Red Lantern Cycles is a Menlo Park, California based shop where owner Matt is as likely to pour you an espresso from locally roasted beans he just ground as to sell you a bike. Reminiscent of a cozy cycling aficionado’s basement, the shop is named after the last placed rider in the Tour de France as an homage to the riders with the grit to persist.
“We love learning from cyclists and being that special new to shop for beginners, those just starting their cycling journey, just getting hooked,” says Matt. “My first cycling coach once told our team (we were back in Boston at the time) that he was an invaluable resource. It took me a while to really appreciate what that meant, and now that’s what we strive to be for our community by providing expertise and experience in a friendly, approachable environment.”
The shop is focused on road and gravel, with cool art and cycling history up front and serious customer service in the back. From fitting and parts selection to complete bike sales, they take the time to do it right. Their spirit imbues customers with a desire to ride more, which is the best we can hope for from any shop. And after the ride? The espresso might very well give way to a cold beer.
A Parlee dealer from day one, Matt’s appreciated seeing how such a premium brand delivers on customer service and product quality. It doesn’t hurt that he likes the way our bikes ride, but notes that his customers tend to keep their Parlee bikes much longer than most, sometimes riding them for a decade or more before buying another one, often only to get something compatible with modern features like disc brakes.
Find them at redlanterncycles.com or call (650) 853-3051. If you’re in the Menlo Park area, swing by to check out their collection of cycling art, and espresso, and maybe a glimpse of the new Ouray!
Red Lantern Cycles
883 Santa Cruz Ave Suite 3
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 853-3051
matt@redlanterncycles.com