Electric Bike Action - October 2016

84 www.electricbikeaction.com { SHOP STOP }

EL CAMINO BIKE SHOP
The choice of
generations of riders

By Tony Donaldson

El Camino Bike Shop is a family- owned store that’s been located in Encinitas, California, since 1972. Encinitas is a beach city in San Diego’s North County, and it was once named among the 20 best surf towns in the world by National Geographic. There’s obviously a big surf culture here, but there’s also a huge bike culture.

Currently, the shop is run by the Schellenger family, and patriarch Will Schellenger bought into the shop ten years ago, and has been the sole owner since 2015. As a family who rides, they are also friends with their customers. People know they can come in to the store and hang out, find just about anything they need, even fairly obscure stuff, and get great advice on bikes and accessories.

When you enter the store, you’re likely to be greeted by Ernie, a fast-talking man with a considerable presence and a reassuring smile. Ernie Boginet is the senior salesperson and soigneur, according to his card. What we found is that he’s enthusiastic, genuinely interested in the people who come to the shop and very knowledgeable.

He proudly tells us that El Camino’s customers will travel past several other local bike shops on the way to the store, knowing that they’ll find what they need, even if it’s a rare or obscure item. The store is filled to the brim with bikes of every kind and accessories, from tires to racks to soft goods and more.

As a traditional bike shop, carrying road, mountain, commuter, hybrid and BMX bikes, they carry what their customers want. Inventory is wall-to-wall, with every square inch of the floor used to display bikes, clothing, helmets and every kind of accessory you might imagine.