A beloved York bicycle shop is closing its doors at the end of the month after 45 years in business, stating it can no longer compete with online retailers.
York Cycleworks, which first opened in 1980, announced its closure online. The shop shared that it had “given it our best shot” and expressed gratitude to the “remarkable people” it had encountered and the “fantastic team members” who had been part of its history.
A Rich History in the Community
“We have a fairly illustrious history,” said company director Andy Fraser. “We started in the 80s as a workers’ cooperative and evolved from there. Over the years we supported road racing, ran a team, and as a shop, we always hoped to help numerous cycling enthusiasts and young riders develop.”
He added, “We are a local shop for local people, but we haven’t managed to make it work.”
More Than Just a Local Shop
Beyond being a pillar of the local community, York Cycleworks had connections to the elite level of the sport. It hosted events with Olympic champion Ed Clancy and supported the Eritrea national team during the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire. The team was managed by Daniel Teklehaimanot, the first Black African rider to wear the Polka Dot Jersey in the Tour de France.
A personal highlight for Fraser was when their own Alastair Kay defeated four-time Vuelta a España champion Roberto Heras at the Brompton World Championship held at Blenheim Palace.
The Final Lap: Closing Up Shop
The closure of York Cycleworks comes during a difficult period for the bicycle industry.
“We are a shop that offers repairs; we have the best workshop and mechanics in the area. We offer something the internet cannot, but it isn’t enough. Our workshop remains exceptionally busy, but it just doesn’t make enough money,” Fraser explained.
“We were just trying to hold our ground. But times have changed, and others want a piece of our cake. We have given up now, so it doesn’t cause a ripple, rather than battling on.”
Intense price competition from online retailers, combined with industry overproduction during the pandemic, has created challenges for many brick-and-mortar retailers, and York Cycleworks was no exception.
“The profit lies in selling carbon road bikes for £3,000 and above. There’s no margin on a £650 bike,” Fraser stated. “But since COVID, due to overproduction, Trek—our main supplier—pulled the rug from under us. They sold to the big retailers who dropped the prices to a level we couldn’t match. We had nothing to sustain the business.”
“I’ve had a great time here, and looking back, we gave it our best shot. It’s just the circumstances we faced made it impossible to continue,” Fraser concluded, marking the end of a significant chapter for cycling in York.
