Serk Closes Repair Business to Focus on Building its Own Bike Brand
After a decade in business, Beijing cycling store and repair shop Serk is closing its repair business for good. Yet as the saying goes, when one door closes, another door opens and the end of bike sales and repairs marks the transition into a new phase of the Serk universe.
Shannon Bufton, co-founder and owner of the shop, announced the news on WeChat.
“It’s with a heavy heart we announce that Serk as you know it will be closing its doors this Sunday. After 10 years operating as a bike shop in Beijing, the time has come for our business to evolve,” he posted in a private group.
Over the years, Serk has grown from a small bike repair store to a multifaceted business: organizing popular day and multi-day rides as well as selling a line of merchandise and their own branded bikes. The store, which attracted cycling enthusiasts from all over the world with high-end custom builds, refurbished rare and vintage bikes, and bicycle repair services also formed a strong community with many loyal followers.
Bufton put the closure down to changing economic forces, including the lowering of margins and prices on bike parts and repairs, and the precarious nature of juggling landlords and business regulations in Beijing, all of which meant that running the store in its current form was no longer viable. “It’s time for us to operate in a smarter fashion and redirect our energies towards building Serk’s growing adventure and bike businesses.”
It is these aspects of the business that will guide the brand in its new step, namely, moving into a new design space in 46 Fangjia Hutong. Indeed, Serk is no stranger to change after having moved several times already, always evolving according to economic forces and customer demands.
According to Bufton, the new location will continue to sell Serk branded merchandise and bicycles, and serve as a hub for the substantial community of cycling enthusiasts that Serk has built up over the years. They'll also maintain their organized rides and expeditions.
The move to Fangjia Hutong will also coincide with the release of the next generation Serk Ti bike, "a lightweight all-terrain adventure machine" made with titanium and carbon – the fifth model that the brand has produced so far.
Serk will mark the closure of their store with an auction on a selection of bikes and parts at 7.30pm this Sunday, Mar 31. Five percent of the takings will be donated to charity, and the store will also be providing a fridge full of Jing-A and Panda Brew beer for bidders.
READ: 4 Reasons Why Cycling in Beijing Is Way Nicer Than You Think
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Photos courtesy of Serk
