College Park Bicycles: A Legacy of Cycling in College Park, Maryland
College Park Bicycles has been a cornerstone of the College Park, Maryland, community for over four decades. Founded in 1979 by Larry and Linda Black, the shop has provided service, support, and a wide selection of bicycles to local cycling enthusiasts. In 2021, Marden Timen took ownership, continuing the tradition of excellent customer service and a passion for cycling.
The Early Years: A Passion for Bikes
Larry Black's fascination with bicycles began in his youth, helping out at bicycle and motor shops. He combined his love for mechanics and sports into a lifelong dedication to cycling. This passion led him and his wife, Linda, to open College Park Bicycles on Knox Road.
Linda Black recalled that she had been encouraging Larry to close at least one store for five years or more. While she had mixed feelings, she was happy that he was still in denial about leaving the shop.
Black emphasized his appreciation for bringing older bikes back into service, highlighting sustainability and the importance of bicycles as a mode of transportation. He stated, "I don't really care about the commodity of a new bicycle. I like bringing older bikes back into service."
A Community Hub
College Park Bicycles has built lasting relationships within the community. The shop became known for its passion and service. Larry Black stated, "If you do what you like, you're not working. I don't have to work. I haven't had to work for 30 years."
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Marden Timen, the new owner, aims to continue this legacy by opening the shop's doors to everyone, from experienced cyclists to beginners. According to Timen, "Cyclists with long time experience or somebody who just started biking."
Navigating the Changing Bicycle Industry
The bicycle industry is evolving, much like other retail-based specialty industries. Ray Keener, executive director of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association, noted that while people still need mechanics, local shops struggle to make a profit off equipment due to competition from online retailers like Amazon.
Paul Lemieux, manager at Proteus Bicycles, another College Park bike shop founded in the 70s, acknowledged the challenges of competing with online giants. Proteus Bicycles adapted by moving to a new location on Rhode Island Avenue, near MOM’s Organic Market, to attract more customers.
Arrow Bicycle, founded in 2008, has also found innovative solutions to maintain profitability. Chris Militello, co-founder, recognized the financial realities of the industry.
Despite these challenges, College Park Bicycles has persevered. Black's positive attitude helped the shop navigate the difficulties of the pandemic. He shared, "We sold 400 of those old bikes in a year and a half, and we’re still selling them every day."
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College Park Bicycles Today
College Park Bicycles remains committed to providing excellent service, a wide selection of bicycles and e-bikes, and bicycle accessories. Marden Timen, the current owner, shares a passion for bikes and a desire to serve the community.
Timen stated, "Like any other bicycle enthusiast, I love bikes and I ride bikes with my family whenever I get a chance. Ever since I was little, I rode bike to everywhere I go and I would help my friends to fix their bikes. Bikes has always been something that reminds of me my childhood and bring happy memories to me. As a proud owner of the shop I would like serve our community with friendly and professional service."
Bicycles for Every Rider
College Park Bicycles offers a variety of bikes to suit different needs and preferences:
- Road Bikes: Domane AL 2, Domane AL 4, Domane AL 5, Madone SL 6 Gen 8, Madone SL 7 Gen 8, SuperSix EVO
- Gravel Bikes: Checkpoint ALR 4, SuperX
- Hybrid Bikes: FX 1, FX 3 Disc, FX Sport, Verve 2 Disc Lowstep, Alight Disc, Flourish Disc
- Mountain Bikes: Marlin 5, Marlin 6, Marlin 7, ALUXX aluminum frame
- Kids' Bikes: Precaliber 12, Precaliber 20 7-Speed, Precaliber 24 8-Speed
- Urban Bikes: Feather, Loft 7D
The Broader History of Cycling in Southern California
The story of College Park Bicycles is part of the larger history of cycling in Southern California. In the late nineteenth century, the introduction of the modern bicycle sparked a nationwide bicycle craze. The fervor for the two-wheeled vehicle especially resonated in Southern California, a region that prided itself on ideal year-round conditions for healthy outdoor activity.
Enthusiasts organized group rides across the Southland, formed local bicycle clubs, and lobbied for the construction of bicycle roads. Perhaps the most famous bicycle route was the California Cycleway, an elevated bikeway whose plans called for it to extend from the historic Los Angeles Plaza to Pasadena's Hotel Green. Made of Oregon pine, the causeway featured easy grades, sparing cyclists from the hilly terrain between the two cities.
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A one-and-a-quarter-mile stretch of the privately financed cycleway opened in 1897 between the Hotel Green and South Pasadena's Raymond Hotel, but by the first decade of the twentieth century, it had fallen into disuse. Its full route to Los Angeles was never completed. Today, the Arroyo Seco Parkway uses much of the California Cycleway's original right-of-way.
Another popular cycling corridor lay between Los Angeles and the town of Hollywood. The Los Angeles Times Bicycle Club organized runs along the route, whose unpaved roads eventually became our modern-day, traffic-choked boulevards. A colorized photograph shows cyclists pedaling north to Hollywood along a dusty and rural Western Avenue.
Cycling caught on in Santa Monica, too. Seeking to capitalize on popular interest in the sport, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a bicycle track and spectator stand in the beach community. The Santa Monica Cycle Path was later built between Los Angeles and the seaside town. The beginning of the path is seen in an 1896 photograph from the USC Digital Library's California Historical Society Collection.
The bicycle craze also spread southward to Orange County. In a photograph from the Orange County Archives, the county's first Boy Scout troop prepares for an overnight bicycle trip at Hewes Park in the City of Orange.
With the advent of automobiles and the Pacific Electric interurban railway, the bicycle craze fizzled in the first decade of the twentieth century, but bicycles would remain a part of Southern California recreation and transportation. In a typical mid-century college scene, students sit on their bicycles at Pomona College.
Later in the century, many suburban communities, including much of South Orange County, were master-planned with bicycles in mind. A 1974 advertisement for the planned community of Mission Viejo highlighted the area's amenability to bicycle riding, noting that a bike would put you right in the heart of town.
Cycling was also a part of the two biggest sporting events in Southern California history: the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games. In 1932, a velodrome was installed inside Pasadena's Rose Bowl, the site of the track cycling events. In preparation for the 1984 Olympics, a new facility was built in Carson. The Olympic Velodrome was demolished in 2003 to make way for the Home Depot Center.
Road racing also changed venues between 1932 and 1984. During L.A.'s first Olympics, cyclists raced from Moorpark in Ventura County to Oxnard, then down the Roosevelt Highway (Pacific Coast Highway) to Santa Monica. In 1984, hilly Mission Viejo in suburban Orange County hosted the road cycling events.
In the years since freeways replaced elevated bike paths, Southern California has discovered a newfound enthusiasm for cycling, spawning a passionate biking culture without whose efforts a master bike plan might never have been adopted.
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