenty-one square feet, laid out in a tidy eleven by eleven square, True Cyclery is far from your average bike emporium, nor was it intended to be. Unlike both BEEEP! and BSBC, True Cyclery focusses on bicycle sales, service, and fit. Offering custom, built to order bikes diminishes the need to have a massive retail space. I have a few demo bikes, some on display, and will have room for a work stand, a trainer, and a size cycle for fitting purposes. It’s tidy, comfortable, and a great place to sit and discuss your next build.
These three entities though very different, work well with one another, and feed off each others energy, passion, and skillsets. Each business is new, and our respective shop spaces are still taking shape, but in the upcoming weeks, and months, I fully expect our yet to be named incubator of sorts, to be buzzing with life, cycling culture and events, and other yet to be determined activities. It’d be fun to know what those O’Brien’s would make of their space today.