Open Air Bicycles is closing their doors by the end of next month — unless they can find someone to take the handlebars.
The full-service bike shop has served Santa Barbara since 1971. It’s moved locations and changed hands over the years, but it’s kept its spirit.
It’s where current owner Ed Brown bought his first bike as a high schooler. He’s an avid mountain biker and, for years, worked at local bike shops, including Open Air and Velo Pro. In 2010, he made the leap and became Open Air’s third owner.
He almost changed the name, he recounted, but that would have been a mistake. “It’s amazing how many people seek us out just because it’s such a long-standing bike shop,” he said.
Brown admitted he feels bad about letting the shop go. But he got married nine months ago. He is ready to retire to his home in Colorado, get back on the wheels, and “bike around the mountains.”
His lease is up on March 31, the shop is expensive, and he’s been doing it for 16 years. He was actually ready to retire three years ago, but the sale fell through. “It’s time,” he said. “I’ve had the shop on the market, on and off, looking for the right person, but just haven’t found that.”
Bike shops everywhere have struggled in recent years due to lingering issues from the pandemic-related boom and bust.
People bought out shop inventories looking for an outdoor hobby during lockdown, but high demand, coupled with shipping and manufacturing delays during that time, made restocking a headache, if not near-impossible.
By the time manufacturers caught up, they had a case of over-production, as many newfound bike hobbyists went back inside and abandoned their wheels. And with the rise in online shopping, people are not as willing to walk through a physical set of doors to find their perfect ride. Even the sales of trendy e-bikes have slowed down significantly in the past two years.
“It’s been a tough couple of years,” Brown said. “All those factors came crashing down on the retail bike shops.”
Open Air is one of the few remaining local spots that “haven’t gone corporate,” Brown said.
But the business is still there, he assured. They still have 40,000 customers in their database — including many that have been loyal to the shop for a long time. People know and love the name.
Brown said he would hate to close the doors permanently, and would prefer to transition to a new owner and show them the ropes. He’s not looking for the money, he said, but rather, to continue the shop’s legacy. The shop just needs the right bike enthusiast to steer it. They have to have “that passion,” Brown said.
“Open Air’s been around so long, it would just be sad — the community would miss it,” Brown said.
“I’ve just been doing this for a long time. I’m moving on to greener pastures — I mean, literally, five acres in Colorado,” he laughed. “But I would love to be able to pass it on.”
In the meantime, the store is liquidating its stock, with bikes and apparel marked down by as much as 30 to 75 percent. “The bikes are going fast,” Brown noted.
Open Air Bicycles is located at 135 East Carrillo Street. Learn more at openairbicycles.com
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