Century-old Bay Area bike shop announces closure after 101 years

Hank & Frank Bicycles, established in 1925 on East 14th Street in Oakland, announced that its Lafayette location will close on August 31 after more than a hundred years in business. The store moved several times before settling in Lafayette, where it has been a community fixture for 52 years under the stewardship of Dale Dryer, who inherited the shop from its namesake Hank. Dryer’s son, Frank, now runs the business, having grown up working there and buying the premises in 1991.

The decision to close is not driven by financial pressure but by the building’s sale to owners who intend to convert it into a dance studio, prompting Dryer to retire. He highlighted the shop’s tradition of free lifetime tune-ups and arranged for that service to continue at a Walnut Creek mom-and-pop shop. The shop’s website urges patrons to visit before the shutdown to select new bicycles, arrange maintenance, and share memories.