It started in their basement 30 years ago.

Since then, Simon Brampton and Patti Fletcher have expanded Simon鈥檚 Cycles to a garage addition, to a location on Church Street to its present location on Comox Avenue.

Looking back on those early days, Brampton recalls he was among the first Kona dealers anywhere in the world.

鈥淭hey were new, so they dealt with us,鈥� Brampton said of the Vancouver-based Kona Bicycle Company.

He recalls delivering flyers by bike to homes 鈥� a practice which came to a halt as the business grew. They opened a Satellite Simon鈥檚 in Cumberland 鈥� the Village鈥檚 first bike shop 鈥� but then sold it to the people who opened Dodge City Cycles.

The couple鈥檚 first employee was a teenager. The teen鈥檚 father 鈥� wanting his son to have a job and gain some useful skills 鈥� insisted on paying his son鈥檚 wage. But he didn鈥檛 want to do it directly, so he paid Brampton and Fletcher, who in turn paid their worker.

They now employ a staff of five when it鈥檚 slow and eight during the busy months. Manager Craig Harris has been with them for 25 years.

Regardless of time of year, the business likes to remind customers of its credo: No bad weather, just bad gear.

It also believes in 鈥榙ifferent spokes for different folks.鈥� Electric bikes, for instance, have become a popular mode of transportation for some people.

Along with running a business, Brampton and Fletcher take pride in being part of the Comox Valley recreation scene. The business supports organizations such as the Cumberland Forest Society, and events such as the Comox Valley Tri-K, the Royal Lepage Snow to Surf, and the Simon鈥檚 Cycles YANA Ride.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 (community involvement) important to us,鈥� said Fletcher, noting the business used to host an event called the Fat Chance Poker Ride at Comox Lake. 鈥淭hat was a huge event for years.鈥�

Simon鈥檚 Cycles won the Chamber of Commerce New Business of the Year Award in 1991. It has also picked up a few of the Record鈥檚 People鈥檚 Choice Awards.

Stay tuned for a 30-year celebration sometime in April 鈥� but not on the first, Brampton quips.

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