London’s MTB specialist Soho Bikes and Cottingham Cycle Centre announce closures

Soho Bikes of Berwick Street, London has announced its closure this morning, with the final day’s trading due on Friday 26th January.

“I have taken the decision that for personal reasons I can no longer continue to run Soho Bikes and I have been left with no other alternative but to close the doors for good,” said a statement from the firm’s owner Nick Hawker. “I would like to thank all our loyal customers, fantastic staff (past and present) and many great suppliers. It has been fun – I am just sorry it has had to end.”

The store was considered one of Central London’s few mountain bike only specialists, located not far off one of the capital’s busiest shopping streets.

Opened in 2014, the store quickly became a hangout stop for passing footfall seeking good coffee, as well as mountain bikers working in the city. As pointed out by Hawker, the business on many fronts had built a solid reputation as one of the best bike stores in the city, scooping an MBR Reader Award last year, as well as hitting a 4.8 star rating on Google and 4.9 on Facebook.

Customers with orders placed with the business will soon be contacted by the business to discuss how they would like to proceed.

Coming in tandem with Soho’s sad announcement, Cottingham Cycle Centre has also confirmed its closure. In business since 1984, the firm will shut up shop from March 31st.

The stores join an ever-growing list of independent bike shops closing in the UK, with many citing difficulty meeting rising rents, adaptation to consumer buying habits and online discount culture as reasons for shutting up shop.