March 21, 1988 marked the opening day of The Bike Peddler, located at 1005 Austin Avenue, and on Oct. 19, 2024, the final day for the business will have arrived.
After 36 years, Lynn and Vonne Cornett are preparing for their retirement and have sold the building and the adjacent parking lot, where plans are for a new eatery to occupy the property the couple has owned since 1982.
Vonne Cornett on Thursday afternoon reflected on the history of The Bike Peddler – which opened six years after the Cornetts bought the building that was occupied by a tire shop at the time – and the decision to walk away.
“It’s been a good ride,” Cornett said. “We’ve tested the waters a little bit. We actually live in Coleman County out in the country, so it’s about 30 miles one way. Lynn’s retired from the fire department after 27 years, he was working two jobs for a long, long time. There’s also been a downturn in the bicycle industry all across the board. When COVID hit we had a little surge then because everyone was trying to exercise and get outside and do things with their family, but we never really recovered from the effects. But this is coming at a good time, the Lord has led us through the whole thing and we just felt like when the time was right we would know it. It’s kind of bittersweet, but we’re also looking forward to days where we can just go fishing all day long.”
Regarding what she enjoyed most about The Bike Peddler, Cornett said, “Lynn and I have been into fitness for many years, even before we started the bicycle shop. Physical fitness and good health is our middle name, so when you get a person that comes in and is trying to start a new fitness regimen for whatever reason, if they have a time in their life when they want to turn things around, I. It may only last two weeks or it may last a lifetime, but we want to encourage people to get fit and be healthier.”
Regarding the future of the building, Cornett said, “Buyers came along and they had a dream and they want to pursue that, so when one door closes another opens. It’s not going to be a bicycle shop, they have plans for an eatery, but they’re not going to change the building much.”
With a firm closing date, The Bike Peddler is currently liquidating its entire inventory over the next two-plus weeks.
“We’re on a timeline and rather than nickel and dime it and graduate sizes down and percentages off we decided to say 50 percent off everything,” Cornett said. “We have all the bits and pieces and parts, tires, tubes, everything like that, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. With Christmas coming up, it’s a grand opportunity. If anyone has a bike they want to get tuned up, it’d be a good time to get your bike fixed up before you have to take them out of town.”
The closest bicycle shops for repairs will now be in Abilene or San Angelo, according to Cornett.
As for the history of the building, Cornett said, “This was a Gulf station, a one-bay station and then they added the second bay. From the history we’ve discovered, this station was built around 1925, no later than 1928.”
Removing the three underground tanks from the former gas station, and the widening of Austin Avenue were among the greatest challenges the Cornetts endured over the last three-plus decades.
As for why The Bike Peddler was able to flourish for as long as it has, Cornett said, “We’ve been very fortunate in 36 years here, I can count on one hand the times unpleasantness has happened here at the shop and that’s exceptional, extraordinary. If I have to pat myself or Lynn on the back for any accomplishment, it would be that. We wanted to make happy customers so they would come back and also tell their friends, and believe me that is what our success at the bicycle shop has grown and prospered by – good relationships with our customers. The loyalty from our customers was the most gratifying thing. We’ve made some great friends and some lifetime friends.”