Bumstead Bikes, a family owned bicycle shop located in Ontario, California, is marking 105 years in business.
Lloyd Garrison Bumstead II is the fourth Bumstead in the family to own the small business.
Currently managed by the fourth and fifth generations and supported by the shop’s iguana, Chunks, the shop has been passed throughout the family since it was started by Lloyd Garrison Bumstead II’s great-great-grandfather.
Twenty-five years after the revamping of the modern bicycle, the Bumstead family fulfilled the American Dream of creating a small business.
“We’re a family-owned bike shop that’s been around since 1909,” said Lloyd Garrison Bumstead II, fourth-generation owner of Bumstead Bikes, in a business profile on YouTube posted by the City of Ontario. “My grandfather started the business and now I’m running it with my son. So we’ve got the fourth and fifth generation trying to get you to ride bicycles.”
The charming shop combines a vast knowledge of bicycles with an array of products to find a bike catering to anyone’s particular needs.
“We have everything from kids (bikes), cruiser (bikes), adults (bikes), to lightweight racing bikes. If you want a bike, we’ve got what you need,” Bumstead said.
The Bumstead family maintains lasting relationships with customers as well as a century-long reputation that sets the business apart from other well-known companies.
“I had a gentleman who came in here who has to be in his late 80s or early 90s,” Bumstead II said. “He came in to tell me that my great-great-grandfather had sold him his first ever bicycle when he was 11 years old. It was a used bike that he had to pay five cents a week for. Who knew an 11- year- old could have credit?”
The community in Ontario is a major reason for Bumstead Bicycle’s success. Bumstead said there are plenty of facets that contribute to the success of small businesses and that city officials are willing to work with the small businesses to help the store run smoothly.
Bumstead said that he is able to come to city hall with any questions or concerns and city officials are always happy to help in any way.
“For someone who is looking to come into Ontario and start a business, it’s encouraging to know that if there is a way to help, (the city officials) are definitely going to,” Bumstead said.
Local sports, good infrastructure, a helpful police department and city hall are all contributing factors to the success of Bumstead Bikes, according to Bumstead. Bumstead mentioned that the community shows its support through their business at the store and that he is sure to return the support through sponsorships.
The community of Ontario is what Bumstead said he enjoys the most about his business.
“Even though Ontario has grown into a big city, there is still a lot of community to it,” Bumstead said in the video.
