It’s Labor Day at Jax Bicycles in Long Beach and Matt Gfell is greeting customers. Tall and friendly with close-cropped black hair, he greets customers with a beefy handshake where they see his pink breast cancer awareness bracelet.
Jax Bicycles is the oldest bike shop in Long Beach still operating since its opening in 1971. The smell of tire rubber and fresh steel lingers in the air, a number empty red hooks that normally hold bicycles appear in sharp contrast to the white, wooden ceiling.
Gfell is working with the Cal State Long Beach Cyclists to promote bicycle safety and awareness on campus.
“I’m really excited to do this,” Gfell said. “Long Beach has a great cycling community.”
He volunteers every second Wednesday of the month to give free bike inspections to students who want to make sure everything is fine between the spokes.
“I give the bikes a 12 point inspection, pretty much checking to make sure everything is screwed on tight,” Gfell said.
His inspection includes brake checks, tire straightening, chain tension, lubrication, checks for smooth gear shifting and other essentials for a safe ride.
“I’m kind of limited to what I can do at the school without a full shop,” Gfell said. “However I’m offering coupons to reduce the price of things that require more work.”
Gfell is also involved with several other projects in the Long Beach area that are associated with cycling.
“One of the things [Jax Bicycles] is going to be involved in is an upcoming ride for breast cancer awareness,” Gfell said. Information on this event can be found at trekbikes.com/women/awareness_ride/.
“Bikes have always been a novelty item,” Gfell said about the business. “However when gas was up around $4 we saw an increase in sales but now that it’s back down, sales are tapering off again, but it’s been a good summer.”
Gfell attributed positive summer sales to one fact: “Lance Armstrong coming back to the [Tour de France].”
Even though the tour has been over for more than a month, Armstrong posters, stickers and other memorabilia litter Jax and other bicycle shops throughout America. On the door of the shop is a sticker that says, “Lance is back on the bike. Are you?”
“Because of Lance, cycling has become very big in America,” Gfell said. “Lance is the best self-marketer out there. He’s a great cyclist and he rides a Trek bike, which is what we sell here.”
Gfell also attributes the sale of many bicycle accessories to the publicity of the Texas athlete.
“He really wields a great deal of influence, ” Gfell said.
Gfell has been biking since he was a child, where he developed a love for the sport. He has gone from his first Huffy to several top quality bikes, including a Trek Madone 5.3, Trek Fuel EX 9 and the new electric cruiser, also known as the electric motorcycle.
“My first real memory of cycling was being behind my sister on her bike and then cracking my head when we both fell over,” Gfell said. Later attempts at cycling proved more fruitful and less painful.
Originally from Northern California, Gfell moved to Southern California to pursue his education at Cal State Fullerton. Working as a sales associate at Sport Chalet before applying at Jax, Gfell was in charge of bicycles and snowboarding equipment.
“The work was all right but I wanted to try something different,” Gfell said. Gfell was hired at Jax Bicycles in and decided to make the Long Beach shop his career.
Gfell’s business style is simple and blunt.
“If you want something, you have to earn it,” Gfell said.
Jax Bicycles is located at 3000 Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach. For information on store hours and services, call 562-421-4646 or visit jaxbicycles.com.