BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Family-run Bury St Edmunds bike shop Micks Cycles is preparing to celebrate its 44th anniversary with birthday cake and bubbly with customers on Saturday (May 31st).
The shop will also be presenting lucky winner Mrs S. Moore, from Bury St Edmunds, with a brand new bike worth nearly £400, after running a competition in a local newspaper. Customers who spend more than £100 on accessories on Saturday will be given a discount of £19.70 to reflect the year the business began.
The retailer is staffed by three generations of the Hailstone family and was started in 1970 by Mick Hailstone. The shop started life as Micks Mopeds, operating from a yard in Victoria Street before moving to a shop in Out Risbygate. Over the years, as the demand for mopeds fell, the business decided to concentrate on bicycles and it became Micks Cycles around 25 years ago, moving to its current premises in St Johns Street in 1993.
Mick Hailstone sadly passed away in 1991, when his son Derek took over the shop and now Mick’s granddaughter Chloe had followed him into the business too. Mick’s widow Jessie is also very much involved with the business and can still be found behind the counter from time to time.
Chloe said: “There has been so much interest in cycling recently – especially with the Women’s Tour finishing in Bury St Edmunds a couple of weeks ago. We had a stand on Angel Hill for the day and it was an absolutely fantastic atmosphere, its great to see the sport and especially women’s cycling getting so much positive coverage.
“We want to continue that feel-good feeling around cycling which is why we thought we should mark our anniversary in some way as it’s the same month and we hope customers old and new will come and see us on the day.”
The business recently expanded to include a Bike fit studio and modern workshop facilities with qualified technicians specialising in repairs and servicing. Meanwhile the retail range is spread over two floors and also has an extensive range of clothing, shoes and accessories alongside the bikes themselves. The shop offers customers 0 per cent finance.
“We like to think that we can cater for every type of cyclist from those who want a serious competition bike to cycles more suited to family leisure and offer a range of leading bike brands which include Specialized, Marin and Whyte.
The retailer is also a member of the Business Improvement District (BID) Our Bury St Edmunds – one of over 100 BIDs in the UK. Established April 2010 to provide additional services to improve the trading environment of the town centre, it is funded by levy paying businesses within the town centre and works with other agencies, including local authorities and the police, to enhance existing services for the town including marketing and promotion, safety, cleanliness and maintenance. www.ourburystedmunds.com
Mick’s Cycles is open seven days a week and can be found at 68-69 St Johns Street, Bury St Edmunds. Or visit www.mickscycles.co.uk.
