RIP Dennis Stone of Stone's Cyclery

[plattyjo]

The owner of Stone's Cyclery (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/insidebayarea/obituary.aspx?n=dennis-harry-stone&pid=175329137&fhid=17782), Dennis Stone, passed away on July 8. His father opened up the Alameda, CA, bike shop in 1943, and he took over in 1963. He's had a far-reaching impact on the Bay Area cycling community and beyond.

Here's a link to photos (http://www.plattyjo.com/dennis-stone-memorial-ride/) from the first leg of the memorial ride that took place on Sunday.

[ctcyclistbob]

The owner of Stone's Cyclery (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/insidebayarea/obituary.aspx?n=dennis-harry-stone&pid=175329137&fhid=17782), Dennis Stone, passed away on July 8. His father opened up the Alameda, CA, bike shop in 1943, and he took over in 1963. He's had a far-reaching impact on the Bay Area cycling community and beyond.

Here's a link to photos (http://www.plattyjo.com/dennis-stone-memorial-ride/) from the first leg of the memorial ride that took place on Sunday.

I never met Dennis but spoke with him on the phone when I bought a frame from his shop. His knowledge of and enthusiasm for the sport were apparent, and he seemed very much a gentleman.

My condolences to those who knew him.

[Unk]

During my formative years, Mr. Stone was a mentor and something of a hero - he always had the coolest stuff (along with Peter Rich).

I was probably a pesky kid with more questions than cash. But he never treated me that way. I've still got every Schwinn catalog I picked up in his shop. I look at those shop pictures (looking not all that different from decades ago) and swear I can smell Italian rubber and Tubasti.

RIP, Mr. Stone.

[jtakeda]

Awwwww.

I was always a little intimidated by the shop because all of the horror stories I've heard about the crochety owner.

I went into the shop a few years ago with my eisentraut and to my surprise he was super friendly (I blame it on the traut). Sad to hear he passed, one of my fav shops in the Bay Area for sure.

RIP.

[bikingshearer]

Sigh. Tempus fugit, and all that, but it is still sad to hear of this.

I bought a Bob Jackson frame from Dennis Stone in 1975 with the money from my first job out of high school. I'd like to report that I stayed in touch with Dennis and the shop over the years, but that would be a lie. But I did go back a few times, the last time perhaps five years ago. It still looked, felt and smelled exactly as I recalled from 30-plus years earlier, it was still filled with eye-candy, and Dennis Stone was still there.

I am very sorry he won't be the next time I'm in the area.

[RudAwkning]

The owner of Stone's Cyclery (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/insidebayarea/obituary.aspx?n=dennis-harry-stone&pid=175329137&fhid=17782), Dennis Stone, passed away on July 8. His father opened up the Alameda, CA, bike shop in 1943, and he took over in 1963. He's had a far-reaching impact on the Bay Area cycling community and beyond.

Here's a link to photos (http://www.plattyjo.com/dennis-stone-memorial-ride/) from the first leg of the memorial ride that took place on Sunday.

Thanks for sharing that Jenny.

I've been moonlighting for Dennis Stone since 2005. I learned how to wrench thanks to Dennis. I met all of my cycling friends through or because of Stone's Cyclery. I was given a 2nd home and a refuge from boredom (or sometimes just ····ty weather) due to Dennis. He was, in a very literal sense, like a 2nd father to me. But he never knew that. And I'd never tell him that. That kind of ···· would just make him cringe.

The stories you heard may or may not have been true. Sometimes they were. But more often than not, I heard stories from customers and eventual friends/fans/followers about Dennis' generosity, and their utter surprise by this in lieu of said stories. Which made them gravitate towards him all the more.

He may have had a bit of a gruff exterior. But it was always worth the effort to get to know the man. It might take a visit or two. Or ten. But he壇 eventually open up. And it really didn't take much. Maybe a simple conversation about the politics of the day or how frustrating Alameda could be sometimes. And once he opened up to you, you knew you were no longer 屷ust a customer? And that moment would usually go something like this:

Dennis: Hey, would you mind watching the shop for me? I have to run down to the post office.

Customer: What do you mean? Do you want me to stand out front and let folks know you're coming right back?

Dennis: No. I just need you to watch the shop. If you don't know how to run the credit card machine, tell them we're only doing cash until I get back.

Customer: Uhhhh....ok.

And I'm sure it may come as somewhat of a surprise to some of you, but I've never officially worked at Stone's. I've had a full time day job (I know...LOL) at the same company I work at now since the very first day I set foot in Stone's Cyclery. So every wrench turned, chain lubed, cable cut and bar wrapped was done without ever expecting payment. And that's not to call me an overly generous person. In fact doing things for free goes against the basic nature of my being. But I'd eagerly start turning a wrench on a customer's new Waterford, sometimes not leaving the shop until well past midnight the next day, leaving a simple Post-It note on the top tube reading "Dennis. Bike is done. Double check shifting between 21 and 24 cog. Acting a little funny in the stand. You tape the ····ing bars". And of course, those bars would be left un-taped until I came in a day or two later. Because Dennis' hated taping bars. And he was ···· at it anyway.

I won稚 go that far out of my way for most folks. But I壇 work for Dennis for free. And that says more about him than it does me.

典hank you Dennis. You致e been a mentor. You致e been an inspiration. And you致e been a friend. Those were Richard Schwinn痴 parting words in a video he sent to us for the memorial this past Sunday. I couldn稚 have put it any better myself.

Thank you Dennis. Bikes changed my life. I owe you more than you'll ever know.

[Unk]

Thank you, RudAwkning

I've got a place in my memories for Dennis Stone. Your story makes a perfect caption.