A popular bike shop that first opened in the 1960s is threatened with closure if new owners cannot be found.

Tri the Bike Shop, in Gravesend, has been run by husband and wife Ted and Sue Tickner for the last 25 years but they've made the difficult decision to step down.

Ted, 71, of Rainham said: "We are too old for it now and we do not need the hassle of running a business. It is a hard decision and has been very difficult.

"Business is difficult in all aspects at the moment. The bills are getting bigger and we have had to cut our losses somewhere.

"We have had a few people interested in taking it over, so I hope someone will come in and keep it going.

"It is the last surviving bike shop, apart from Halfords, in the area, so it would be nice to see it taken over."

He and Sue, 66, are now looking forward to spending more time together without the stress of a business and go on trips in their motor home. They are planning to visit Scotland on their first retirement holiday.

The shop, in Windmill Street, has been open since the 1960s and was once known as Bridge Cycles.

It is a family-run, independent bike shop and has grown to include a downstairs and upstairs showroom and a servicing station at the back.

Manager Leo Brown – who has worked at the store for 15 years – said: "The owners are retiring. They now just want to relax and not have the responsibility of running a business everyday.

"An older couple used to own it but then it was just the front of the shop and they used to live upstairs. There used to be flats out the back too.

"It has got a lot bigger over the years. Since I have been here, it has expanded up to the top.

"I will miss it. It is like a second home really. Everyone has been coming in with lots of stories and memories."

It provides anything from children's to electric bikes, ones which cost as little as £200 to more elite models at around £4,000, cycling accessories and other services.

"The changes in cycling have been huge," said Leo. "There are now electric bikes and newer models. It used to be quite simple back in the day.

"We have started to see more people buying electric bikes. Covid was really good for us too, we sold out of pretty much everything.

"It was the best we had done for some time. We were allowed to be open as an essential service for people who needed bikes or needed them fixing who used them for work.

"It was really good. It was quite fortuitous for us. We did have to close for a little while but a lot of people started to get bikes for exercise."

The store had announced its last day would be October 31 but Ted said this could now be pushed back to the end of November – and remains hopeful it can be saved.

On its potential closure, former customer Glen Brown said: "Sorry to hear that this is happening. I don’t ride bikes any more but I spent hours as a teenager in the shop looking at bits, good luck to all of you in the future."

Mike Martin added: "I am gutted to read this as I only just started being (I thought it was going to be ongoing) a customer bringing my Voodoo in for its first service and one of your guys had convinced me to look at possibly more road or gravel oriented bike."

Another client William Speed said: "Sorry to hear [this]. You are a great bike shop and maintenance service. Wish you all the best in what you guys do in the future."

If a new owner is not found it would leave the town with only one other bike shop – Halfords at the Imperial Retail Park, Thames Way.

Ted confirmed he would be talking to potential buyers in the next few weeks.