WORCESTER, Mass. (BRAIN) — Bicycle Alley owner David Kahn is retiring and has closed his 10,000-square-foot store after 23 years in business. Kahn had sought a buyer but was unable to find one. Sunday was the shop's last day open.
On Nov. 1, budding retail chain Bikes and Life will take over the space, which has been a bike shop for 32 years, previously under the ownership of Jim Mercier. Bikes and Life plans to retain all of Bicycle Alley's current employees.
The change in ownership follows the opening of a 7,000-square-foot Landry's Bicycles location in Worcester last May, but Kahn said he had decided to retire well before that time.
The Worcester store will be the third location for Bikes and Life, which opened shops earlier this year after acquiring The Bicycle Wheel in Johns Creek, Ga., and Giant Denver in Littleton, Colo. The company has also purchased a property in Winter Park, Fla., that it plans to open in about two months, and is pursuing an additional location in Northern California, co-founder and CEO John Antretter said. All of the full-service shops will carry Giant and Cannondale.
Bikes and Life plans to grow further through a mix of acquisitions and opening the brand's own new stores. Antretter said.
A former U.S. Army captain, Antretter has 20 years of experience building companies in industries including pool products and plasma TV technology. He launched Bikes and Life a little over a year ago with three partners — all avid cyclists — after embracing triathlon and other endurance events as a way to overcome his poor health.
