The History of B&K Bicycle Company

Though B&K Bicycle is the story of the modern bicycle, it is even more about a family and the business they built upon basic American values: honesty, determination and perserverance. B&K Bicycle has continued to grow and prosper for 50 years through the hard work of a family that supports each other through difficult times and rejoices together in happy times.

Benny Kaufman, the founder of B&K Bicycle, was known as a very hard-working young man. He entered the business world in 1935 at age 13 with fifty dollars he had saved doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. His parents were immigrants who struggled to support their five children through the depression. In the Post-Depression era money was still tight, and Benny's greatest resource was his unrelenting determination. Nothing would stop him. If something couldn't be fixed, they gave it to Benny. He would adapt used parts to bicycles and actually machine parts when necessary.

Ida, a woman of many talents, came from a proud family forced to suffer adversity during the Depression. She vowed that her family would never suffer such want, and worked side by side with my father long hours to see that we had all we needed. She added a special flair to the business, and to our lives also.

With no marketing budget but plenty of inventiveness, one of Benny's earliest promotions was giving a white mouse to everyone who bought a bike. It was short lived, however, when a mouse escaped from a lucky young bike buyer. As is the way of many of these things, a report soon got to the authorities that a giant, vicious rat was holed up in a garage, and that Benny was responsible. Two armed policemen accompanied Benny to the stakeout, where Benny walked blandly into the garage and returned dangling a terrified, tiny white mouse by the tail. The mouse was returned and the white mouse promotion ended.

A fire in the 1960s destroyed the entire store, melting a new season's stock of bicycles, parts and accessories. It almost devastated us as we did not have adequate insurance, but Benny's will prevailed and we rebuilt and expanded the store. Offers of help and unlimited credit came from many of our suppliers, who sent in their own people to restock our store. Customers came by to find out how long we would be closed down, but Benny cleared a space in the front, set up a cash register, and put a big sign in the window "Fire Sale", and carried on with the business while rebuilding the store with the help of a longtime employee and friend, Russell Meinke.

The bicycle boom was also the time of a major disaster in our lives. On May 21, 1971, Benny was shot in the back of the neck during an attempted robbery. This left him paralyzed from the neck down. The doctors told the family that it was unlikely that Benny would survive, but Benny would not give up. The day after the shooting, Benny began making plans for his future from the oxygen tent in his hospital bed. Once again his incredible will power won out and he started the road to recovery. During the entire yearlong period of his rehabilitation at Highland View Hospital, the family maintained the store.

Today B&K Bicycle is known as a progressive bicycle store with 8,000 square feet of bikes for casual and competitive riders on display. Customers are able to test ride and compare several bikes within minutes right inside the store, and an informed staff assists in the selection of bicycles and accessories. Mark and Bill, our two head mechanics, have years of experience in the repair and maintenance of all types of bicycles.

Neil Kaufman, Ph.D., Partner, President, Sales-Manager (born Nov 4, 1946)

Benny Kaufman, Founder and Former Owner (married Nov 4, 1944)

Ida Kaufman, Inspiration, Founder and Former Owner (married Nov 4, 1944)

Mark Kaufman, Partner, Head Mechanic (born Nov 4, 1945)