Rubber Soul Bicycles

Rich and Ben’s journey through the cycling world is a decades-long story of friendship, rivalry, and partnership. Lifelong bike enthusiasts, they started as best friends in the 1980s and each went on to own bike shops in Fresno—sometimes working for each other, sometimes competing. After selling their stores in 2003, they reconnected as friends and, in 2007, teamed up to open Rubber Soul Bicycles at Blackstone and Nees. Launching just before the Great Recession, they defied the odds and quickly reestablished a loyal customer base. Their story is a rare and inspiring example of two former competitors successfully joining forces.