Conflicting reports emerge over Walcot Street IBD John’s Bikes

Reports indicate that the city of Bath has lost one of its oldest independent bicycle retailers.

According to a local report in the Bath Chronicle, John’s Bikes of Walcot Street appears to have shut. The report said that staff were reportedly given just a few hours notice to ring customers to collect their bicycles in the workshop before the shop was hastily closed, said the paper.

The news is not confirmed, however, with the shop’s own Twitter feed, on March 3rd, indicating that it will be offline until further notice, but to ‘watch this space’. The store’s phone number rings with no answer.

BikeBiz understands that the shop may have closed in its present state and could be set to emerge as a fully branded bike store.

Sauce

Always loved to pop in when I was in Barf. Anyone local with any more detailed news?

I have a feeling it might have been taken over by an expanding bike shop chain who have stores in Taunton and Bristol…

I had a chat with one of the guys over the weekend. Another company may take ownership (early talks) and some of the staff may remain but it wont be Johns Bikes as we all know it unfortunately. Not sure if the brands will be same either.

For me its a real shame as the customer service was brilliant and i bought my last two bikes based on this. That said we are lucky in the area to have some great shops. Try Cadence if you haven’t before, really friendly staff and great choice of bikes to drool over too.

Real shame. One of the first shops I visited when I got into this time sinke, and they couldn’t have been more helpful.

Ralphies taking over? If so i dont see the problem, great service, good deals, and will price match there and then. My prefered LBS for over 40 years!

I never really used them much but they were very helpful when I had a loose chainset mid-ride so it’s a shame if they are closing.

Always sad to see an Indy go, hope that the new owners keep the staff on, really nice bunch of lads last time I was in there.

Sad news as I always make a point of heading in there when I visit Bath. However, when I was there a month or two back the shop was pretty sparse and I got a feeling something might be up. 🙁

Shame; visited it several times in the early 90’s.

A friend of mine was supposed to be collecting her new road bike from them at the weekend and got to the shop to find it had closed. She drove thirty mins to get there and had no idea that they had closed down. She then had a day of faffing around trying to spend her cycle to work voucher elsewhere. It is a shame to see them go but they had tailed off a fair bit from their 90’s heyday. As mentioned above Cadence are well worth a visit.

Nooooooooo! Sigh. Spent so much of my time and so many of my student loans in there. All things come to pass I guess. Hope the guys n gals are looked after.

I heard that John Potter had sold the business, I believe this happened a couple of months before Christmas. Seems a bit odd to take over the shop and then close it without any information on what will happen next if you want to reopen as a bike shop.

I used to speak to the staff at John’s regularly and they were all a nice bunch. A pleasure to deal with.

As a bathonian I first used them in Cleveland Place East before thay became part of the rich tapestry of independents that made Walcot Street so unique. Used them a lot in early 90’s when Walcot was buzzing,suspect this is just another example of our High Streets being homogenised, to a degree we are all gulity if we order kit on line. I think JP sold the business many years ago however I feel sad to see this LBS shut down but will drink a beer in celebrtation of good times when next in The Bell.
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That’s such a shame.

Two bikes and loads of gear from them when I used to live nearer to Bath.

Is it going to be an Evans or a Specialized concept store?

Total Fitness will be upset if the latter.

If the rumours are true about the takeover by a certain Bristol/Taunton business, then there are a lot worse companies to deal with.

Is it going to be an Evans or a Specialized concept store?

Total Fitness will be upset if the latter.

Spesh wouldn’t let another dealer open so close. Most brands are like this.

That’s a shame. Pints at the Bell, loose whole foods from Harvest, vinyl from Nashers then bike bits from Johns. Does the market still run in the car park at the weekends? Used to be great.

First ever “proper” MTB came from there – a Trek 4300. Was given excellent advice that I should buy a rigid bike with better spec. rather than spend the years of money I’d saved on a hard-tail. Best advice I’ve ever been given in a shop I think!

John’s Bikes have just tweeted ‘…is back. See you Tuesday 18th March’

i bought a cannondale f800 from them in 2002.was a good shop.

also the total bikes shop in swindon seems to have gone also (commercial road).

This is no surprise.

Went in a year ago, looking to buy a new mtb in the near future. Maybe 1 or 2 low end models in the shop. Thats it. Low demand I hear you say? Well they had very little of any kind of bike whatsoever as it happens.

The best staff left ages ago; its been poor for ages, even total fitness looks good by comparison.

Back from the grave…https://twitter.com/johnsbikes

john’s sold it