In a blow to sustainable transport in Fitzrovia and across London independent cycle shop Velorution will be closing all its stores this month — bringing an abrupt end to the brand’s long history with the neighbourhood.
In an email to customers on Friday 15 September an unnamed representative of the store announced:
“Velorution has been serving the London bike community for nearly 20 years, but sadly due to the economic conditions (which have been particularly harsh on the cycling industry) and circumstances beyond our control (a bus crashing into our Chelsea store certainly didn’t help!), we have sadly decided to enter into a programme which will involve the closure of each of Velorution’s four shops and its website.”
In May this year a driver also crashed into the Great Portland Street shop.
Velorution started out at the lower end of Great Titchfield Street as a shop selling cargo and utility bikes and with a mission to change the way cycling is viewed — promoting it as an everyday activity as sustainable transport much like as you would experience in The Netherlands or Denmark.
The shop moved to a smaller premises in Great Portland Street and then was bought out by Jonathan Cole’s Bike Republic in 2012. The brand went from strength-to-strength, including buying out another local cycle shop, Fitzrovia Bicycles, in 2017 and opening three other shops.
Its store on at 75-77 Great Portland Street on the corner with Riding House Street sold a range of urban cycles, e-bikes as well as accessories and stylish clothing.
However, in August this year the brand was put up for sale.
The shop is now winding down and offering customers some final bargains.
“Whilst we’re currently offering 25 percent off everything (some exclusions apply) on our website we will be undertaking a closing-down sale from the 18th of September for approximately one week. All of our stock will be sold so be sure to grab a one-in-a-lifetime bargain — either online or in-store.
“We’d like to take this moment to thank every single one of our customers who has shopped with us over the past two decades. Whether that’s been buying a bike, visiting us for a service or even just buying a coffee from our famous trike (which is also for sale) — it’s been a great journey and we hope to see another generation of Velorution in future.
“All of our stores remain open and contactable for enquiries during this time,” they stated in the email to customers.
It’s a sad end to an independent trader and a blow to not only to local cyclists but the loss of a much needed destination shop in Fitzrovia West.
Velorution, urban and electric cycling, 75-77 Great Portland Street, London W1W 7LR.