Citizen Chain Cyclery

• Rosebud was a bike!
• The Chain Gang
• Shop Hours + Directions
• Declaration of Principles

Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, the inspiration for our store’s name, is the story of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane. Upon his death, reporter Jerry Thompson, scrambles to discover the meaning of his final utterance, “Rosebud.” At the film’s end, it’s revealed that “Rosebud” is not a dark secret, but the name of Kane’s beloved sled, which represented the happiest time of his life: his childhood.

Unbeknownst to viewers, however, “Rosebud” was based on another beloved childhood possession of the same name—a bicycle. The prized possession of Kane’s screenwriter, Herman J. Mankiewicz, it was stolen from the front of a public library in his hometown of Wilkes-Barre, PA. Blaming Herman’s irresponsibility for the loss, his parents refused to replace the bike. Rosebud was never returned, but Mankiewicz’s lost friend lives on in one of the greatest films of all the time.

Whether your childhood bike was lost, stolen, given away, or just outgrown, Citizen Chain aims to bring back the childhood joy of riding. Whether it’s fixing up an old friend or connecting you with a new one, we hope to give every rider a “Rosebud” to serve as his or her partner along the way.