Bikeshop Candids: Rincon Cycles...

Few actions say welcome as effectively as an open front door or, as in this case, a pair of open front doors. If your business is located where the weather is good almost year-round it makes perfect sense to keep them that way, like a pair of outstretched arms welcoming guests in. 

Though they have been around for a while now, I can't recall Rincon Cycles, when I lived in Carpinteria and attended UCSB. In fact, the lack of a respectable bike shop, was the one glaring omission from the town back then, and one that has been thankfully, and favorably, resolved. Visits to that part of the coast have been infrequent, and the timing just a little bit off, so that until this past weekend I was never able to step foot inside the shop to look around. The shop is a Specialized dealer, and there were a lot of quality bikes from that manufacturer on the showroom floor, of both road and mountain variety. There were also a lot of Santana tandems about, some of which, I assume, were rentals. They offer both components and accessories, clothing, helmets et al, whatever you may have forgotten at home. You can find maps of local routes and a staff who will answer your local riding questions. One curious aspect of the shop where the number of positively massive-sized frames; there were at least four that I noticed, built for 7-footers, including the two shown below.

a perfect match, for the visiting cyclist anyway, Rincon Cycles and the Laughing Llama Coffee House

Any town as eminently bikeable as is Carpinteria needs a shop easily accessible from all points. One providing sales of quality bikes, one providing dependable service and, considering the importance of tourism here, one that rents bikes for the day. While I can not attest to the service (and though we were greeted and inquired after right away), Rincon Cycles has the other two well in hand. Check them out when in town.