Best of the Beach Transportation 2024
Bike Shop (Traditional)
Hermosa Cyclery
No business says “South Bay institution” more than Hermosa Cyclery, which has kept people happily on two wheels for half a century.
The business sells, rents and services bikes, and now sells e-bikes as well.
Owner Steve Collins said the emphasis on helping people is key to the cyclery’s popularity.
“We don’t run it as a profit center. If we can fix the problem without a fee, if it’s a simple adjustment, we can just do that, usually in our alley,” he said.
“It all comes back. If you serve the public well, with the intention of taking care of people, the business will come to you.”
The friendliness of the store and its workers is reflected in a 50-year tradition of free air for the tires of whoever passes by. At first it came from a single hose dangling from a window, now from three stations, with more elaborate equipment to help riders inflate their tires more precisely.
Collins noted the cyclery’s Strand-side location and said, “Renting bikes and riding along the Strand is like an E ticket ride at Disneyland. You can’t go wrong in downtown Hermosa Beach. It’s just too nice.”
Hermosa Cyclery
20 13th St.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 374-7816
Trick e-Bikes owner Clint Hough campaigns for safe e-bike riding, including limiting his e-bike rentals to 20 mph. Photo by Kevin Cody
Electric Bike Shop
Trick e-Bikes
Clint Hough was born and raised in the South Bay, and has spent the last couple years in the booming business of selling, renting and servicing electric bicycles.
A heartfelt commitment to customer service is a major strength of the business.
“I do anything I can to fix any issues people have with their bikes. If the kids pull up and have an issue with their brakes, I get that done right away,” Hough said.
“I care about people. That’s basically it.”
He said the popularity of e-bikes shows no signs of abating.
“Everybody likes to be able to come to the beach and not worry about parking, to pull right up to a restaurant, and then ride back up the hill.”
He noted that riders are required to use pedal power only on The Strand – in Hermosa and beyond – and noted that nonmotorized pedaling is not the riders’ preferred method.
But he pointed out that conventional bike riders can speed on the Strand as well, and said the motors are not the problem.
“They need to take care of the speed issue,” he said.
Hough said he has elderly customers who, with an e-bike, can ride to Venice and back for the first time in years.
“It would be a shame to take that away from them,” he said.
901 Hermosa Ave.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 989-6149
New Car Dealer
Manhattan Toyota
It’s almost easier to say what community organizations Manhattan Toyota doesn’t support than list those it does. Mira Costa High School, Wounded Warriors, Rotary, and the Chamber of Commerce are some of the organizations the 5.5 acre dealership on Sepulveda Boulevard has contributed to since being acquired by the Sperber family in 2007.
“We help where we can,” said owner Brad Sperber, who views community and customer service as tightly linked.
“We want long term relationships with our buyers, from service to when they want a new car. We can do that because we’re locally owned. We’re not a mall dealer and we’re not corporate.” In return for customer loyalty, he has kept prices low. As proof, Sperber says “Call any other dealer, and you’ll find our prices beat their prices.”
Manhattan Toyota
1500 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach
(310) 421-4424
Platinum Autohaus has specialized in finding exotic cars for discriminating South Bay auto enthusiasts for nearly three decades. Photo by Craig Hymovitz
Used Cars
Platinum Autohaus
In addition to having cool cars on display, Platinum Autohaus specializes in finding that perfect dream car for its clients. Platinum Autohaus is celebrating 27 years of business thriving in the South Bay. Owners Ali and Karen Sarmast would like to especially thank their patrons and the support of the South Bay community.
Platinum Autohaus
610 N. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Redondo Beach
(310) 318-3122
E3 Vehicles owner Amy Errett shows off a Tomberlin E-Merge in front of her Hermosa Beach dealership. Photo by Kevn Cody
Electric Cars
E3 Vehicles
“NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicles) check all the boxes. They are fun and affordable. And parking them is easy,” E3 Vehicles owner Amy Errett said.
Electric, Efficient, Evolve. That’s what the “E3” in E3 Vehicles stands for. E3 rents and sells NEVs, which resemble a golf cart, can be legally operated on streets with speed limits up to 35 mph. E3s’ Tomberlin and Evolution models range from $12,000 to $20,000 when fully tricked out with accessories such as surfboard racks and undercarriage lights.
E3 Vehicles
619 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach (310) 386-3689
Auto Repair
Bothwell Automotive
“I get people who live a ways away who come to town just so they can bring their car to us, “ says manager Todd Harding who has worked alongside owners Gil and Steve for two decades. “Basically it’s just about being honest with the customer, never trying to oversell, give them what they need and standing behind the work. If you do those things, people are happy to come back.” A multi-year BOB repeat winner, Bothwell Automotive has a stellar reputation in the South Bay for auto repair and service.
Bothwell Automotive
20730 Earl St.
Torrance
(310) 371-5712
Motorcycle Dealer
Del Amo Motorsports
Del Amo motorsports started out as a modest 6,000 square foot showroom and mechanic station on Aviation Boulevard in Redondo Beach three decades ago. Today, it is the largest motorcycle dealership on the West Coast, with a 45,000 foot showroom in Redondo Beach, a showroom in Orange County, and a showroom in Long Beach. Del Amo carries a wide variety and the top brands of motorcycles, dirt bikes, scooters, UTVs, side by side, ATVs and personal watercraft. And the increasingly popular three-wheel bikes like the Can-Am Spyder. Their showrooms’ enormous inventories dazzle even the most experienced motorcyclists.
Del Amo Motorsports
2500 Marine Ave.
Redondo Beach
(424) 304-1660
Car Wash
Rock N Roll Car Wash
Started in 2014, Rock N Roll Car wash evokes a time when Rock music flourished on the world wide stage. Located on the corner of Aviation Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, detail service packages include the “Club Gig” and “Record Deal,” and wash choices include from “Vocals” to “Vocals, Drums, Bass” and the ultimate service the “The Whole Band”
Rock N Roll Car Wash
1000 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 379-5757