OR bike is Closing

A letter from Owner Brad

 

It's always a sad day when a business announces a closure, and this is very true for ORbike, and for me personally. 

For twenty years I've worked on OR bike and its events. I became co-owner of them in 2018, and now owner. It has been a wild ride, if you will. However, that ride isn't free, and the events aren't sustaining the business. 

I can't point to any one reason. From declining ridership, the pandemic, or how I've run the business. But if you have no income and no investment dollars, then you are just running on sweat and tears.

OR bike hasn’t turned a profit since 2023. That means that I have been subsidizing your ride.

I'm passionate about supporting cycling and these rides. That's why I've done this for so long. If I were a cutthroat capitalist, I would have closed this business back in 2024. But I didn’t. So here we are with a few more gray hairs and a lot fewer miles on my own bike.

Many of you have sent me many ideas for improving the rides, the business, and all the various aspects of what we do. I thank you for that. Unfortunately, those ideas have been challenged by my constrained capacities and the insufficient funds.

The analogy is one we all know too well. It’s that restaurant around the corner that seems to be doing fine, and then suddenly closes. Later you hear how the owner had been cutting shifts, taking on more work themselves, changing the menu to adjust for less volume, and a myriad of little things they hoped would bridge the gap and get things back to profitability. But there comes a point where, despite your best efforts, that's just not realistic anymore.

So we are closing. And I don't know if there will be another iteration of ORbike in the future. Maybe this will provide the spark for the phoenix.  

Some people and groups I want to thank.

First, I want to thank those riders who have been with us for a long time.

I also want to thank our longtime volunteers, who have created a community around what OR bike is all about.

I want to thank our longtime sponsors, who have provided so much support over the years.

Thank you Nossa Familia Coffee, Hopworks Brewing, Lucky Lab Brewing, River City Bicycles, and the others who have been a part of the rides over the years.

And I want to thank Porter, for creating this whole thing, and for everything he has personally given.

Lastly, I want to thank two key staff people, Savannah and Aubrey, who have genuinely elevated the work of OR bike.

If you are currently registered for the Harvest Century, you will be getting a direct email about this year's cancelled event as well.

As we say around here…
THANK YOU and RIDE YOUR RIDE.

Sincerely,

Brad Nelson
Owner