10:00am | Profession bicyclist Brian Keate, 39, affectionately known as Turtle or Tortuga amongst biking circles, is extending his professional expertise and vision for bicycling retail and service to Bixby Knolls in Long Beach.
His new store, aptly titled Long Beach Cyclery, will become his second bike shop following La Habra Cyclery in Orange County, which he has operated for over ten years. However, with the Long Beach location, situated in some 1,800-square-foot of space, Keate will be delivering new lines of bikes –KHS, Cannondale, Focus — as opposed to the Giant and Specialized brands he offers in La Habra. He has even stated that he hopes to move into the larger, 3,000-square-foot building nearby within the year.
Keate has called Long Beach his home for some 12 years now and is happy to have seen the city evolve into one of the most progressively focused bike cities in the nation. As Keate explains, he loves the aspects of the bicycle business because it represents adventure at all levels: young children learning how to first ride a bike, young adults escaping the confines of their cars to discover the pleasure of a simple ride through town, people searching for new forms of transportation, sports-minded enthusiasts… These are the people Keate hopes to serve, particularly in Bixby Knolls, which has been increasing its advocacy of bike use and is in need of a full-service bike shop.
This Saturday, at 11:30am, Keate and company encourage you to come to the opening of Long Beach Cyclery, where tacos and beverages will be freely served. Did we mention he also managed to get a mechanical bull? There’s Tortuga for you. The new shop is located at 3756 Long Beach Blvd.