Park Slope's Oldest Cycle Center

If you've spent any time walking around Fifth Avenue in North Slope, then the initials "R&A" probably ring a bell. The store's old-fashioned signage dominates the corner of Fifth Avenue and Park Place, with a hardware store, a bike shop, and a defunct discount store baring its name. The bike shop, which we'll talk about tody, bills itself as "The World's Largest Cycle Store."

But first, a little backstory.

Founder Albert Cabbad used to be what you'd call a "big shot" in the neighborhood.

"He was one of the founders of what became the Fifth Avenue Committee, and he was friends with mayors and presidents," said his grandson, also named Albert Cabbad, who now co-owns the cyclery. "He did the night watch with the police department and organized marches. He was a real neighborhood fixture," he said.

Cabbad founded the R&A empire (named after him and his wife, Ramona) when he opened the discount store, and his son, Victor, soon opened R&A Hardware, right next door. 

In 1976 his other son, Philip, opened R&A Cycles, and is still co-owner. In the first year they sold toys along with bikes, but it soon became apparent that bicycles were the store's future.

"Over time we grew to stock literally everything. We really are the largest bicycle store in the country, including our online store," said Albert. "What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg. We have 20 where others only have one, in all sizes, colors, and options. My father's way was instant gratification. You work hard, and you deserve to get what you want when you want it."

Walking into the blue-painted triple storefront it takes some time for your eyes to adjust to the surroundings. It's busy from open to close every day, with clientele ranging from kids buying their first bike to die-hard cyclists getting their $12,000 concept road or traveling bike custom-fitted by the highly-trained staff.

"We don't just hire kids off the street to work here," said Cabbad. "It's impossible to have a 100 percent knowledge of the store, but our staff has at least 80 percent knowledge, which is a lot. Most of them have been here for a very long time." 

The selection of bicycles and other cycling gear is truly astounding. They specialize in high-end road and traveling bikes (many of them concept bikes made specially for the store), and everything to go along with them, from shoes to helmets to full body suits.

"This is a place where you can buy a high-end bike but also buy one for your children at the same time, and we take pride in that" said Albert. "You'll be taken care of through the whole spectrum."

"Biking is in our blood," he added. When I go home at night, I sit on my couch thinking about cycling. It's our job to give people what they want and keep them happy. It's a family-run business, and we try to maintain that level of personalization."

At the end of the day, though, Cabbad knows where his priorities really lie. 

"It's not just about bike riding," he added, philosophically. "It's about making people feel good. Riding a bicycle is like a drug, it gives you a great high, and we never lose sight of that. If you make the experience great, you can make people's dreams come true."