by Niki Chanel
“Mom! Come see! Look outside! There’re hundreds of guys on bikes racing past our front door!!!” This doorway was in Lima, Peru
As they progressed through the training trials for the Junior World championship, Paul would learn his exercises and those of his brother’s, absorbing the advanced lessons, while he waited for his brother to finish, so they could go home together.
When Paul turned sixteen he graduated high school and turned ‘Pro’. His new team – “Navera Santa” – would take him and eight to ten other riders through Peru, Columbia and Venezuela; their race circuits would meander them through the Andes Mountains, Chili, Peru, Columbia, Brazil, and Venezuela. These five-to-ten day-long races are called a ‘Vuelta’, meaning tour; it’s very similar to the Tour de France, though on a smaller scale. An entire race might consist of 200 to 250 riders. They don’t stop of anything during the three to five hour race. They bring nutrition bars with them and carry their own water. A team car brings them additional water later in the race, passing it out to keep them hydrated while they ride. That’s important because in that part of the world it’s hot, 90-100ยบ, humid, and the ride is hard; but Paul loved it.
While he was racing intercontinental endurance races, Paul’s brother had taken to the indoor track speed trials, called Stage races. Both of the boys were winning most of their races and the United States was next: the Tour of California Race. Paul rode in the pro category and won this year’s California State Championship. He now belongs to the Southern California / Nevada Cycling Association.
Ten years ago Paul started working for Circle Cycle in Torrance, one of the largest cycle stores in the South Bay. He realized he loved working on bikes almost as much as he loved riding them. “I could do this for the rest of my life!” It became his dream, but he couldn’t imagine how it would be possible – he didn’t feel he was ready. “If you had asked me in February if I was going to have my own store, I would have said ‘No way!’, but it was meant to be!” Everything came together and ‘shazzam!’… the dream became a reality by spring. “Sprocket Cycles”, a perfect name for the bike shop, opened for business repairing and fitting cycles for customers, in May of 2010.
The store has all kinds of bikes: from $150 pink tricycles called ‘Cupcake’ for three-year-old girls, up through bikes for teens, like the ‘Atomic Mini’ and Beach Cruisers called ‘Retro Glides’ to the $15,000 professional road bikes. If what you want is not in the store, it can be ordered and fitted for you. Purchases can be shipped nationally but Paul suggests that, if you want to have your bike with you when you’re out of the country, just pay $50 to $150 for airfare to take it with you.
Sprocket Cycles also carries accessories like seats, baskets and liners, bells and cup-holders, pedals, pumps, repair kits, bike racks, and more. Again, if he doesn’t have what you need, he can probably get it for you.
Paul coaches, too. He rides with his trainees every morning from 6:30 to 8:30am and has an afternoon ride on Tuesday’s, called a “Telo” (pronounced Tee´- lo) during the summer. If you want someone to ride with, join his morning or evening ride or why not visit and find out about the shop ride – everybody’s welcome.
Located at 1308 Pacific Coast Highway, between Avenue G and F, near Pete’s Coffee -you can’t miss it – there are bikes lined along the sidewalk welcoming the local passer-by. Paul hopes that people will fell comfortable about visiting, without feeling they have to buy something. “When they are ready, they can buy then. If not, we can still be friends!”
Hours are 10:00am to 7:00pm, most days. To learn more, you can call 310.540.1927 or go online to sprocketcycles.com . Bring the kids (he has a play area and toys for them), have an espresso and meet Paul Che - your friendly, neighbourhood cycling advocate.
