Retail News

McLain, based in Traverse City, Michigan, has three stores.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (BRAIN) — After 44 years in business, Bob and Kris McLain have sold McLain Cycle & Fitness to Specialized Bicycle Components. Specialized has not confirmed the purchase and has declined to comment on this or other recent retail acquisitions.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (BRAIN) — Rapha brings its pop-up retail store to this growing cycling destination in Northwest Arkansas for a five-week run, featuring apparel, group rides, and events.

Kitsbow's Ride House will be home to Schoenauer Service Course.
Chad Schoenauer.

OLD FORT, N.C. (BRAIN) — Kitsbow Cycling Apparel begins offering full-service bike repair out of its visitor center beginning this week.

NEW YORK (BRAIN) — Rubber N' Road, which has been operating pop-up retail stores in Manhattan for the last two seasons, is now opening a permanent store, in Midtown Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.

Don DiCostanzo

IRVINE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Pedego Electric Bikes, which now has more than 200 retail stores globally, says the locations have surpassed $121 million in system-wide retail sales over the last 12 months.

The stores are locally owned under license, not franchise, agreements. 

Tagged Electric bike

NOVATO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Mike's Bikes, the 12-store Northern California chain, has been purchased by Pon, the Dutch parent of Santa Cruz, Cervelo and other bike, mobility, and auto brands. Mike's former partners will remain with the business and said the stores will continue to carry non-Pon bike brands such as Specialized.

Tagged Mergers, Acquisitions & Investments
Bike Mart owner Woody Smith.

RICHARDSON, Texas (BRAIN) — Said to be the largest family-owned bike retailer in Texas, Richardson Bike Mart is increasingly not just in Richardson, a community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The store has four locations now, only one of which is in Richardson.

PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — Months after Trek bought Specialized's largest dealer in the Austin, Texas, market, Specialized has opened a company-owned operation in the city. Specialized Austin provides virtual consultations and home delivery of web-ordered bikes and equipment.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (BRAIN) — R&A Cycles, which operates brick-and-mortar stores in Brooklyn and Walnut Creek, California, as well as a well-known e-commerce business, has introduced a $150 charge on bikes sold at its stores, to cover shipping, handling, and assembly.

PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — The National Bicycle Dealers Association announced the 2021 Bicycle Retailer Excellence Awards winners in a ceremony at the Big Gear Show earlier this month. The award program was an update from the past Americas Best Bike Shops Program.

Tagged Awards / The Big Gear Show / (e)revolution

COLUMBUS, Ohio (BRAIN) — BikeSource Vice President Dale Van Allen died Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 49. Van Allen worked at BikeSource — a multi-chain store with locations in Ohio, Colorado, and North Carolina — for nearly all his life.

Lee Ericson

HURST, Texas (BRAIN) — Longtime retailer Lee Ericson, who owned Bicycles Inc. in Fort Worth for 42 years before selling this year after being diagnosed with cancer, died July 13. He was 63.

FRISCO, Colo. (BRAIN) — Project Bike Tech, which works to get bike tech classes into high schools, will pilot four new programs this fall serving Native American and low-income Hispanic students in the Four Corners region.

SmartEtailing and other creditors petitioned to put the Massachusetts retailer into involuntary bankruptcy, later converted to a Chapter 11.

BOSTON (BRAIN) — CrimsonBikes is now in the hands of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee after creditors including SmartEtailing and Giant Bicycle said store owner Charles James was mismanaging it and appeared to be shuffling assets between several companies he owns.

Woehl outside American Cyclery.

SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — The sales surge during the pandemic had more than a few shop owners thinking, “Maybe it’s time to sell.” Low inventory, plenty of cash, over a year of working too hard, retirement age looming if not already here … what better time to sell?

It's the retailer's 11th store since opening in 1973.

PARK RIDGE, Ill. (BRAIN) — Wheel & Sprocket opened its third Chicago area store last week and plans a grand opening event this weekend at the new Park Ridge location.

Chad Burnett.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — The family of a professional bike fitter and former Colorado Cyclist product line manager who died in custody last year is suing the city of Colorado Springs and four of its police officers.

Tagged Lawsuits/legal
Park City, Utah's Main Street.

PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — Next month's The Big Gear Show will include a range of retailer education opportunities, including presentations, panels, and small group discussions covering a wide range of topics. The show is Aug. 3-5 at the Deer Valley Resort.

Tagged Retailer education / Tradeshows and conferences / The Big Gear Show / (e)revolution
But some retailers take a dim view of the pro-deal platform.

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — After an outdoor industry retail group came out against the ExpertVoice pro purchase platform last week, some bike brands are defending the platform.

REI plans to carry Zize Bikes, designed for riders over 200 pounds.

SEATTLE (BRAIN) — REI Co-op announced it will carry expanded women's apparel sizes on its website and in 34 stores by the end of the year and also will offer Zize Bikes, designed to safely accommodate riders over 200 pounds.

Tagged DEI and Sustainability

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