HE WEBSITE for TTopanga Creek Outpost, a bike shop perched near a remote California canyon and state park, yet just 25 miles from Hollywood Boulevard, is dominated by a video that looks like a Hollywood production — because it is. “I’m in the middle of Los Angeles and the film industry,” said shop owner Chris Kelly. “A young filmmaker did it with a crew of 13. It was a nine-month project for them.” The filmmakers met at Sundance Labs, the Utah outpost made BY DAN D’AMBROSIO famous by Robert Redford and the Sundance Film Festival. There they learned from The nearly five-minute video begins with “It was one of the most hectic, each other and from the sound of wind in the trees and a shot of overwhelming locations to have a shop, veteran directors. Even tree branches overhead. Smoke filters out of maybe in America,” Kelly says during sped-up, Redford gets involved in a weathered chimney stack. A dog wanders frenetic scenes of bumper-to-bumper traffic. the teaching, Kelly said. into the rustic cabin housing the shop, Cut to a slow-motion, bird’s-eye view of Kelly covered the where a tea kettle is about to boil on a gas the tree-covered mountains on the doorstep hard costs of the video, stove. The narration by Kelly begins. of Kelly’s Topanga Creek Outpost shop. which he said came “You take a logging trail and you go into “I needed a change,” Kelly says. “I wanted to about $2,000. The the forest and you’re deep into nowhere,” to move somewhere where there were trees filmmakers used a he intones. “You escape everything, turn and grass and I could ride my bike right out drone for overhead your phone off, or your phone doesn’t the front door into the forest. And that’s shots and two cameras have reception. Camping in the middle of exactly what I did.” at certain points in the the forest. To get away, go explore. Like We watch Kelly and two companions, plus filming. The video is a some magical scenic overview with no one his dog, riding a trail in the mountains as great introduction to a around. Get away from your troubles, your we hear this last bit of narration, inspiring bike shop that is like no worries. Who couldn’t use a little of that in and mysterious instrumental music in the other in the nation. their life?” background. And we’re only about halfway Who indeed? through this remarkable video. It’s truly “Originally I had a bike shop on an inspiration, covering themes that will Hollywood Boulevard,” Kelly continues, be familiar to the members of Adventure as the tea kettle begins to scream and the Cycling Association but that also have the scene abruptly shifts to the chaotic traffic potential to inspire those who never thought and honking horns on the famous Los of following two wheels to the adventures of Angeles street. their lives.

40 ADVENTURE CYCLIST june 2020 Kelly, 53, moved to California from the you’re selling a bike, it has to be a good “The guys and I were super busy Adirondack Mountains in upstate New bike. People are skeptical in general, and all the time,” Kelly said. “Things were York 25 years ago, living in San Francisco they double down in Hollywood because flying off the shelf.” and San Diego before taking some acting you’re next door to tattoo parlors and Kelly had an idea, inspired by his classes and moving to Los Angeles. stores with fake Ray Bans.” dad. He told his three employees they

CHRIS CHRISENBERRYCHRIS Kelly had some success with his The first rack Kelly sold was a Tubus, were shutting down in July and heading acting career. He landed a role in the generally considered the best there is. to the Tour de France — on him. film Fight Club, in one of the scenes in “We chose products that weren’t The trip was spectacular. Kelly the basement. He appeared in line for debatable,” Kelly said. “The locks was selling BMC bikes at the time the Soup Nazi in an episode of Seinfeld. were Kryptonite. We didn’t get cheap so the company, which sponsors a He played Zim Brott, the dead blue anything.” Tour de France team, gave him and alien, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Kelly’s Hollywood bike shop was his employees the royal treatment in uncredited. working as a business but not as a France, taking them to dinner and giving “I show up dead,” Kelly said with a lifestyle. them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the hint of irony in his voice. “Hollywood started to get to my biggest bike race in the world. In 1999, Kelly opened a small bike soul,” Kelly said. “We rented a BMW and went all shop on Hollywood Boulevard, the only The final straw came when he was over,” Kelly said. shop around. told at a city-owned parking lot that if They went to the in “We thought we were capturing the he wanted a shot at parking his car, he Switzerland, an annual outdoor tourists,” he said. “What turned out to had to show up at five in the morning, where another of their friends got them be the case is there was no bicycle shop stand in line, and hope there would be backstage. They drove through the little in Hollywood.” an open space. mountain village of Grindelwald, where People forget, Kelly said, that there are “You know, I’m not going to do that,” they hiked in the mountains. They a quarter million people who live within Kelly told the parking-lot attendant. watched the riders climb the infamous a square mile of Hollywood Boulevard “I’m moving my bike shop out of my Alpe d’Huez. They talked about moving and its cheesy T-shirt shops and ultra- community because I’m not getting up the bike shop away from Hollywood expensive luxury boutiques. And some of in the morning to do that.” Boulevard. those people need a good bike shop. They It was 2008, and Kelly’s dad had died. A few months after they returned to just never had one before. The two were close; they’d taken a trip California, the recession kicked in. It Kelly explained that when you have to Europe together a few years earlier. was in full swing when Kelly did a ride a store on Hollywood Boulevard, you “My dad enjoyed the world,” Kelly said. through Topanga one day on what he have to be really aware of the fact that Kelly was having one of his best called an “absurd” commute to work what you’re selling must have inherent years ever at his Hollywood Boulevard because it was so circuitous, starting value because so much of what’s sold shop. It was April, not long after his dad in Marina del Rey and riding up the there does not. had died and months before the nation’s coast before crossing over Topanga to “In other words, if you’re selling a lock, economy would collapse into one of the Hollywood. it’s got to work and work well,” he said. “If worst recessions in history. CONTINUED ON PAGE 49

