Of the countless blog posts we’ve written over the last three years, this is the one we never wanted to write:
If you ask any small business owner, they will tell you that times are tough – we are amid The Great Recession. We, as a nation, experienced a long and unparalleled period of growth and prosperity, but we never considered that our “success” was due more to a long sequence of short-termed achievements rather than a solid foundation of cultivated hard work. Now, mired in a stagnant economy, we don’t have the ability to bootstrap ourselves back to our “comfortable” levels of spending and consumption. And it is this nebulous economy that has most small businesses in a bind.
Unfortunately, Renaissance Bicycles is no exception.
To make our situation that much more difficult, we now have the added responsibility of a (literally) growing family. Moreover, while the business is an integral part our daily lives, childcare is much more than just an aside to our daily activities. To put it plainly, we have to make an uncomfortable choice; either soldier-on with the hope of the business becoming more profitable very soon, or devote our attention to the best interest of our little clan. For us, this decision is a no-brainer. The Renaissance is over.
We have certainly made many sacrifices to create Renaissance Bicycles. The personal and professional demands on the small business owner are too easily overlooked; the amount of personal investment (both in time and dollars), the single-minded dedication, and the myriad tasks needed to operate any small business are sometimes overwhelming. Plus, to do this in a notoriously unprofitable industry make the challenge all the more daunting.
The upside to our current situation is that we’ve been able to remain (slightly) profitable since inception. Unlike many huge corporations, our closing will not be a catastrophic tumble that involved bankruptcy, foreclosure, or financial ruin. More likely is a slow fizzle into a footnote in the annals of cycling.
In the practical sense, for Renaissance Bicycles and its customers this means:
- We will no longer take on any new projects.
- We will complete our current projects.
- We will no longer source parts for customers.
- We will continue to be a small part of the cycling niche that we helped to promote.
Our website will soon be revised to reflect these changes. We will sell off our current inventory of bikes, frames, and components. We will also use our eBay store to purge many of the random little cycling bits that we’ve acquired over the last three years. If there is something of interest that you might like to purchase from our inventory, please contact us with the specifics.
Of course, we would like to take a moment to thank all of the individuals that have made this venture possible. We consider ourselves fortunate to have worked with so many pleasant and thoughtful people over the last few years. Without the support of these customers, our little venture never would have lasted this long.
Likewise, we would like to appreciate our partners in the cycling industry. Along with a long list of distributors and parts suppliers like Cane Creek, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the support we’ve received from Soma Fabrications, Velo Orange, and especially Rivendell Bicycle Works. Thanks for believing in us.
And on some small scale, we hope that we have inspired cyclists to consider the possibilities of what the larger industry considers “outdated” bikes; techniques and processes that were once considered obsolete are slowly regaining their due respect. Moreover, there is a groundswell of cyclists who value the uniqueness and craftsmanship of classically styled bikes, and their voices and buying power are slowly changing the industry.
So, it is with heartfelt gratitude to our supporters that we say goodbye and close our virtual doors. And if we can leave you with one final sentiment, it is to support your local bike shop; they are your friends, neighbors, and fellow cyclists who embody the community and comradery that is cycling.
Thanks again,
– Bryan, Kyndra, Grayson, and Carina
