Duke and Daniel Back in the Saddle at DD Cycles

By Rich Zimmerman

No bicycle under the holiday tree? Unlucky and outbid at the recent San Francisco Bicycle Coalition auctions? Looking for recycled parts to restore and resurrect a trusty "cruiser" presently hosting spider webs in the garage?

If New Year's resolutions included reducing pollution, saving money, getting more exercise and setting positive environmental examples for others, then a visit to the recently opened DD Cycles in the Outer Richmond might well be in order.

What goes around, comes around - literally and figuratively - at DD Cycles, just across from where the second incarnation of Playland's Hot House used to be: 4049 Balboa St. is now the site of a new joint enterprise combining the skills and talents of Sunset District born Michael "Call me Duke" DeLucca and long-time Richmond District resident Dan Hom.

After pooling their resources last year, they set their sights on refurbishing and expanding the hours and service of the former Balboa Cyclery.

It's a kind of deja-vu for DeLucca, whose connections with the bike shop date back 25 years to 1976.

As a student at SF State, he attended classes in the mornings and worked with Carl Petrosky at Balboa Cyclery afternoons and weekends. This apprenticeship continued until l981, when LaDucca took a "short break" for three years to focus on "graduate responsibilities" before returning to work with Petrosky full-time from l984 to l987.

In l987, the lure of mellow Marin and "benefits like a paid vacation & health insurance" encouraged LaDucca to become a Golden Gate Bridge bicycle commuter and accept an offer to manage a Sausalito bike store.

"There's nothing like starting your day with a reverse commute, fresh bay breezes, and picture postcard views," LaDucca exclaimed. "No money went for gas, there were no bridge tolls, and my auto insurance became reasonable since I was driving less than 3,000 miles a year."

It was a dozen years down the road, during a "long overdue vacation," when Duke was "helping a friend with a cycle shop on the peninsula," that word went around the "bike shop brotherhood" noting Petrosky's attempts at Balboa Cyclery to contact him.

Talks regarding the purchase of the store began in late 2000 and the sale became finalized almost a year later.

"Co-owner Dan Hom and I finally took over from Carl in late September of 2001. We closed and remodeled for three weeks. The store hadn't been painted for over 20 years. And we actually took in our first work during the refurbishing process, as curious residents would stop by and start talking with us about Carl, the shop, their bikes, and asked if they could leave their cycles for repair or service.

"Carl was the King of Procrastination," LaDucca lamented. "He would take repair orders and tell customers that 'the new guys have it, they'll do the work.' Although we finally repaired many of Carl's orders, we still wait for patient customers to come and get their bikes. We ended up riding one bike over to a customer on Lake Street just a couple of weeks ago. Special delivery is all part of customer service for us."

LaDucca's partner Hom is also a firm believer in customer service being the number one priority at DD Cycles.

"You walk in the door of some of the 'niche' shops around town that specialize in racing or touring or mountain biking and they seem to have no time or interest in greeting, let along dealing with, the everyday leisure cyclist. We have a lot of people who just come by to say 'Hi DD' and want to talk about the neighborhood - that's just fine with us."

Having worked with LaDucca at bike shops on the Peninsula and South of Market during "our transition period". Hom "caught a whiff then of the potential of being a co-owner directly involved in the politics and decision-making process of a store. When you're working for others, owners don't always appreciate a worker taking time to talk with the customer. When you're the boss, you determine the priorities. At DD Cycles, everything is shared. LaDucca did the woodwork and I painted the walls. Duke is the 'technical wizard' and specializes in velodrome racing and I'm comfortable covering mountain biking, road riding and hybrids."

And LaDucca's and Hom's versatility and friendliness seems to be recognized.

"The shop has become a neighborhood magnet for recycling and restoring old classic bicycles," Dan noted. "We like fixing things!"

Whether it's a l971 American-made Schwinn Super Sport or a 30-year-old English Raleigh complete with classic leather Brooks Saddle, DD Cycles welcomes the challenge of finding used parts and completing necessary repairs.

DD Cycles may be the only cycle shop in the city with a glass showcase "museum of historic components."

Updating the past to the present, DD Cycles also plugs commuters and recreational cyclists into the convenience of the new electric "bionic" bicycle, distributed by local Sunset District resident Sam Wonderly. The "pedal assist" of the transport can also help physically challenged riders with San Francisco's steep hills and strong headwinds.

With the promotion and availability of environmentally friendly technology and the shop principle of recycling efficient parts, DD Cycles is both Earth-friendly and customer-focused.

"We have neighborhood people come in who were racing and riding back in the '50s," LaDucca observed. "We're older and more experienced than many cyclists in the area, having logged in thousands of hours riding and working on bikes. We now welcome the opportunity to get to know neighbors and friendly local characters."

"Our goal is for the customer to always feel welcome here," Hom concluded.

"It's OK to just come in and look around. You'll always be greeted with a smile."