Even in metropolitan areas with a significant number of cyclists with disposable income, bike shops are a low profit margin business with tons of headaches. In an area like Wrightwood, with very few cyclists, recreational or otherwise, it would just go kaput. I bike around everyday, and I see very few people riding. I see people who have bikes regularly use their cars to do the simplest of errands in town. The parents who buy bikes for their rapidly growing kids typically buy them for $50 to $100 at the big box stores, even though I would never trust such poorly assembled bicyles for kids.
It's sad, and I'm not happy with it, but the High Desert region can barely support a mediocre bike shop in Victorville, let alone a local shop here in WW. The only way I see anything remotely close to a shop here is a weekend volunteer center to help people fix bikes and get well-built bikes for a minimal cost, at no profit. You could pool together all the local abandoned bikes, fix them up, and give them away. You can't sell them, because of insurance reasons.
If anyone needs a shop, you either drive to a shop at least 45 minutes away, or ask your fellow bikers here in WW. And as I've said before, I do not mind helping people find good bikes for cheap.
