Badenoch bike business will make way for property company
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Kingussie is losing a bike business and gaining a property company.
Duncan Bailey told the Strathy that he is moving ‘over the road’ on the High Street having closed his Wee Bike Hub with immediate effect on December 20.
He said: “We have become another casualty of the downturn in the bike industry and the economic challenges everyone is facing.
“I fought all year, if not longer, to prevent this from happening, but realistically, the bike industry and economy are not showing any signs of improving for 2024.
“Therefore, I had to make a decision not to continue any further. Before we dug ourselves into a hole we couldn’t get ourselves out of.”
He said that mentally, physically, and emotionally he could not continue: “The stress affected my health and family and friends relationships. Now, it’s time to repair myself and my relationships and hopefully find joy in bikes and biking once more.”
It closes quite a lengthy and often eventful chapter for him. After a big theft from his premises at the Laggan Wolftrax centre several years ago he moved into the Kingussie premises and flourished for a while.
He has passed on his thanks to all those who had supported the business over the years: “I would never have got the business to this point with their support. To all those in the bike industry who helped me out when I first started and till now, the guys are legends. There are many others who helped me make a dream a reality and supported me constantly, a huge thank you to all of them.
“I met a lot of amazing people along the way. Every failure is a lesson and moving forward, improving, learning, and doing better the next time. I am looking forward to my new chapter and using what I’ve learned.”
He has taken premises on the other side of the road and intends to build up a property portfolio and will be providing updates.
