Connie and Mel Sanguinetti have been the friendly faces greeting customers in the Oakdale Bicycle Shop for 36 years but the husband and wife team have decided the time is right to retire and have recently sold the shop to another bicycle enthusiast.

“We’d been thinking about it over the years and we kept a list of names and numbers of people who had expressed an interest in buying the shop,” Connie Sanguinetti said. “We didn’t expect it to sell so quickly. Suddenly, bam! It was sold.”

The shop originally opened where the parking lot of Medlen’s House of Beef is located now but has been in its current location on East F Street for 19 years.

Since opening they’ve fitted countless people for their bicycles, helped parents pick the perfect gift for their children and answered innumerable questions with patience and honesty, no matter if a sale happened or not. The bottom line for the Sanguinetti’s was excellent customer service and it paid off in dividends of happy customers who never failed to return when they needed a quality bicycle or parts.

A true mom-and-pop operation, the Oakdale Bicycle Shop has sold many smiles in the form of two wheels and they’ve watched generations of families grow up and move on. The hardest part of moving on is saying goodbye to the families who’ve been loyal customers.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Connie said. “Saying goodbye is hard. I’m going to miss seeing everyone.”

The sale is expected to be complete by next week. Both Mel and Connie have been busy packing up 36 years’ worth of memories and keepsakes to make room for the new owners’ personal flavor.

“We’ve truly been blessed by our customers. It’s because of them that we were able to make a life here in Oakdale,” Connie said. “Can’t say thanks enough for that. We’ve been truly blessed by our friends and customers.”

Mel Sanguinetti, a former musician, penned a poem to express his feelings about their impending retirement.

The Oakdale Bicycle Shop is located at 445 E. F St.

For more information, call 847-5073.