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It’s cycle season and folks of all ages will be out and about taking advantage of the beautiful weather. One of the most popular forms of recreation in the spring and summer season is cycling. If you’re looking for a local one stop bike shop, Family Bike Inc. in East Longmeadow is the place to go.
The shop carries everything from kids’ bikes to custom high-end bikes, a line of accessories and apparel, and offers full-service. Owner Ray Plouffe gives customers the family experience making anyone who walks into the shop feel at home. “We have bikes for people [ages] two to 100 years old,” Plouffe said. “Spring and summer [are] our busiest seasons. We have hybrids, mountain bikes and road bikes. There’s so many choices nowadays. Once we talk to a customer and figure out what their needs are, we can order our bikes tailor-made for them.”
Employee Cameron Provencher, who has been working at Family Bike for three years, said, “Kids are looking for recreational mountain bikes. That would definitely be the first option. Then, for adults, I’m seeing a lot of people getting into a gravel bike which is a road bike that has tires on it that allows you to do some off-roading, so that’s another popular bike, but I’d say mountain bikes are the number one picks for both kids and adults.”
The shop has been in business since 1964. Plouffe is the third owner and bought the shop in 2002. He started there in 1993 and graduated college with a degree in biomedical engineering. Plouffe was getting married and was still working at the shop one weekend a month to help the second owner, Ken Yarkey, who was selling the shop and suggested Plouffe should buy it. At first, Plouffe said no, but then he decided to purchase the shop. “The shop was called Family Bike and Sports when I purchased it,” Plouffe said. “I changed it to Family Bike Inc. because the sports part wasn’t needed.”
Russell Hill, one of Plouffe’s first employees, worked at Family Bike since high school, through college, and then again for several years afterward, for over a decade in total. He helped Plouffe with anything from mowing the grass, handling the garbage, cleaning the bathroom, painting, helping customers, building or repairing any type of bike, helping with inventory and managing employees. “I have great memories about my time at the shop,” Hill shared. “At Family Bike, you are expected to do an impeccable job with whatever your task is, regardless of how seemingly menial or impactful, and our relationships developed so that we could be laughing one minute and critiquing or teaching each other the next. Working there really was like being part of a family.”
He went on to say, “Ray has managed to transform Family Bike into a clean, organized, well oiled machine, but still holds onto a relationship-based business model and has somehow fostered that more over the years. I know that it changed my life, and I can confidently say that I would absolutely not be where or who I am today — providing healthcare to vulnerable and underserved populations — without Family Bike.”
Wilbraham resident and avid cyclist Jeff Smith has been a long-time customer of Family Bike since 2008. He started purchasing bicycles there and developed a great relationship with the shop. “Family Bike is one of those places that’s an institution in East Longmeadow. That’s how it was for me growing up in Wilbraham. The name is well-known and recognized,” Smith said. “The service is fantastic. It’s very down-to-earth. For me, the most important thing is the staff’s knowledge of fixing and repairing bikes as well as their efficiency. Everyone cares.
They know their customers and keep an eye out for new
products that would work for them.”
“It’s a fun business to be in,” said Plouffe. “At the end of the day, we’re selling summer fun and I enjoy that. I get to be involved in peoples’ passion and what they want to do for fun. The introduction of bikes has opened a whole new branch of riders who wouldn’t ride without the assistance. Seeing that joy of excitement is great.”
FAMILY BIKE IS LOCATED AT 217 SHAKER ROAD IN EAST LONGMEADOW, MA.
HOURS OF OPERATION ARE TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 9 A.M. TO 7 P.M. AND SATURDAYS, 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M.
VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT FAMILYBICYCLESHOP.COM.