Family-run bicycle shop announces shock closure after 65 years | World | News
A family-run bicycle shop has announced it will close its doors for the final time (Image: Getty)
A family-run bicycle shop has announced it will close its doors for the final time after more than six decades in business. Bent’s Cycling, based in Lakeland, Florida, is set to shut permanently today (March 28), bringing an end to 65 years of trading.
The store first opened in 1961 after being launched by Roland Bent, and it has remained in the same spot ever since. It later came under the ownership of his son, Steve Bent, who took over the business in 1982. Over the years, the shop became a well-known part of the local area, selling bikes and equipment to generations of customers.
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Bent’s Cycling, based in Lakeland, Florida, is set to shut permanently today (March 28) (Image: Google Maps)
Steve Bent told The Ledger the store had served multiple generations of the same families over the decades.
He said: “We’ve had second, even third-generation people that have been coming in, buying bikes for years now.”
At its peak in the 1970s, the shop was selling around 1,500 bicycles a year.
However, business later began to decline as demand changed and fewer people bought traditional road bikes.
Mr Bent said: “When I bought the store from dad in ’82, we were on a downslope that continued for years. Lots of bike shops went out of business. It was a long winter for cycling.”
The store first opened in 1961 after being launched by Roland Bent (Image: Google Maps)
Although demand later slightly recovered with the rise of mountain bikes and other trends, the business never returned to its earlier peak levels.
In more recent years, the age of the building and rising costs have also played a role in the decision to close.
The shop operates from a property dating back to 1923, and maintaining the site has become increasingly difficult.
Insurance costs and the condition of the building were among the factors behind the closure.
Despite shutting the current store, there will still be a cycling business in the area.
Over the years, the shop sold an estimated 32,000 bicycles (Image: Google Maps)
Bent’s Cycling manager, Zachary Kulp, is opening a new business called Lakeland Bicycle Co. nearby.
However, Bent’s Cycling itself will close for good after more than six decades serving the community.
Over the years, the shop sold an estimated 32,000 bicycles and stocked a wide range of products, including brands such as Cannondale and Specialized, as well as electric bikes in more recent times.
It also offered repairs, accessories and equipment for both casual riders and more experienced cyclists.
