# Reliable Bicycle Shop in Detroit ca. 1950s



## cds2323 (Sep 11, 2013)

Hoping that jpromo or one of our other Detroit area members might know something about this store. The store was located at 20945 Grand River in Detroit. 

Were they a Schwinn dealership? A google search revealed they sold American and British bicycles and used bicycles in 1956. I've seen bicycles as late as 1965 with the same decal. 

Any idea how long they were around? Or when they closed up? Anyone have a bike with their store decal?


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## jeep44 (Sep 12, 2013)

That address seems to be an empty lot these days. I would bet they didn't survive much past the riots in 1967.


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## jpromo (Sep 12, 2013)

I've always meant to look into this shop! The decal seems to turn up every now and then on my bikes so it must have been a pretty major facility in the day. I'll keep my ears to the ground now that you've sparked my interest. I'll go look through my bikes too and note which ones have a decal from the shop.


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## detroitbike (Sep 12, 2013)

*Reliable bike shop info*

I have several bikes with Reliable , Earls, Cyclo-Pedia ( Gene Portuesi 's bike shop ) and Continental bike shop (Mike Walden's) store decals;
  all located in Detroit.  I'll find out what happened to Reliable tomorrow and post here.


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## RonR (Oct 26, 2013)

*Reliable Bike Shop*

They were located on Grand River in detroit near Burt road. I got a bike from there in 1968. Between 1968 and 1972 they moved to Livonia. The bike I bought in 1972 came from the Livonia store. Cherry Hill Bicycle shop was located on Ford road east of Beech Daly. In the Mid seventies Cherry Hill Bicycle Shop, bought Reliable and changed the name on both stores to Cherry Hill Bicycle Company. They were later bought by Jerry's Bike shop who at the time had  stores in Plymouth Michigan and Detroit. The Detroit store was the original Jerry's also located on Grand River but further towards downtown Detroit. Jerry was a cheap sucker. My buddy used to stand in the left turn lane of Grand River and throw eggs at him when he was locking up for the night. The store had a basement and two guys sat down there all day and fixed used bikes to sell. Jerrys ran a constant want ad selling used bikes in the Redford Record paper, which later became the Observer. Jerrys also bought Rosedale Schwinn bike shop located on Plymouth road in Livonia and a Schwinn bike shop in Birmingham Michigan. They closed the store on Ford Road, I think around 1980. Val, Jerry's daughter ran the Plymouth Mich. store. Her brother Larry, had the old Cherry Hill Bike shop (Reliable) on seven mile in Livonia and brother Dan ran the store in Birmingham. The Plymouth store is now a Pet Food store, the Plymouth road store is now a matress store, the seven mile store (Reliable) is a chinese grocery store. I do not know what happened to the Birmingham store located on woodward. I think that the whole Jerry clan is out of the business except for maybe Val's kids and they do not have a Schwinn store. Larry shows up at the Ann Arbor show and has an outside booth between two metal buildings. Sometimes Dan sets up inside.


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## Dan the bike man (Oct 26, 2013)

Cool history! thanks for sharing!


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