I had just bought my first real bike from Target. I paid for it with my own hard earned money that I saved up all summer working for my dad’s contracting business; sweeping dusty floors and painting stuffy, windowless rooms. It was a Schwinn Men’s Trail way 28” Hybrid bike that cost me roughly $250. Not even a day of riding the bike and there was something wrong with it. I had noticed that one of the tubes of my back tires was popping out. I looked for the closest bike shop around my house and then it hit me.
I had always passed Farrara’s Cycle Shop on my way to the N train station on 20th avenue without even taking a second glance. However, living in this neighborhood for about 10 years allowed me to remember this small vintage bike shop across the street from the train station. I pushed my bike over to Farrara’s Cycle Shop where I was greeted friendly by owner Bob Farrara. I entered a small store with numerous amounts of different bike parts laying around. I explained my problem and showed him the bike.
“There’s nothing wrong with your bike.” Farrara said. “Sometimes the tubes just come out of place when the tire is deflated.”
Farrara inflated my tire with and the tubes were back in place. It was a simple fix but it was an honest fix. There aren’t many too many honest people out there anymore; many looking to make a quick buck. Bob Farrara’s father opened the bike shop back in 1928 when they also rented bikes to commercial companies for delivery service. The store is located on 20th avenue and 63rd street.
“People use to make deliveries on bikes all the time.” said Farrara.
However in the late 1950s and early 1960s, companies had stopped making deliveries by bikes. Companies would delivery by cars or not at all. As companies advanced in their delivery methods, Farrara’s Cycle Shop had to adjust and sold the commercial bike rental part of their company.
Just two years ago Farrara’s Cycle Shop had to adjust once again to their customers and the economy. They had noticed that people were not buying their bikes anymore.
“We stopped selling out bikes 2 years ago.” said Farrara. “Any bike that you could buy from us, people were buying at the big stores.”
Big corporate stores like Toys R Us and Target sell the same bikes that Farrara’s Cycle Shop sold. Customers go to the big name stores
“We always wanted to be a family oriented store.” said Farrara. “We never really got into the whole big commercial part of selling the bikes.”
Today Farrara’s Cycle Shop simply sell accessories for their bikes and provide loyal customers with tune-ups and repairs. People in the Bensonhurst neighborhood can count on Farrara’s Cycle Shop to give honest feedback and great bike tune ups.