Clive Mitchell Cycles doubles up near Newquay after 50 years

For half a century, Clive Mitchell Cycles has run its Cornwall operation across two separate sites. From this month, for the first time, the lot comes under one roof.

A single site for stock, workshop and staff

The family-run business has acquired part of a neighbouring former garage site at its Summercourt base, near Newquay, and completed construction of an 11,000 sq ft store to meet growing demand from cyclists across the county. Clive Mitchell Cycles opens the new showroom on Monday 14 September, with a Grand Opening Day to follow on Saturday 10 October.

Bringing operations that are currently spread across two locations onto one site means the business can hold more stock and cut out the need to move products between premises. It also gives customers a shorter wait for their orders.

Sustainability built into the walls

The new showroom is all-electric, fitted with 42 solar panels, heat pumps and underfloor heating. Together they are expected to save the business hundreds of pounds in energy costs a year.

Room for the team to grow

Beyond the extra space for customers, the building adds five workshop stations for the company’s mechanics and a dedicated bike fitting studio, alongside significantly more free parking on site than the old premises could offer.

Clive Mitchell Cycles currently employs 11 full-time staff and one part-time member, and plans to recruit another team member as the new site becomes established, with apprenticeship opportunities to follow. The business sells bikes from a range of major brands across road, gravel and electric categories, alongside servicing and repairs, and supports commuters across Cornwall including employees at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. Electric bikes in particular have become an increasingly important part of the range.

Located close to the A30 in the centre of Cornwall, the Summercourt site gives the business a more prominent base to serve customers from across the whole county, while adding capacity to support its growing online presence.

Fifty years in the family

Clive Mitchell and his wife Mary founded the business in 1970, selling a wide range of products alongside second-hand bicycles advertised through local newspapers. Their daughter Sarah remains part of the team today, while Clive’s brother Fred Mitchell, who first became involved with the company in the 1990s, now runs the business alongside his sons Daniel and Dominic.

The development has been supported by a £750,000 Buildings Transition Loan from Lloyds, with Matthew Williams MRICS of Stratton Creber Commercial providing monitoring surveyor services throughout the build.

Fred Mitchell, Managing Director at Clive Mitchell Cycles, said the investment gives the business the space it needs to bring more of its operations together in one place, adding that having the showroom, stock and workshop facilities under one roof will make the team more efficient and improve the experience for customers. He said cycling has changed enormously over the years, with electric bikes in particular opening it up to more people by removing barriers such as a medical condition, fitness or the distance someone needs to travel, and that the business is seeing people of all ages discover or rediscover cycling as a result.

Andrew Stephens, Relationship Manager at Lloyds, called Clive Mitchell Cycles a fantastic example of a family business that has continued to evolve over more than half a century while remaining rooted in its local community, adding that the loan came with no arrangement fee thanks to the property’s strong energy efficiency credentials.

“Our focus now,” Fred said, “is on making the most of the new site and giving something back to customers who have supported us throughout the past 50 years.”