To Bicicletta’s Valued Clients,
We are very excited to announce that our group, CSL Sports, has acquired the assets of Bicicletta. Going forward, CSL will use the “Bicicletta” name and “bicicletta.cc” domain, ensuring that Bicicletta will continue to be able to operate as the premier cycling destination in Vancouver, and across Canada.
That probably sounds pretty corporate, and you probably have lots of questions! So we figured we would try to answer some in this letter.
Your first question probably is: Who is CSL? CSL was founded by Alex Conconi, Malcolm Steenburgh, and Taylor Little, three Vancouver-based entrepreneurs and long-time cyclists. Alex and Taylor are long-time friends and business partners. Malcolm is a long-time friend of Bicicletta’s, having helped them with their digital transformation. Malcolm got to know Taylor and Alex through cycling (including an overnight mountain bike trip in the Chilcotins), and the three of them have been friends for the last five years.
Why did CSL make this move? As long-time customers of the business, we know that Bicicletta is an iconic mainstay in the local community, and thanks to a successful digital transition during the pandemic it has built a national following online as well. Our motivation with this transaction is simple: we want to ensure the continuity of the business we love, but perhaps more excitingly, we see this as an opportunity to breathe fresh life into an iconic 40 year old brand.
What does this mean for our loyal guests, both online and in store? First and foremost, we want you to know how important cycling is to all of us, and that Bicicletta means something beyond “bike shop”. We do not take the task of operating this business lightly.
We are proud to say that all of Bicicletta’s team members prior to the transactions have been rehired, meaning many of the faces and names you’ve become familiar with will still be around. Bicicletta’s former owners have also been retained on transition agreements to help guide us with resurrecting the business.
Will anything be different? The easy answer is that we want to keep all of the good, and none of the bad. We’re determined to make the guest experience in store and online the best experience in Canada, whether that be outfitting you for road, gravel, or mountain biking, or even the après. The available curated product selection that Bici made its name for is coming back. And, yes, bike service is coming back - in a big way. Our vision is to make Bicicletta the most welcoming and helpful experience for aspirational and competitive cyclists in all of Canada - both in person and online.
Where can we find you? We plan on opening a new full-service brick and mortar retail store as soon as we can. Things can always change at the last minute, but we are on the finish line of securing new space in East Vancouver with more details to come soon. In the meantime, you can always find us online at bicicletta.cc.
Times are tough out there. The road ahead will be bumpy, but isn’t that one of the reasons we are all in love with this sport? We are stoked for the adventure ahead. Thank you for being a loyal customer of Bicicletta. We appreciate your business and are excited to serve you.
Sincerely,
The CSL Sports Team
The CSL Leadership Team. From Left to right, Taylor, Alex, and Malcolm.