By George Stahl

Special to the Sun

For nearly 10 years, The Cyclesmiths has been servicing motorcyclists in the Kern River Valley with all of their mechanical and accessory needs. Now, according to owners Wendy Crockett and Mike Loomer, it is time to move on, and their sights are set on Sturgis, South Dakota.

“We opened The Cyclesmiths in 2009 and have met so many wonderful people up here in the valley,” Wendy said. Ironically though, their first customer was not from the KRV. “Our very first customer was a couple from out of the area who had a flat tire on their bike, and it was the weekend, and no one was open and able to help him,” Mike Loomer said. “So, I met up with him here at the shop, and we were able to get him on his way,” Wendy Crockett said.

Wendy Crockett has over 17 years of experience working on what she refers to as The Big Four: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. In 2000, Wendy attended and graduated from the Motorcycle Mechanic’s Institute of Phoenix. “I knew that working with motorcycles and turning a wrench all day was what I wanted to do,” Wendy said.

It was her riding accomplishments, however, that got her on the cover of American Motorcyclist Magazine. Wendy is featured on the November 2017 issue sitting on a Yamaha FJR 1300 on the shore of Lake Isabella. It was that magazine cover article that got Sturgis Motorsports, in Sturgis, South Dakota to rekindle their discussions with Wendy. The South Dakota dealership had been trying to convince Crockett to work for them for a few years prior to that. After careful consideration, Wendy and Mike decided it was time to make a move. They decided, as Mike explained, “Sturgis is the mecca for motorcycles. For Wendy to get a job in that mix is like her getting called to the NFL!” he said.

Sturgis Motorsports carries a variety of powersports products that is second to none. Motorcycles, ATVs, Side x Sides , Snowmobiles and all of the parts and accessories that come with them. Wendy will be working on them all. It was her skill set and experience as a rider that attracted the company to her in the first place.

Wendy left her family’s house when she was 18 years old. According to her, “My mother was not a big fan of motorcycles. In fact, she told me that I would ride a motorcycle over her dead body, and that just made things more interesting and pushed my ambition forward.” She has been riding for the past 22 years. When she was not on a bike, she was fixing, modifying and improving either her own or one of her friends’.

When Wendy and Mike met, the native Californian girl from La Crescenta was working as a tour guide for a California based company that provided guides for individual bikers or groups who wanted to travel from Chicago to California along historic Route 66. Wendy quit her job as guide shortly afterwards and she and Mike moved to Pismo Beach, where they operated a small shop. They moved to the valley after the product line they were carrying was forced to quit the motorcycle business. Moving to the valley was taking a real chance, so a move like the one to Sturgis is not a new experience for the couple.

The Cyclesmiths has been an important part of the valley since they opened their doors nine years ago. During that time, they have sponsored several of the KRV’s amateur motorcycle riders in various competitions. The shop has been an instrumental part of what the Stewards of the Sequoias do to help maintain trails and improve public lands around the area and in other places. Wendy and Mike have helped to support the Bike Park in Kernville, the Annual Kernville Rod Run, Cub Scout Troops, and numerous sports teams. They have held the best interest of the valley’s children in the forefront of what they do and have been supporters for Wallace Middle School.

In 2014, the family grew by one. Montessa (Tess) Loomer was born and she is already showing signs of having her mother’s genes. While wearing an orange jumpsuit just her size, Tess works on taking apart and rebuilding a toy made to teach her how to work with motors.

In the move, one of the considerations was Mike’s job. Since he was a 16-year-old boy in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he has had an interest in the entertainment industry. From stage productions to films he has honed his craft as a set designer and prop master. He has moved from South Dakota to Hollywood, and his work has been seen in major films and highly popular television shows. “I will still be able to work in California. I will fly back here to continue on the shows I am currently working on and when I am not here, I will be working with the theaters in South Dakota. There will not be a shortage of work to be done between the two,” Mike said.

“The decision to make the move was not something we took lightly. After all of the options were weighed and all of the ‘what if’s’ and ‘could we’s’ everything pointed to yes, do it. So, Mike and Tess and I will be leaving in March. We couldn’t leave this fantastic place and all of our great friends and customers before Whiskey Flat Days! That just didn’t seem right,” Wendy and Mike both said. Cyclesmiths and the work that is done in that little shop in Kernville will be missed, but Mike, Wendy and Tess will be missed even more so.

They are encouraging you to come by and say goodbye, but they’d rather hear a few ‘see ya laters’ as they hope to see some KRV visitors to Sturgis. Roar on, Cyclesmiths!