The Route Bike Shop closes downtown

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After more than three years of doing business in downtown Hastings, The Route Bike Shop has closed its doors for good. In the Midtown area, another local business, Roadside Pump, closed.

The Route owner Adam Schmidt said he was hoping business would turn around after declining over the past year, but that didn’t happen.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “That town should have a bike shop.”

Schmidt said warranties for anyone who purchased a bike from the store would still be honored at The Route’s River Falls, Wis., store, located at 102 S. Main St. They also do repairs at the River Falls store.

The Route recently moved from its original location across Sibley Street to 122 E. Second St., but Schmidt said the move didn’t help business enough to make a difference.

He was also worried about the prospect of two years of construction with the Highway 61 bridge replacement, and said that, coupled with the down economy, created too much of a risk for him to allow the store to remain open.

Roadside Pump, at 225 W. 11th St., also recently closed. The service station adjacent to Roadside Pump, AA Auto Technicians, is under different ownership than the gas station and is still in business.

Tags: local news, the route, news, downtown