The Final Days at Tri The Bike Shop, Gravesend

A beloved Gravesend bike shop faces closure unless a buyer can be found within a few days.

A bike shop has traded from this site in Windmill Street, Gravesend, for some 60 years. However, at the end of November 2022, Tri The Bike Shop will close its shutters for the last time.

The Slow Death of the High Street

This is a story of a bike shop and the people who work there, but just as significantly, a symbol of the slow death of the High Street.

Over the last few years, many of Gravesend’s shops have closed, including many independent shops, leaving the town without alternatives. This further encourages residents to shop outside of their local high street.

The current shop, owned by Ted and Sue Tickner, has traded here for 25 years. Ted told KentOnline, “We are too old for it now, and we do not need the hassle of running a business. It is a hard decision and has been very difficult.”

I spent the morning with manager Leo Brown (not shown), mechanic Stuart Britten and assistant James Medhurst. It’s sad to lose another small independent shop in the town. If we want to keep them, we must support them.

“We are too old for it now, and we do not need the hassle of running a business. It is a hard decision and has been very difficult.” Ted Tickner.

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