By Will French
Wheels in Motion is a bike and skate shop on First Street, owned by Greg Andrada, and run by him and his family. I have had a lot of help from this local family business, especially over 5th, 6th, and 7th grade summers.
During Covid-19, I had been there numerous times, more than I can remember. I had spent so much money and time there, it just felt like a routine. My friends and I would go get our tires fixed all the time, and I have nothing but good things to say about this business. They always were nice and very helpful to us, even if we were annoying little sixth graders.
They also have a huge selection of bikes and skateboards available for purchase. “They have all different kinds of bikes, coming from kid bikes, all the way to good entry level trail racing bikes, but can also order high performance bikes per your request. They also have many board options, with customizable parts for the rest of the skateboard.” This quote came from Nolan Karlitz, a student here at Benicia who is a frequent visitor of the local bike shop.
We interviewed Andrada to get a little insight on what it is like to own the bike shop, as well as running a business on first street.
When asked, what is it like running a business on first street, Andrada said, “It’s very busy downtown, many people are coming down for various reasons, like dinners, shopping, parades, and more. It is very vibrant to have a business downtown.”
After being asked, what influenced you to become a bike/skate mechanic shop owner, Andrada replied, “I always wanted to have my own business. I didn’t want to work for other people anymore, and I wanted to be my own boss. We originally started as a skate shop because of the skatepark in town, and we sold roller blades and skateboards. Less than 10 years later, we started repairing kid’s bikes, and slowly began to sell them, a gradual progression into more bikes, and less skateboards.”
Andrada responded to, how long have you run Wheels in Motion, he said, “The shop started in October of 1991, so we will be celebrating 35 years of running the business this upcoming October.”
This shop was my childhood spot, always needing to go there for repairs. If you are ever in need of repairs for your bikes, skateboards, or in need to purchase either, please go check out Wheels in Motion.
beniciapaw.com 