The Boom Boom Bike Room Treatment

The Boom Boom Bike Room Treatment

New De la Vina Shop Gives Old Mountain Bikes a Second Shot at Life

By Tyler Hayden

Like it or not, the ’90s are now vintage-cool. From music to clothes, poppy beats and bright colors are back in style. The same goes for bikes. And nowhere in Santa Barbara ​— ​or anywhere on the Central Coast, for that matter ​— ​does flashy form meet two-wheeled function like it does at the Boom Boom Bike Room.

Opened five months ago by De la Vina Street’s new power couple ​— ​Alex and Erin Guerena, who own and operate Haven Barber Shop right next door ​— ​Boom Boom took the place of Cajun Kitchen after it shut down. The bright-green-blue shop is now filled with beautifully tailored rides and a growing family of friends and customers, two groups that often overlap.

Boom Boom’s stock is almost exclusively 1990s-era mountain bikes that Erin tracks down (she refuses to reveal her sources) and that mechanic and day-to-day manager Chris Totten then refurbishes with a signature, head-turning flare. Each build is totally unique, with Chris always happy to work with buyers on exactly what they want. “I’m like a kid in a candy store,” he said, motioning to a banana-yellow Specialized on its kickstand and a Klein the color of Nickelodeon Gak mounted on the wall.