I Had the day off yesterday so went for a Ride via Pangbourne was a bit surprised to see Mountain High are having a Closing down sale, popped in to have a look, and had a quick chat with the fella in there, seems it’s a final close down, not moving, not refurbing, just closing…

I doubt my commiserations were much comfort, since living in the area I’ve probably only bought 4 or 5 low value items from them (I doubt I’m unique)…

I thought having weathered the worst of the downturn, most remaining LBSs were safe-ish, it seems I was wrong. I think it’s slightly interesting that a couple of New Bike shops have opened in Reading in the last year or so (1 of which is an Evans), probably hoovering up a good chunk of the local business, in a large town with a growing number of cycle commuters.

I think the biggest shame is that MH did at least organise regular local rides and were a little more involved locally than some other shops, not that this helped them business wise with mercenaries like me gong straight to CRC for all our kit regardless, but still I think the impact for cycling in the area is more than simply a shop closing…

Discuss…

I got my mako from MH a few years ago (still my everyday, going to work, going to shops, going to pub bike).

Good little shop, although I remember then being a bit of a pain about a duff derailier.

Havn’t been in since I moved from Pangbourne to Reading but I agree it’ll be a real shame for people in Pangers

Lived in Pangbourne a few years ago, so used to visit frequently. Shame to hear about it closing down. 🙁

My lbs is coming up for 100yrs anniversary. Although we are in the middle of 7Stanes country they have resisted the lure to stock up on high end bikes and have relied/survived on the bread`n butter kids/commuter/road and bmx bikes. They have tried various “high end” stuff, recently Commencal and before that Kona and RM but there is just not enough demand locally which tends to surprise visitors.
They survived Halfords coming to town yrs ago and another 5 bike shops opening up in the area over the yrs.
My first new bike came from there when I was 13, *4yrs ago 🙄

Its not surprising.

We all buy our stuff from CRC / Wiggle etc, cheap and easy given we all sit at a PC all day.

We all like good service / advice and bike related chat. But these services are not charged for and therefore dont pay the rent / wages at you LBS.

Unless LBS’s change their business model they are all pretty much doomed. Evan Evans is suffering, big turnover but almost no profit.

If I was running a LBS I would open a coffee / cake shop in it. Provide PC’s that allowed customers to buy from CRC in my shop – delivered to the shop for my shop to fit. Service bikes and sell bikes, but not bother trying to compete with CRC etc for consumables. Also id not bother with a high street shop and pay high street rent.

LBS’s need to sell service, not parts.

Yep I’m in Reading and used to drive/ride past MH most days, then we moved and my commute doesn’t take me past it any more…

I think their pricing was always a bit high to be honest, but that’s not their fault, I think the trouble they had (And I’m guessing here really) is that local competition (based in Reading) has ramped up, I reckon their bike sales have probably dried up over the last 12 months, on top of never really being an interweb retailer, they had a nice little workshop, that was about it…

Just a shame really as it’s a bit of a kick in the knackers for cycling in the area, BOB apparently won’t take any new members, is there a Reading/WestBerk’s/South Oxon MTB Club?

I know the CTC do a Wednesday night offroad ride starting near the rowing club, which I planned to join but then Work got in the way…

Anyone know of anything else?

Having a shop at a trail ctr is different. You could sell bits people break, service shocks/forks and hire bike. People who go to a trail ctr actually have the stuff most shops sell.

LBS’s need to sell service, not parts.

For the most part they do though, MH did, while I sort of agree with you up to a point, but I don’t see the point of coffee and cakes it’s a bike shop not an episode of Friends, if you want that Yuppie crap go to Starbucks…

“Service” as in workshop fitting, fixing, maintenance and some sensible advice just won’t pay the bills without serious turnover of customers (Comes down to location more than pricing), at best I’d say 1 in 10 of the items bought from CRC get taken to an LBS for fitting (total guess of course), everyone else does their own work at home, so you’re after a large number of people with bikes and no time and/or skills to fix and maintain them, that’d be commuters then…

The only growth market for Small bike retailers at the minute is going to be commuters, that means shops ditching most of the Gucci bikes and bits and flogging Hybrids, sensible jackets and panniers, and of course offering maintenance at a “competitive” rate with fast turnaround, more like a car dealership than the “traditional” bike shop…

Any “serious cyclist” who can’t change a Chain, Cable, Tyre, Brake pad and check a few bolts must be a rarity these days… Commuters are where it’s at if you want to survive as an LBS… Pangbourne has plenty of commuters passing through, very few stopping… Reading on the other hand is probably overrun with the buggers…

but I don’t see the point of coffee and cakes it’s a bike shop not an episode of Friends, if you want that Yuppie crap go to Starbucks…

😀

cookeaa – there’s these guys but I don’t know how active they are.

http://www.ratmbc.co.uk/

IME ignorant staff and high prices. I still spent money in there but never went back. Shops have got to realise that they need to engage with their customers and not treat them like some sort of hindrance.

Toab – that’s who I meant, I eventually found a link to the form to join one day and it states they’re not taking any more members apparently…

Not sure why I confused them with BOB….

I would join BOB, but I’m the wrong side of Reading really, I don’t get over to Swinley that often…

Either way I’ve not managed to find an active club in the west berks area… RAT-MBC seem a bit focused on XC racing and not a lot else…