Our Heritage

In 1976, our former owner Larry Lynch came back from the Vietnam War and found himself enjoying cycling. It was the midst of the beginning boom in cycling in the U.S. Larry started working at the Sewickley Bike Shop located on Broad Street (currently the Slippery Mermaid). He helped Cleveland Wallace and his family close down his bike shop on Division St as Cleveland was growing older.

Important Fact: A black man, Cleveland Wallace ran the largest Raleigh retail shop in the U.S. at that time!

When the owners of Sewickley Bike Shop decided not to continue, Larry bought the shop and brought it to Ambridge, PA as Ambridge Bike Shop. In the mid-1980s, he bought the old Davidson’s Department Store building at 518 Merchant St where the shop is currently housed. Gary Bywaters joined Ambridge Bike Shop and together they helped generations of racers and riders find their dream bike. Gary started the Month of Mud MTB Series and the shop supported the Tour de Sewickley, criterium racing at the Oval and many local race events. Ambridge Bike Shop was one of the founding bike shops in Western PA and well-known throughout the region. So many people were helped and bike repaired over the decades!

With nearly 40 years under their belt, Larry handed the reins over to new owners Laura and Don McKee. We’re proud to continue their legacy as SweetWater Bikes and expand into all types of riding, especially our love of gravel and adventure riding. Today, SweetWater Bikes is a full-service shop, carrying top brands like Giant/Liv/Momentum Bikes as well as specialty bike brands like OPEN Cycles, Salsa Cycles, Niner Bikes and more. We service all bike brands along with providing speciality repair services like wheelbuilding and suspension services. Give us a call or stop in to let us know how we can help you find or fix your ride!