There’s an old saying that the only way to make a dollar in the bicycle industry is to spend two. I’m not sure if Clay Mankin, owner of San Francisco’s City Cycle bike shop, ever struck it rich in the bicycle industry but he did know how to make a bicycle shop look and every customer in it feel like a million dollars. On November 13, 2005, Clay suffered a heart attack while riding to his 50th birthday celebration in Santa Barbara along a beautiful stretch of Highway 35 known as Skyline Boulevard.
Clay was an inspiration to me in how he was able to successfully combine work and his true interests in life. Clay loved the details of how a bicycle fits and works with a rider, and was passionate about elevating the bicycle buying experience matching an individual customer to the perfect bicycle. Clay cared about every customer, the sport of cycling, and the San Francisco cycling community as a whole. Clay’s kindness, enthusiasm, and attention to detail showed at every level.
This Friday, a group will meet for Clay’s annual ‘Jimi Hendrix Birthday Ride’, a ride born out of Clay’s sense of humor and love and respect for cultural icons. (For example, the telephone number for the shop is 1-800-88ELVIS.) (Ride details at CityCycle.com.) This time we will ride to honor Jimi and now Clay himself. I can only imagine the large number of cyclists that will attend.
Thank you, Clay, for your kindness, patience, encouragement, and helping others to discover the joys of cycling. For me, the reason for Clay’s circle of friends and success in an otherwise difficult industry is genius in its simplicity. Clay simply “cared”.
An educational fund has been established for Clay’s four-year-old son, Riley. More information is available at CityCycle.com.
Even though I haven’t seen Clay in 4 years, since I moved to Utah, I definitely feel that I am a better person, simply from having known him.
This note from City Cycle today.
Friends,
This weekend our brothers and sisters in arms from the Greenbelt Alliance begin their weeklong journey around the Bay. YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THEM ON SUNDAY as they retrace some of our friend, Clay’s, final bike ride.
Go Greenbelt meets at the SF Yacht Club in the Marina at 8:30am Sunday, April 23rd, heading through GG Park to the Great Highway then south to the Sawyer Camp Trail. After crossing the 92, La Canada Road is taken into Woodside where most riders stop at Robert’s Market for snacks/lunch 37 miles into the ride. A climb begins up Mountain Home Rd before a left on Portola, right on Sand Hill Jct. then right up Old La Honda. Turn left on Skyline heading south.
Riders will stop for a moment of reflection at Clay’s point of departure: just north of 19501 Skyline near Thomas Fogarty Winery. The good folk at Fogarty are opening their h2o taps and restrooms to all riders who need a pit stop. They even have great wine tastings!
4.5 miles south of 84 Woodside Road
2.7 miles north of Page Mill Road on Skyline Blvd.
http://www.fogartywinery.com/contact.html
Go Greenbelt riders will conclude their ride in Los Altos. You can turn back and ride to SF (about 90 miles) or drop down to Palo Alto and hop the Caltrain back to SF. Resist the urge to ride the coast back to SF as Devil’s Slide is likely still closed. We can make a copy of the Woodside/Palo Alto area if you need one.
Caltrain schedule
PA to SF schedule for weekend:
dep 3:31pm arr 4:36pm
dep 4:31pm arr 5:36pm
dep 5:31pm arr 6:36pm
dep 6:46pm arr 7:24pm
map to caltrain: Palo Alto from Woodside 95 California Ave
http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=jWTA.Op_0TolOlD6f2f4Aium5ipwSaBEst2IcDU-&csz=Palo+Alto%2C+CA+94301&country=us&new=1&name=&qty
I knew clay in 1974-1979. He trained and raced with my sister Jeanne ward, who also passed away mprematurely. We were talking about him today, and I googled him only to find out about his death. I am sure he and Jeanne have been riding together in the afterlife. One of those truly good hearts that makes a lasting impression. He taught me about natural cooking and how to make vanilla ice cream. I hope his comment can be shared with his son. There are people all over that have been touched by clay. I am in Atlanta Georgia and last spoke to clay in 1979….. Rest in peace