Coqui Cyclery at 3416 Semmes Ave. (Jack Jacobs photo)
A decade-old Forest Hill cycling shop appears to have abruptly shuttered, leaving customers’ bikes locked away out of reach and at least one vendor claiming it’s owed six figures.
Multiple customers report that Coqui Cyclery at 3416 Semmes Ave. has gone dark in recent weeks and ceased communications with them regarding service on bikes and orders made through the store.
Coqui and its owner, Clint Kronenberger, also were sued last month by California-based bike-maker Giant Bicycles USA, which claims the Richmond shop owes it nearly $150,000 for unpaid goods.
The store appeared to be closed Wednesday morning during its posted business hours and it was unclear whether it would reopen.
Clint Kronenberger
The business’s phone was disconnected on Wednesday and Kronenberger didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. The company did not appear to have made any public announcements regarding its status.
Customers have taken to Facebook and Reddit in recent days to share experiences and swap information about the store’s closing and lack of communication.
One person in a Facebook Messenger group dedicated to discussion of recent events at Coqui said he paid about $3,500 for a bike frame in mid-October and had yet to get his hands on it. Another poster in that group said he spent $6,000 on a bike he hasn’t gotten.
Two customers who spoke with BizSense said that as far as they can tell, the store has been closed since around the middle of December.
Shortly after Thanksgiving, Blair Just said he and his ex-wife brought one of her bikes into the store for a damage assessment after a tree crashed through the garage where the bike was stored.
Just said they never heard back from the company about the status of the bike, which he estimated was worth about $2,000. He said as far as he knew, the bike was still sitting in the shop.
“We figured we’d hear back, but we didn’t,” he said. “We tried to get in touch with them and you’d call a number that’s been disconnected.”
Just said he’s been a repeat customer of Coqui and thought highly of the business. He was disappointed to see the shop apparently go silent on its customers.
“I never walked away from an interaction with those folks where I didn’t feel like I had been well taken care of,” he said. “This is killing their business.”
Another customer, Michael Haney, has given up on receiving the $1,500 custom bike wheels he ordered from the store. He said he placed the order in late November and was told it would take about two weeks to arrive.
When he didn’t get any word from the store by the third week, he found that the store appeared to have shuttered when he stopped by Dec. 16. He returned Dec. 20 and the store was still closed.
Come Friday, Haney expects to receive a new set of custom bike wheels he bought from another company as a replacement for the order from Coqui. He figured it was easier to accept the loss than hope to get the money back in a timely fashion.
“I double paid for a set of wheels. You can’t do anything about it. Who knows how long this will take to resolve,” he said.
Coqui opened on Semmes Avenue in 2012. The company has owned its building since 2016, according to online city records. The store sells bikes and accessories and also does repairs. In addition to Giant, the store also carries brands such as Liv, All-City and Surly.
The Giant lawsuit, filed Dec. 19 in Richmond Circuit Court, claims Coqui breached a contract the previous month. It alleges that Kronenberger is liable for that breach based on a personal guarantee for a credit application. Giant is seeking a judgment for $144,000 plus interest and legal fees.
Coqui hadn’t submitted a response to the lawsuit as of Wednesday morning. A hearing date on the matter hadn’t been set yet.
Coqui Cyclery at 3416 Semmes Ave. (Jack Jacobs photo)
A decade-old Forest Hill cycling shop appears to have abruptly shuttered, leaving customers’ bikes locked away out of reach and at least one vendor claiming it’s owed six figures.
Multiple customers report that Coqui Cyclery at 3416 Semmes Ave. has gone dark in recent weeks and ceased communications with them regarding service on bikes and orders made through the store.
Coqui and its owner, Clint Kronenberger, also were sued last month by California-based bike-maker Giant Bicycles USA, which claims the Richmond shop owes it nearly $150,000 for unpaid goods.
The store appeared to be closed Wednesday morning during its posted business hours and it was unclear whether it would reopen.
Clint Kronenberger
The business’s phone was disconnected on Wednesday and Kronenberger didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. The company did not appear to have made any public announcements regarding its status.
Customers have taken to Facebook and Reddit in recent days to share experiences and swap information about the store’s closing and lack of communication.
One person in a Facebook Messenger group dedicated to discussion of recent events at Coqui said he paid about $3,500 for a bike frame in mid-October and had yet to get his hands on it. Another poster in that group said he spent $6,000 on a bike he hasn’t gotten.
Two customers who spoke with BizSense said that as far as they can tell, the store has been closed since around the middle of December.
Shortly after Thanksgiving, Blair Just said he and his ex-wife brought one of her bikes into the store for a damage assessment after a tree crashed through the garage where the bike was stored.
Just said they never heard back from the company about the status of the bike, which he estimated was worth about $2,000. He said as far as he knew, the bike was still sitting in the shop.
“We figured we’d hear back, but we didn’t,” he said. “We tried to get in touch with them and you’d call a number that’s been disconnected.”
Just said he’s been a repeat customer of Coqui and thought highly of the business. He was disappointed to see the shop apparently go silent on its customers.
“I never walked away from an interaction with those folks where I didn’t feel like I had been well taken care of,” he said. “This is killing their business.”
Another customer, Michael Haney, has given up on receiving the $1,500 custom bike wheels he ordered from the store. He said he placed the order in late November and was told it would take about two weeks to arrive.
When he didn’t get any word from the store by the third week, he found that the store appeared to have shuttered when he stopped by Dec. 16. He returned Dec. 20 and the store was still closed.
Come Friday, Haney expects to receive a new set of custom bike wheels he bought from another company as a replacement for the order from Coqui. He figured it was easier to accept the loss than hope to get the money back in a timely fashion.
“I double paid for a set of wheels. You can’t do anything about it. Who knows how long this will take to resolve,” he said.
Coqui opened on Semmes Avenue in 2012. The company has owned its building since 2016, according to online city records. The store sells bikes and accessories and also does repairs. In addition to Giant, the store also carries brands such as Liv, All-City and Surly.
The Giant lawsuit, filed Dec. 19 in Richmond Circuit Court, claims Coqui breached a contract the previous month. It alleges that Kronenberger is liable for that breach based on a personal guarantee for a credit application. Giant is seeking a judgment for $144,000 plus interest and legal fees.
Coqui hadn’t submitted a response to the lawsuit as of Wednesday morning. A hearing date on the matter hadn’t been set yet.
I am sad to read this. I have been into this shop a couple of times to buy accessories. It was highly recommended by friends, and I had a great experience there. Very nice, helpful people. In fact, I have never heard a bad word spoken about this shop.
I bought a bike there in 2022. Good people, very helpful, good business. Hopefully everything is ok, what a shame!
I’m disappointed in this. I went in December ’22 and purchased my bike from them. Had nothing but an outstanding experience. I did email them about the follow up maintenance with zero response. Also with the previous ownership situation I’m sad to see this close. Hopefully someone fills their void.
I really feel bad the shop is closed and that people can’t get their bikes .I really enjoyed talking to Clint about bikes and when ever I needed a quick adjustment or something checked they were very helpful and responsive .One of the few shops I trusted with my bike.i hope things get figured out and they reopen