Bethel Cycle owner, Greg Pelican, announced on his website and Bethel Cycle Facebook page today that his cycle shop and club will close on December 7.
He wrote:
I have some sad news to share. Bethel Cycle will be closing on December 7th. For 16 years Bethel Cycle has been my life. I have given it my all. Our business grew strongly, more than doubling by 2010. Only to erode quickly over the past few years from low price driven direct Internet competition. This loss of sales has been very hard for our small shop in our seasonal climate.
I am especially proud of the club we created and I remain touched by the passion and commitment of our riders. We shared some amazing experiences. We had riders win World and National Championships and the Bethel Cycle jersey was known all over the world.
I want to thank all of our customers, club members, racers, sponsors our employees and my good friends and family who have supported my dream.
Bethel Cycle was founded in 1966. Pelican purchased the shop in 1999 from the second owners, Karen and Ken Mackenzie. In 2011 Pelican moved the shop to Bethel's historic old train station.
Thank you to Greg Pelican for all you did to bring health, adventure, and camaraderie to cyclists in Bethel and beyond.