Stif Mountain Bikes has announced that it will close its doors this September. The news was revealed in an Instagram post, which reads:
A Message to Our Community
After an incredible journey, we’ll be bowing out this September.
It’s been an amazing ride — from our very own Aladdin’s cave in Headingley, to the Covid boom, wild staff nights out, and everything in between. We’ve had the honour of supporting riders of every level, from local legends to household names, and even making our own bike along the way.
Opening our Bristol store was a huge milestone, powered by our DIY, can-do attitude and a passion for creating something truly special. At the heart of it all has been our cherished customer base — the lifeblood of everything we’ve built.
This business was never just about selling bikes. It was built on trusted relationships, honest advice, and top-tier customer service. We partnered only with brands we love and use ourselves, and that authenticity carried us far.
As we prepare to close our doors, we’re inviting you to help us clear the decks. There’ll be some amazing bargains to be had — a final celebration of the community that’s made this possible.
While we may be closing the shop, your support won’t stop. Warranty support will continue via our friends at Jungle, who will retain our systems records and even take on some of our fantastic staff.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you – to every one of our loyal customers, and to every staff member who has made this place what it is. We couldn’t of done it without you. It’s never been just a job or just a business. It’s been a family.
With gratitude and pride, I’ve had the time of my life,
Sammy. Stif Mountain Bikes
Stif Mountain Bikes currently has a shop in Bristol, and a workshop/warehouse for its online operations in Summerbridge, North Yorkshire. Yorkshire was the original location, and Stif had a bricks-and-mortar shop there until it closed in 2024. Stif is owned by Jungle (UK distributors for Santa Cruz), and Jungle is owned by Santa Cruz, who is in turn owned by PON Holdings, the global manufacturing giant that owns Santa Cruz, Cannondale, GT and Cervelo. Further up the chain again, PON group also owns car brands including Audi, Bentley, Volkswagen and Porsche.
In a further statement Dickon Hepworth, Managing Director of Pon Bike Performance UK told us, “We are ultimately responsible for our UK business and this decision was made in order to concentrate our resources 100% towards our dealers and distribution business.”
Stif also had its own line of bikes, with the Stif Squatch proving a popular steel hardtail. There are some bargains to be had on those right now, alongside loads of other components and accessories, if you’re so inclined.
We’re sad to hear this news. All the best to Sammy and the team.
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just summerbridge or bristol too ?
Sad news & a reflection on the current state of the economy. Stiff has been around for ever, I remember going to the original store as a kid.
Massive though PON are, they don’t own the car brands listed, but the international distributors in certain markets as per their website (you need to click on the brand name for info): https://pon.com/en/about-pon/companies/
What a shame. I used to love going to the shop in Headingly on a Saturday afternoon.
In 2015 if you’d been asked to predict which UK MTB retailers would survive a slowdown Stif, CRC and Wiggle would have been right at the top of my list.I can’t help but feel that Stif closing its doors shows just how bad the MTB economy is. Stif is a heritage brand in its own right. They mostly sold products that are either owned by the group they are in or are distributed by the group they are in. Compared to a ‘normal’ bike shop Stifs margins on a sale must have been enormous.
Both. Summerbridge has been appointment only for a while.
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What i can’t understand though is “HOW"… there’s more and more people buying bikes, more and more people riding bikes, tonnes of people at Dyfi, BPW, etc which are always full, racing is booming (in a DH scene anyway) and Ebikes are massively popular…Â
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People aren’t buying bikes at anything close to RRP in anything like the numbers they have in recent years though. The race/bike park uplift  scene is a tiny portion of a tiny part of the total market. Do you find you see the same faces there?
That’s not to say anything about the huge recent increase in staffing costs
remember the first shop tucked round a few tight corners in Headingly, was a proper shop with gucci bling that no one else had- happy days
bought my pace forks from them and lots of other essentials!!
Wouldn’t like to say in truth mate, you’ll always see the odd person you know at places, but some i think more so than others, some have a ‘core’ membership like Dyfi, or Caersws. But the rest are just randoms. Then places like FoD are just rammed weekend in weekend out, like hundreds upon hundreds of people, bikes etc. Even when we were in Inners, the people at the pubs outnumbered any locals 20-1. But there has to be ‘something’ here that’s being missed by me as clearly a lot of places are struggling.Â
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I think a big problem for shops is that mountain bikes have got a lot better. Geometry has been sorted for a few years now and most components other than the drivetrain actually last so there’s far less reason to buy a new bike.Â
A shame to see another one go, I always liked Stif and had plenty from them over the years. Perhaps the number of MTB places in decline is to do with MTBers doing their own maintenance and that being where the traditional bike shop margins came from?
I appreciate it may be a small sample but out of my regular riding group of 10 (perhaps 18 ish bikes between us) I dont think there is a single one of us who takes their MTB to a shop for a service or repair.
I should qualify that by saying most of us do our own maintence, one bloke just ignores servicing and the noise until something breaks and somebody else in the group helps fix it in the carpark or the bike is that knackered that it gets replaced!Â
Sad times. I bought my first “proper" mtb from them in Headingley in 1998, a Bontrager OR with Judy XC forks.
Moving a shop to the arse end of nowhere can’t have helped either.
I’m not sure it mattered that much. Whilst it will have lost some passing trade, the vast majority of folk will have driven there and it being their sole reason for going to Headingley, and the development of the web store will have taken up the folk that would travel  short distance, but not all the way to Harrogate. That and they managed to make it work in the what, 15 years since they moved?
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As I say, I reckon it’s the increase is staffing costs that pushed them over the edge.
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This. I looked at changing my bike recently and no matter what I looked at geo wise they were all the same give or take a couple of mm here and there. New bikes have got expensive and I didn’t see anything else on the market that justified the cost v improvement calculation.Â
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A real shame as they’ve been a mainstay of the mtb scene for as long as I’ve been riding. Can can always remember as a youngster dreaming of a Santa Cruz Chameleon frame they used to advertise in the back of MBUK for the princely sum of £499Â
I think that’s part of it, but also the degree of “standards" changing just for the sake of it puts me off upgrading things, or holding spares.
Also, I’m not sure it’s that bikes are a lot better, so much as they’re a lot more uniform. Like, they’re good across a reasonable range of riding types. Which I think equates to a lot less swapping components around for specific types. I don’t feel like I’m much faster on a newer bike than an older bike (in fact, overall slower – despite being fitter. New bikes are heavier).
Sad news, bought a hope disc brake and new front wheel on a rigid Spesh Rockhopper back in the day. Maintained V brake on the rear as it didn’t have mounts on the frame. I went to the Summerbridge store once, terrible place to get to to but right next door to Jungle so assume that’s why they went there. Â
On the market side of things, I just wonder if high end full sus bikes are now becoming niche. You can get a decent ebike now for those Santa Cruz non-eeb prices. Â Maybe the Heckler SL has been an issue with the Fazua motor and they are a bit late to the party with the Bullit and Vala? I wonder if this will have a knock on effect to other SC dealers?Â
Ah this is a shame.Â
Also I do not need a Squatch. I do not need a Squatch. I do not need…
Sad news