If you were big into cycling during the mail-order catalog days, you probably ran across Colorado Cyclist. They were one of those brands cyclists in the U.S. recognized, even if you never actually ordered from them. Their print catalogs seemed to be everywhere for decades, full of gear and promise.
But things change. In 2024, Colorado Cyclist told customers it was closing up shop. So what happened? Where did the company go, and is there a future for the name at all? Here’s the story, with a straightforward look at what’s happened to Colorado Cyclist and the business moves following its shutdown.
A Brief History: Who Was Colorado Cyclist?
Colorado Cyclist opened its doors back in 1989. For a long stretch, it was one of those go-to cycling retailers, first through mail order (remember flipping through catalogs and calling in orders?) and later online. They focused on high-end road bikes, components, and accessories. While a lot of local bike shops handled repairs and lower-cost bikes, Colorado Cyclist pushed deeper into the enthusiast and racing scene.
Over the years, the shop became well known for offering custom wheel builds, specialty bike parts, and gear you couldn’t always find at the corner bike store. For competitive riders and serious hobbyists, they were a classic catalog to browse—almost like an athlete’s wish list.
The Merger with Planet Cyclery
By 2022, the cycling market looked much different. Online-only competitors were grabbing bigger market shares. Colorado Cyclist, seeing the writing on the wall, merged with another online-focused store called Planet Cyclery. Planet Cyclery had made its own name selling parts and accessories online at competitive prices.
This merger was designed to give both companies some operational benefits. They could pool staff and combine websites, giving customers a smoother experience. But while that sounds good on paper, regulars noticed the combined sites didn’t stay as stocked as before.
Customer Reactions and Business Warnings
People on bike forums and Reddit started to notice something was up. Around 2023, posts popped up about the selection shrinking, especially high-end items. Some longtime buyers saw prices slashed deeply. These are the kind of signs—discount “fire sales” and weird gaps in inventory—that usually mean a store is wrapping up business rather than gearing up for a strong season.
Rumors began circulating about issues behind the scenes. Users speculated they were selling off old stock and winding things down. At the time, Colorado Cyclist didn’t say much publicly, but the mood in the cycling community pointed toward big changes ahead.
Shutting Down in April 2024
That brings us to spring 2024, when confirmation finally arrived: Colorado Cyclist, at least in its long-standing form, was shutting down. The official word came in April. Their website and email channels notified customers of the closure and promised updates regarding outstanding orders. Most reports from forum users said refunds and customer service responses wrapped up pretty quietly.
The reasons line up with what you’d expect—stiff competition from international e-commerce giants, supplier challenges, and a market still recovering from the supply chain shocks of the COVID-19 era. Even some diehard loyalists had started shopping on bigger sites, citing better inventory and faster shipping.
Cambria Bike Steps In: Acquisition of Assets
Then, later in 2024, a new development: an acquisition. Cambria Bike, another big online player in the cycling retail world, announced they were buying the “intellectual property” associated with both Colorado Cyclist and Planet Cyclery. This means they didn’t buy the shops themselves or their inventory, but got control over things like the websites, email lists, and those valuable customer contacts.
Cambria Bike isn’t some new arrival. They started in California and have been catering to cyclists for decades, especially mountain bikers and online deal-hunters. This move lets Cambria expand its reach without opening new stores or warehouses. They basically picked up the digital keys to all the customers who trusted Colorado Cyclist and Planet Cyclery.
Why Would Cambria Care?
If you’re wondering: why buy the ghost of a closed retailer? For Cambria, the value is clear. Each cycling shop, especially those with history like Colorado Cyclist, has a loyal customer base, rich mailing lists, and brand recognition that’s hard to build from scratch. Scooping up those digital “assets” gives Cambria access to thousands of potential buyers.
Cambria’s public comments say they want to keep three different flavors for customers: Cambria Bike focuses on high-end mountain bikes and gear, Planet Cyclery will lean into affordable parts deals, and Colorado Cyclist will target road cycling enthusiasts—just like the old days, but digitally.
No Revival Just Yet
Is Colorado Cyclist really coming back? Not so fast. As of early 2026, no major relaunches or “grand openings” have been announced for the Colorado Cyclist brand. Cambria has started a soft reopening of Planet Cyclery online, featuring deals on accessories and smaller parts. The Colorado Cyclist domain gives a hint of something “coming soon,” but that’s about it for now.
If you check out cycling forums or retail news sites, there’s no big buzz or customer chatter about a resurrected Colorado Cyclist store. Instead, most of the online conversation in 2025 and 2026 has focused on major bike shop closures around the country as the post-pandemic sales surge cools off.
What Cambria Bike’s Strategy Looks Like
Cambria Bike seems to be playing a long game. They’re betting there’s room for several different online cycling brands, each speaking to a slightly different crowd. Maybe you love hitting the mountain trails, maybe you only care about the best deal, or maybe you’re training for next season’s road race. By splitting their presence into three distinct storefronts, Cambria figures they’ll catch more shoppers without muddying their core identity.
They remain independently owned, which matters in a market where a few huge players have gobbled up dozens of smaller ones. If Cambria can make old brands like Colorado Cyclist relevant online again, that’s a big win.
How Customers Feel About the Changes
For anyone who shopped at Colorado Cyclist over the years, there’s a mix of nostalgia and disappointment. Some folks on social media and cycling blogs say they miss the old days—calling in orders, flipping through catalogs, and talking to staff who actually rode bikes themselves.
But others have already moved on. The modern reality is that competition from global e-commerce giants has made it tough for old-school shops to survive. If Cambria’s plan works, maybe those brands will live on, but in a new, digital-only format that focuses sharply on specific customer groups.
Industry Impacts and Lessons
The story of Colorado Cyclist’s closure, merger, and eventual asset sale looks a lot like what’s happening across cycling retail. Dozens of familiar names have faded as customers increasingly shop online. COVID-19 briefly boosted bike sales, but the afterglow didn’t last. Some shops expanded rapidly, only to find demand slowing and costs rising.
Cambria’s strategic acquisitions could become a model for other niche online retailers looking to pick up smaller competitors or their brand assets. There are plenty of discussions on business resources and news platforms, like Around Business, about similar acquisition strategies and market segmentation.
Where Things Stand Now (Early 2026)
So, is Colorado Cyclist “out of business” today? Yes, in the traditional sense. The original company no longer operates its own warehouse, ships bikes, or fields service calls. Its old domain and mailing list now belong to Cambria Bike, who has yet to officially reopen the Colorado Cyclist store for public shopping.
Cambria remains privately owned and online-focused. They’re expanding by picking up brands that once had strong customer loyalty but couldn’t keep up with today’s e-commerce giants. Their big bet: that carefully tailored websites with old brand names can draw in nostalgic buyers—and maybe even a new generation of cyclists.
The Bottom Line
What does the future hold for Colorado Cyclist and the other brands hiding under Cambria’s expanding digital tent? For now, there’s no sign of a big comeback for Colorado Cyclist as a physical shop or an industry heavyweight. But the value of its name and its customer base clearly hasn’t disappeared. Cambria’s investment shows there’s still life in old bike shop brands, if only as specialized websites and curated e-commerce experiences.
If you’re a longtime customer, you might be watching that domain for hints of a real relaunch. But if you’re just a curious shopper, this whole saga says a lot about the state of the cycling business in the mid-2020s—where brand loyalty, digital reach, and the right acquisition can matter as much as having the latest gear on shop shelves.
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