A discovery of new official documentation in the Municipal Archive of Algemesí has just rewritten the history of the cycling trade in Spain. The oldest bicycle shop in the country is no longer Rafael Abad‘ s in the center of Valencia: the records found certify that the business Bicicletes Germán Puchades began operating in 1914 under the name Bicicletas de Ramón García.
This information places the establishment’s founding eight years before Rafael Abad Bicicletas (1922), which until now was considered the longest-running shop in the sector.
Photographs provided by the family that owns Bicicletas de Ramón García.
These archives were discovered during the management of the “Guardó d’Honor del Comerç Local 2025” (Local Commerce Honor Guard 2025), a distinction recently awarded by the Algemesí City Council to the family that owns the business. According to the documents kept in the archive and sent to this media outlet, the founder, Ramón García Aliaga, registered his business in 1914 at 122 Mont Street.
Specifically, the record with reference number H-242/2 (1914) certifies the start of the business as a “bicycle rental company.” Subsequent documents, such as reference number H-241/1 from 1916 and H-241/3 corresponding to the period 1926-1929, confirm the continuity of the business and its relocation to Calle Victoria and later to Calle Muntanya in 1930.
Four generations at the helm of the business
Photographs provided by the family that owns Bicicletas de Ramón García.
The documentation attests to more than a century of uninterrupted history across four generations. After the founder, Ramón García Aliaga, the business passed to his son, Ramón García Esteve, followed by Germán Puchades García (son of Teresa García Esteve and grandson of the founder), who was responsible for modernizing the establishment. Currently, the business is managed by his son, Germán Puchades Mont.
Despite changes of location within the municipality and variations in the trade name, ownership has always remained within the same family.
Photographs provided by the family that owns Bicicletas de Ramón García.
The history of the establishment spans several critical episodes in Spain’s contemporary history. The business remained open after the Civil War, the 1957 flood, and the breach of the Tous dam in 1982. More recently, the business has weathered the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the 2025 DANA.
The shop is now located at Plaza de la Virgen de los Dolores, 9, Algemesí.