(Photo: Linkedin)
According to a story last week in Bicycle Retailer & Industry Magazine (BRAIN), three bike shops in our region could close if a seller doesn’t step up.
Kevin Chudy, the owner of three Portland-area Bike N Hike stores, plans to retire at the end of this year after 31 years in the business. As part of that transition he’s looking to sell his stories in Milwaukie, Beaverton and Hillsboro.
Chudy, who won an Alice Award from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in 2007, closed his 7,500 square-foot Portland location back in July 2014 because of declining sales.
The closures of these stores would be a blow to the communities they currently serve. Bike N Hike is the only full-service bicycle shop in Milwaukie. In Beaverton, the closure of Bike N Hike would mean the Raleigh Hills area east of Highway 217 would be left with just one small bike shop. A similar situation could play out in the Hillsboro area.
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For 57-year-old Chudy, moving on from the bike business will give him time to ride and travel.
“The bike business has been a little bit challenged, that’s no secret,” Chudy told BRAIN. “But if there’s a retailer looking to expand or broaden their market or move, we have a pretty good reputation and customers have been riding to our storefronts for many years.”
Read the full story at BicycleRetailer.com.