Written by Ben Cox – A business that started out on a whim celebrated its 30th anniversary in business today. The Bike Peddler on Austin Avenue has been serving the cycling needs of Brownwood for three decades in a converted old gas station that was previously a tire store.
Lynn and Vonne Cornett began the business after Lynn asked his wife how she would feel about opening a bike shop in a building they owned that had not yet been decided on its use.
“It shouldn’t be more than a few years,” was how long they were planning on being in business, according to Vonne.
Lynn was a competitive rider in races across the Lone Star State, brushing shoulders with luminaries of the sport like Lance Armstrong during his early days.
The shop has seen its share of struggles over the years, from the widening of Austin Avenue and the construction of the overpass, to modern trials like having to compete with internet sales and big box stores.
“Just like we keep all of our records on pen and paper, it’s working for us now, but that won’t work forever.”
While the couple have enjoyed serving the area for as long as they have, retirement is not a taboo subject around the shop.
“The fish are calling my name,” exclaims Vonne while standing next to a picture of her on such a trip. There are no plans to close the shop anytime soon, though.
One thing Vonne and Lynn enjoy is visiting with with adults who as kids spent their time at the bike shop after getting out of school when they come back to town. When they bring their kids in, Vonne says “I can still pull the old records from when they bought their bike and show the repairs that were made.”
