US bike shops boomed early in pandemic, now facing bumpy ride

FILE - Mechanic Lizzy Thomson works at University Bicycles in Boulder, Colo., April 30, 2024. FILE - Salesmen Will Malfeld, left, and Ben Chandler work at University Bicycles in Boulder, Colo., April 30, 2024.

For the nation's bicycle shops, the past few years have probably felt like the business version of the Tour de France, with numerous twists and turns testing their endurance.