Profile: Oriol, owner of Oriol’s Bike Shop

When we were giving the task of picking an East L.A. Celebrity we knew right from the get go our man was going to be Oriol. There was no better, compassionate person in our eyes to better represent the culture, and community of East L.A. than he. Oriol is a dreamer like many of us that come from this town. Oriol came to the United States from a small town in Puebla, Mexico. Since he was young he has always had a passion for bikes and has been in countless competitions in which he has won many medals in the process. His service and what he has done for this community is unreal, his customer service skills are second to none. The number of returning customers and new customers that come from out-of-town to visit his bike shop is a testament of how he goes above and beyond for his business and community.

When you take step into Oriol’s Bike Shop it doesn’t feel like your average bike shop, besides the smell of rubber from the tires. Oriol makes sure to always welcome his customers with a simple “Hola” or “Buenos dias” these little gestures may not seem like much but they go a long way. Many cyclists that are regulars and even casual cyclists always have positive things to say about Oriol. He has always put his customers first. Most if not all his customers feel as if they are one big family, Oriol and his customers have this mutual respect with each other and have almost this close friendship that is rarely seen between business owners and customers. The atmosphere in his Bike Shop is one that can’t be explained with words, It’s one of those places where you have to see for yourself to understand, to say that his business is unique to East L.A. is an understatement, the quality and hospitality he brings really lights up this community and it is one that it is nearly impossible to find outside of this town.

Oriol got to where he is at right now because he had a dream and he chased it. His work ethic and his personality fit perfectly with the culture and demeanor of East L.A. which is why his business continues to grow and flourish, and is also the reason a lot of his customers get along well with him, because they can relate to his struggle and can appreciate how far he has come along. Oriol and East L.A. go together like bread and butter the chemistry is spot on. If Oriol had his business somewhere that wasn’t in East L.A. some may consider him a celebrity others not. With a different environment you have different people with all sorts of different cultures the outcomes are limitless, it would be impossible to know if Oriol would be considered a celebrity in that area, but what is certain is that he would bring an atmosphere and hospitality that will never in a million years be replicated.