This month we are celebrating our 15th anniversary. It’s a big milestone for us and we have come a long way in that time, so we wanted to take a little time to look back on where we’ve come from, reflect on what we’ve achieved and talk about why it has all happened. Read on…
At a time when the bike industry has gone from boom to bust, Big Bear Bikes continues to be one of the largest bike businesses in North Yorkshire, including sales of more than 1,100 bikes of all types each year.
As well as contributing to the local and regional economy through our workforce of 30 people, Big Bear Bikes also attracts customers from across the UK and draws in tourists through our sister store Dalby Forest Cycle Hub (DFCH). Besides the core business as a bike hire shop, DFCH opens up the mental and physical health benefits of cycling to people with balance and mobility issues through its inclusive cycling service, which has featured in several national media outlets and was recently shortlisted for a national tourism award.
Our Founder and Managing Director David Beeley believes our success is down to the friendly, in-person service offered by an expert and professional team of cycling enthusiasts. You can't beat an independent local bike shop for advice and support which can't be replicated by online or by multiple chain stores.
He said: “Customers like coming to the clean, modern environment of a large showroom, with more than 100 bikes on display and space where they can test ride bikes before they choose one. Both Big Bear Bikes and Dalby Forest Cycle Hub also have hundreds of bikes in stock.”
Customers enjoy the in-person experience of coming to a large, modern showroom with over 100 bikes and talking to our friendly, expert team
David added: “We are a local shop but we are independent and I think that’s important to people at a time when there are so many huge businesses online that don’t offer a personal service. It’s a nice feeling to celebrate 15 years in business but we are always looking forward and are starting the year by taking on two new people.”
Big Bear Bikes opened in January 2009 and in April 2011 David joined the business full time. He added: "We started small at only 600 square feet, eventually taking the whole of the original building on both floors, before extending into the unit next door. In April 2018, we moved into the current premises in Southgate, more than doubling in floorspace to 4,200 square feet. Some of Pickering's older residents might remember that our building used to be the Co-Op supermarket, which gives you an idea of our size."
To celebrate, there's a minimum of 15% off EVERYTHING in store this week
Another big change in that year was opening the mountain bike hire centre at Dalby Forest in July. Now called Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, it is a Community Interest Company, meaning that at its core is a desire to do good in the community.
DFCH is a partnership between the directors of Big Bear Bikes, David and his wife Jane, together with the directors of Scarborough and Ryedale Community Cycling (SRCC), who do outstanding inclusive work with people who might not normally be able to cycle for physical, mental or financial reasons. DFCH has also seen growth since opening and has expanded into additional units, which has increased its showroom, bike storage areas and fleet of adapted bikes.
The lockdowns of 2020 caused a surge in demand as huge numbers of people took up cycling but, unlike the bike industry as a whole, which has seen a downturn in business and issues caused by oversupply, Big Bear Bikes has managed to sustain the increase.
The US manufacturer Trek Bikes, founded in 1976 by Dick Burke, has been the company's primary bike brand since opening and the team love the fact that, unlike most major cycling brands, the company is led by the son of the founder, John Burke. This gives Trek a very different view of the world that makes them more customer and product-focused, which are important values to Big Bear Bikes, now one of the biggest Trek dealers in the UK.
Richard at 1st Vale of Pickering Cubs. Being part of the community is important to us.
E-bikes have been steadily growing in popularity since they were legalised in the UK in 2016. Since then, the technology has improved, the word has spread about how good they are and they have come down in price to the point that now about half of all bikes sold at the two stores have electric assist.
The business has 12 full-time staff and 16 part-time employees. A new member of staff has just been taken on and, hopefully, another will join the team following the extension of the workshop, where our qualified mechanics service, repair, upgrade and assemble bikes.
David said: “It has been an amazing journey over the last fifteen years and we are very thankful to all our customers, new and old, and our great team at both stores. They are all keen cyclists and between us we cover nearly all the cycling disciplines, so our friendliness, knowledge and professionalism are here to give customers the best start on their ‘cycling journey’ and support them in the future.”
*To celebrate our 15th anniversary, enjoy at least 15% off EVERYTHING in store from 23rd to 27th January. That includes bikes, with some of our sale bikes having as much as 36% off!