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 41 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 D'AMBROSIO: TOPANGA CREEK “I remember getting near the state said. “It’s for everybody’s benefit. We’re “I don’t think he even needed it,” park and thinking to myself, ‘Oh my not a tire kicker kind of place.” Kelly said. God, this is where we move the shop, Kelly’s esoteric approach to selling Kelly is also using his new remote this is it,’” Kelly said. has attracted some unusual customers, location to express his creativity and The real estate agent who showed in line with the celebrity vibe California take the business in new directions. He Kelly the little cabin he had spotted on is famous for. Singer Ben Harper and and his employees have created a line that ride thought he was crazy when actor Jason Momoa are customers, of leather and canvas goods, including he said he would take it after walking as is Grateful Dead drummer Bill bike bags, called Rogue Journeymen. barely five feet into the building. Kreutzmann. Kelly set Kreutzmann and Everything is stitched right in the “We’re surrounded by a conservancy his wife up with a couple of Surlys. cabin, where the Eagles and the Doors, and the state park,” Kelly said. “It’s “I sat in the cabin listening to the among others, used to jam in the 1970s. phenomenal.” Dead with the Dead,” Kelly said. “It’s A Saturday ride usually attracts Despite the fact that he can count only because we’re a real down-to-earth about 25 cyclists (when there’s not on one hand the number of people bike shop. We’re in no way fancy.” a pandemic), and every Wednesday who have walked by the shop in 12 Kreutzmann told Kelly his shop was is “UnPredict Your Wednesday” day, years, Kelly is making a go of it. He’s his kind of business. Kelly’s customers when Kelly closes the shop, packs up continuing his focus on carrying only have also been doing their part to his gear, and heads off for an overnight quality goods. Surly is his main bicycle keep him going through one of the adventure with a few friends in one of brand. He prefers to see people by most difficult economic periods in the California’s many state parks. appointment only, which is particularly nation’s history. One customer told him Twelve years after his dad died, well suited to these strange times of the to do $1,000 worth of work on his bike. Kelly said he’s still inspired by him. coronavirus pandemic. But Kelly does it He didn’t care what he did. “You got to live life well,” he said. for other reasons. Momoa, star of the movie Aquaman, “My dad did. I don’t want to lose out on “Anybody who wants to get a bike said he needed a pump and that he’d living life well.” from us, we want to dedicate time and throw some cash in Kelly’s mailbox to plan it with them uninterrupted,” Kelly pay for it. Dan D’Ambrosio is a contributing writer for Adventure Cyclist.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 06 PANKRATZ: LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR high-leverage initiatives to source information, leadership, and inspiration from and for our members; to engage our community in the creation and delivery of bike travel experiences and service information; and to keep us connected with the best information in the most usable formats possible. Through all of this, we must stay connected and inspired. Over the course of the last few weeks, I’ve learned that we can develop connection and empathy while not together. I aspire to hold that not only with my staff, but with each of you. And I sincerely hope that the continued inspiration in the pages of Adventure Cyclist and across the Adventure Cycling community will deeply connect you to the transformative power of bicycle travel.

Scott Pankratz Executive Director [email protected]

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