Faber’s Cyclery: San Jose’s Renown Cycle Shop Nears the Century Mark

Fabers bike shop from DE BUG on Vimeo.

Sitting along South First Street sits a historic icon of San Jose's past. Often overlooked and possibly misunderstood as a simple rickety old example of Victorian architecture, lays a staple of the community's infrastructure, a small business that caters to the transportation, recreational and social needs the San Jose community.

Faber's Cyclery has been in business for 99 years, an integral part of the community, and this simple bike shop is a hub for neighbors to get together as well as resource for downtown residents. Alexander LaRivier, a self described “bicycle nut”, has a simple approach to running a traditional shop that prides itself on providing good service at reasonable rates. LaRivier says it is the answer to Faber's Cyclery's longevity. After years of overseeing the entire day-to-day operation of his small business, coupled with a long-standing law suit between the owner of the historic building, Alex has adopted an altruistic sensibility about the future of his business.

Faber's Cyclery will be celebrating it's 100th anniversary in 2012 and with the future of the building's fate and possibly the business to be determined by the outcome of the litigation, it's LaRivier’s hope to see this historic example of Victorian architecture restored to it's former glory, as well as the business turned into a bicycle museum for children and visitors to learn about the history and the evolution of the bicycle.

The following story was produced in hopes of raising public awareness and to encourage a proactive effort by the community as well as San Jose's public officials to help formulate a plan that would determine the future of this San Jose landmark as well as ensure it will be preserved for future generations of bicycle and architectural enthusiasts alike to enjoy for years to come.

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