From the moment you enter the front door, you know this is no ordinary bike shop. If the owner, Cap, is there (instead of tending to his antique car collection), he might give you a big howdy from clear across the store behind the counter. If his daughter, Candace, is in charge, you can count on feeling like you are the only customer ever to visit the store.
You certainly will notice the Hawaiian theme throughout the shop. You almost expect Hawaiian steel guitars and ukeleles to be playing in the background. Then there are the period bicycles. Not so surprising maybe, since Palms Cycles in only a block from Sony studios and a couple of miles from Fox. The bikes are for sale, but also for rent to the studios.
If you ask, Cap will be more than happy to show you his antique car of the day. He always has a couple parked in back, and the one he drove to work that day. If that isn't enough, you might get lucky and meet the 4th generation, Ashlynd. She is only 5, so not very good at fixing bikes yet. But one sort of expects that she might follow her great grandmother's lead some day. We'll do an article later about Grandma Rancier, who is a very young 91.
None of these fun elements distract you from the excellent bicycle selections, good stock of the best accessories, shoes, helmets, and other necessary bike stuff. And, of course, you don't stay in the business for 78 years unless your service department can do the job. With Cap fixing up the vintage bikes and cars, you might suspect he can turn a wrench on the latest rides.
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