Craig Cooper received an award from Assemblyman Kelly Seyarto in 2021.
For Craig Cooper, bicycles have always been more than a business. They are a family legacy and a way to connect with the Menifee, Sun City, and Canyon Lake communities that his family has been a part of since the 1970s.
Cooper, longtime owner of what is now known as Menifee Bicycles, gained an interest in cycling long before he helped his late father, Scott Cooper, open the then-Sun City business in 1982.
An avid cyclist, at the age of 20 Cooper found himself working full-time at a bike shop to support himself while in college. With just six weeks of experience, he was tasked with running his boss’s second location in Orange County, a position that would later grow into a career spanning more than 45 years.
Cooper and his father opened Sun City Bicycles and Electronics almost 44 years ago, but later renamed the bike shop Menifee Bicycles after the new city was incorporated.
“When we started, we were in Sun City and the population was 9,000, so we had a very limited customer base,” Cooper said.
Since then, Menifee Bicycles has grown into a four-generation family-owned business with a focus on promoting bike safety and the joy of cycling. Cooper’s daughter, Tina, co-owns the shop and helps with operations. Cooper’s grandson, Dylan Sirignano, also assists with inventory, bike assembly, and repairs.
“I’m quite fortunate and I have a really nice crew at the shop,” he said. “I have an amazing group of employees.”
Menifee Bicycles offers a large bicycle inventory, a selection Cooper said sets the bike shop apart from competitors. The shop carries a wide range of brands, including Trek, Giant, Electra, Haro, SE Bikes and Denago, offering options for riders of all ages and experience levels.
Throughout its time in operation, the business has moved to multiple locations but has settled in its home on Newport Road and Murrieta Road for the last 12 years.
The business has also built close relationships with schools and organizations, both locally and beyond, spreading the love of bicycling one bike at a time. Menifee Bicycles partnered with Chico-based corporate team-building company Odyssey Teams 25 years ago, and has since delivered more than 30,000 bikes to children.
Locally, Cooper recently delivered a bike to Chester W. Morrison Elementary School. The business has been involved with local organizations as well, including the Rotary Club of Menifee and Boys & Girls Club of Menifee, among others.
“I’ve been blessed in a lot of different ways,” Cooper said. “I’ve never made a lot of money, but we’ve affected a lot of lives.”
As e-bikes grow in popularity, Cooper said Menifee Bicycles has been working with local governments on bike safety courses. The goal is to have children in Menifee take a course, so they know what to expect when riding e-bikes in the community.
When asked about retirement, Cooper isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
“I don’t see how,” he said. “I have too much energy and too much experience.”
In his free time, he enjoys hiking with friends and traveling to share his love of cycling, most recently traveling to Seattle and Portland. Cooper is a lobbyist for the National Federation of Independent Business and belongs to a profitability group with the National Bicycle Dealers Association.
“I have to decide if I want to take the time to ride bikes or do all these other things that the Lord has put in my path,” Cooper said.
Menifee Bicycles provides bicycle repair services as well. (File photo)
