Pete’s Cycle was founded by Walter C. Leach Sr., nicknamed Pete, hence the name Pete’s Cycle, in 1938 out of his parent’s basement on Harford Road in Baltimore. He started out repairing bicycles and building flower boxes. Remember this was during the depression.

Pete went off to WWII, while away his father ran the business. After WWII, Pete became a Schwinn bicycle dealer and at this time started into motorized vehicles. First was the Whizzer then Indian motorcycles, AJS, BSA, Matchless, all at the original store. He opened a second store in Towson in the 1950’s which also sold Evinrude outboard engines and had a hobby store. In the late 1950’s he sold Maruchan, Laverda, Lambretta, Bultaco, Vespa, Gillera, American Eagle and Cushman. He became a Honda dealer on July 9, 1963.

He opened the Bel Air store in 1967 and the Severna Park store in 1970. At one time Pete’s Cycle had 7 stores with either bicycles or motorcycles. Thru the 70s and 80’s he picked up Yamaha, Kawasaki,and Suzuki.