SLO County e-bike shop closes, and owner is selling off its inventory at a discount

The VeloCambria e-bike shop has closed, and owner Rich Wintard is selling off the rest of his new and used bikes from the Burton Drive store at steep discounts, he said.

Some novice bicycle riders, seniors and visitors can find it daunting to rely on pedal power on the steep, narrow streets of hilly Cambria and other popular North Coast destinations. So, selling and renting electric-powered bicycles would seem to have been a natural fit.

For a couple of years, it was. Velo opened in the spring of 2021 and was one of what had been three active e-bike rental/sales stores in the small town. Now, only the multi-sport Cambria Surf Shop remains.

The fiscal effects of the local economy, the long closure of Highway 1, the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on tourism, plus Cambria’s small population of about 6,000 were inescapable, Wintard said.

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So were the increasing demands of caregiving for his disabled 23-year-old daughter, he said.

“She requires 24/7 care now, and the situation has changed, dictating that I be more involved,” said Wintard, who lives in San Clemente.

Wintard has already sold a lot of his e-bike stock, he said, but still had about 20 to sell at below-wholesale prices.

New bikes come with manufacturer’s warranty, he said.

For used-bike purchasers, “I’ll be available for questions for a while after they buy the bike,” he said at the shop.

He also sold the property and building.

“I put a lot of money into this,” Wintard said, “and it seems the new owners were happy with my vision,” which included creating a “classy place where people could go to after their meals, maybe with wine, beer, some food and light music.”

When asked who’d purchased the prime commercial property with its buildings and small patio areas, he referred The Tribune to the Realtor, who didn’t return voicemail inquiries about the new owners or their plans for the place.

On July 12, Wintard and some friends were packing up some of what’s left in the shop, getting ready to take things home to Southern California.

Wintard plans to be back at the shop on July 24, 25 and 26 to finish closing up, he said, but is taking phone inquiries about the bikes at 714-231-5393.

Sharing Cambria’s e-bike shop history

In 2021 and early 2022, there were three shops in Cambria where people could rent or buy e-bikes, with a fourth in the works.

Then Edward Herrera and his partners closed Cambria Electric Bike Rentals, and now Wintard is closing up shop.

Only Bill Bookout’s esoteric Cambria Surf Shop is left, at 4015 West St., and it has a wide variety of other merchandise, from jade and surfboards to fishing gear and garden art that includes roof-high dinosaur sculptures.

Bookout’s other Cambria store, at 1561 Main St., has been tied up for months in debates over changing county requirements for his permit, he said by phone Monday, adding that the shop seems to be close to opening soon.

He also owns surf shops in Avila Beach and Pismo Beach.