Thursday, October 1, 2026
The blazing fire that ripped through Lynbrook Bicycles not only destroyed the building on Aug. 23, but effected customers of the decades-old store.
“I was so sorry to hear about it,” said Roseanne Cox, an East Rockaway resident. “[The owner] was such a nice and helpful man.” She had brought a bike for her son there more than ten years ago. Since then, she always visited for any bike repairs or purchases largely because of the kind owner, Fayek Khalil. ”He fixed flats and made repairs always with a smile,” she said. “Small bike shops like this one are a dying breed.”
What all but remains at 224 Merrick Road is now a gutted storefront. The windows and doors are boarded-up, and the bicycles and store sign have been destroyed. There are no signs of the lively shop that had operated there for more than 25 years.
Lynbrook firefighters found the store engulfed in flames just shortly after 1 a.m. last Tuesday, as reported in the Herald. The village’s hose, engine, truck, and Tally-Ho companies, along with members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department and the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s office, assisted in the effort. Malverne and East Rockaway Fire Departments were standing by. After a half hour, firefighters were still fighting pockets of fire that erupted in the store’s interior for hours. Additional firefighters also pulled the building’s ceiling, along with those of the two adjoining stores, Carrie’s Closet and Edo Sushi, which both sustained damages.
The county’s fire marshal office determined an electrical problem near the store’s front window most likely caused the fire. No injuries were reported, but damages were valued at $300,000.
Ozan Gultt, owner of Ozancraft Factory at 226R Merrick Rd, said no damage was done to his store. He had learned about the fire the next day. “I was shocked to see the damage,” he said.
Once the flames were out, hundreds of bicycles were destroyed. Several residents said their hearts were broken.
