Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles

Beverly Hills

— Golden Shield Commemorative Plaque —

Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 26, 2024

1. Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles Marker

Inscription.
Established in 1937 by the national and international sprint bicycle champion Hans Ohrt, the shop served Beverly Hills residents at this location for nearly 40 years. Generations of local children got their bikes from this store, as did Hollywood studios and many of their Golden Age stars. A plaque over the main entrance read: "My notion is that mankind would be better mortals if they all rode bicycles."

Erected by Beverly Hills City Council & Cultural Heritage Commission. (Marker Number 17.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.

Location. 34° 4.196′ N, 118° 24.313′ W. Marker is in Beverly Hills, California, in Los Angeles County. It is at the intersection of South Santa Monica Boulevard and North Camden Drive, on the right when traveling north on South Santa Monica Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9550 S Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills CA 90210, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Angeles

and in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carroll and Company (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Luau (about 500 feet away); Church of the Good Shepherd (about 600 feet away); Brighton Coffee Shop (about 700 feet away); Pioneer Hardware Store (about 800 feet away); Ah Fong's (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mickey Fine Pharmacy (approx. 0.2 miles away); Morton Bay Fig (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beverly Hills.

Regarding Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles. Hans Ohrt (1895-1960), was the National sprint champion in 1915, and rode throughout the United States, Australia, and Europe professionally from 1915 to 1924. Ohrt was also a member of the 1932 Olympic cycling committee in Los Angeles. Hans Ohrt initially

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 26, 2024

2. Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles Marker

opened his shop at 439 North Camden Drive adjacent to where he and his wife Ida lived at 435 North Camden Drive, but shortly relocated to a larger store at 9544 South Santa Monica Boulevard. When the shop opened it was way ahead of its time in advocating the use of lightweight, multi-speed bicycles, which were commonly called “English Racers.” As advances to bicycles were made, Ohrt brought those improvements to local residents by directly importing equipment from Europe. It was also Hans Ohrt who had the bridle paths in Beverly Hills legalized and improved for cycling use. Following World War II, many of the movie studios were producing war movies with European street scenes that called for bicycles. Hans supplied a major portion of these bicycles to the studios. As part of his thriving business, notable customers included many Hollywood “movie folks” such as Clark Gable, Maureen O’Sullivan, Fess Parker, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Tyrone Power. Marilyn Monroe visited the bike shop two months before she passed away. She rented an English bicycle for a month for $18.00. Actor James Brolin’s first job before going into acting was at the

Paid Advertisement

Hans Ohrt bicycle shop where he wiped down the bikes and cleaned the floor.
In 1960, Ohrt passed away and ownership of the shop transferred to Leonard and Connie Hearst, who had been managing the business (Connie was the niece of Hans). In 1976, the property was sold and Hearst moved the business to Westwood Village on Gayley Avenue. Just over ten years later, the Hans Ohrt Lightweight Bicycles business was formally dissolved.
-from Beverlyhills.org

Also see . . . The Ohrt Brothers (Ernest and Hans). Lightweight Bicycles website. (Submitted on December 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 991 times since then and 127 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 27, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.