RA Cycles
50 Years of Riding
Founded in Brooklyn. Built for Riders.
In 1976, Philip Cabbad opened the doors to R&A Cycles in Brooklyn, New York. No venture capital, no business plan drafted in a boardroom — just a deep knowledge of bikes and a conviction that riders deserved better. Better components, better service, better access to the kind of equipment that was nearly impossible to find in the States.
Fifty years later, that conviction hasn't changed. The shop has grown from a single storefront into a global operation with flagship locations, a pioneering e-commerce platform, and relationships with the most respected brands in cycling. But the foundation is the same one Philip laid in 1976 — know the product, know the rider, and never cut corners on either.
Where It All Started
The original R&A Cycles was exactly what a great bike shop should be — packed floor to ceiling with the best components money could buy, run by someone who knew every single one of them. Philip built his reputation sourcing rare imported frames and parts that other shops couldn't get. Pinarello, Colnago, Campagnolo, Shimano — if it was the real thing, RA had it.
Word traveled fast. By the early 1980s, RA Cycles was the destination for serious riders who wanted access to European-quality equipment without a transatlantic flight.
Hands on Every Build
Philip didn't just sell bikes — he built them. Every frame that came through the shop was assembled, tuned, and inspected by hand. That standard of care became the DNA of RA Cycles, and it's the same standard the team holds today. Whether it's a custom frame build or a full bike fit, the work gets done right because that's how Philip set it up from the beginning.
Built on Relationships
From day one, RA Cycles was a relationship business. Philip didn't just stock products — he forged direct partnerships with the brands behind them, importing high-end European components when most American shops wouldn't bother. Those relationships, built on trust and a shared obsession with quality, gave RA's customers access to equipment that was years ahead of what the domestic market offered.
Always First
RA Cycles has never waited for the industry to catch up. In 1982, Philip launched a mail-order business that shipped premium cycling equipment across the U.S. and abroad — years before catalog shopping became mainstream in the bike world. By 1994, racycles.com was live as one of the first online cycling catalogs in existence, at a time when most people had never bought anything on the internet.
E-commerce arrived in 1998. While the rest of the industry was still debating whether customers would actually buy bikes online, RA had already built the infrastructure. That pioneering instinct — the willingness to move first and figure it out — has defined the business for half a century.
Five Decades. One Standard.
From a single Brooklyn storefront to a global cycling authority — every milestone built on the last.
R&A Cycles opens its doors in Brooklyn, New York
Distribution and importation of high-end European cycling products becomes RA's focus
RA launches mail order — shipping premium equipment across the U.S. and abroad
racycles.com goes live as one of the first online cycling catalogs in the industry
E-commerce and add-to-cart functionality launches on the website
Albert Cabbad, Philip's son, joins the RA Cycles organization full time
RA sets a modern standard for professional triathlon and road bike fitting
New headquarters and distribution center built in Brooklyn to support cyclists globally
First flagship store opens in Walnut Creek, CA — complete with Ramona's, a cafe for the riding community
Plans begin for a second flagship location in Miami, Florida
Fully digital custom bike builder launches online
50 years in business — and aiming for 50 more
The Standard Was Set in 1976
Know the product. Know the rider. Never cut corners. Philip Cabbad built RA Cycles on those principles fifty years ago, and they haven't been revised since — because they didn't need to be.
The Next Generation
In 1998, Albert Cabbad joined his father at RA Cycles full time — bringing a new generation's vision to a business built on decades of trust. Under Albert's leadership, RA expanded from its Brooklyn roots into a multi-location operation with flagship stores in Walnut Creek and Miami, a world-class e-commerce platform, and the industry's first fully digital custom bike builder.
The ambition is the same one Philip started with. The reach is global. The standard hasn't dropped.
More Than a Shop
RA Cycles has always been a gathering point — for riders who care about the craft, the community, and the ride itself. From Brooklyn group rides to Ramona's cafe in Walnut Creek, the thread that connects fifty years is the same one that brought Philip's first customers through the door: a shared obsession with cycling, done right.
50 Years and Counting
From a Brooklyn storefront to flagships in Walnut Creek and Miami, from handwritten mail orders to a fully digital custom bike builder — RA Cycles has spent half a century doing one thing: serving riders who demand the best. That half-century belongs as much to you as it does to us. The riders who kept coming back, who sent their friends, who trusted us with bikes that matter — you're the reason we're still here. Here's to the next fifty.
