For 70 years Ken Foster’s Cycles has been a mainstay in the Chorlton community.
It has navigated recessions, a pandemic, and the ever-growing cost of living crisis to provide bikes and repairs for its vast customer base.
Formerly surrounded by businesses of a bygone era – ranging from a trophy engraver to a tobacconist – Foster’s has stood the test of time.
Last month the BBC reported 38 high street shops are closing every day, however with Foster’s recently celebrating their platinum anniversary they show no signs of slowing down.
Shop manager, Sean McAdam, has worked at the store for 40 years and credits the community ethos of the business which has been the driving force since its formation.
He said: “It’s part of the community.
“I talk to people coming in here now and they remember me serving them when their parents brought them.
“It’s also down to the staff, without the staff this place would be nothing.
“Wages have increased but we don’t begrudge paying good wages for good people.
“Staff come in when we need them to, they’re loyal to us and we’re loyal to them.
“There’s no kind of hierarchy, we work together.”
To celebrate its 70th birthday Foster’s opened their doors to the community once more and organised a bike ride on the Fallowfield loop, inviting customers old and new.
An exhibit was also created that displayed bicycles and mopeds from the 60s, 70s and 80s which pays homage to their past.
The story of Foster’s began in 1954, a year that saw the UK’s first Wimpy Bar opened, Winston Churchill serving as prime minister, and the formation of Ken Foster’s Cycles.
The shop founder, Eric Foster, purchased the property on October 5.
The store struggled in the early years but managed to secure the Raleigh cycle brand and soon found success once it began to sell their models.
A second shop was opened in Withington and a third in Gatley, though they closed five years after their opening.
Ken joined the business in 1966 and though he went on to open his own shop in Clayton, in 1973 he decided to once again work with his father and his store was sold.
The 70s was monumental for the store as they set up The Team Fosters racing team in which they too found success with wins in the 1977 Honda 125 Series, and the 125cc World Championship series.
Eric retired in 1987, and Ken opted to shift the sole focus on the bicycle business.
The shop embraced the 21st century by setting up its own website to trade online – but Ken takes pride in continuing operations at its long-term home on Barlow Moor Road.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought challenges for all, yet Foster’s were classed as an essential business and opted to remain open seven days a week.
In October 2023, the shop was once again rewarded and handed the Chorlton Blue Plaque for its role as a pillar in the community.
Looking ahead to the future, store manager McAdam sees no reason to change the formula that has worked for so many years.
He said: “We’re probably all a bit too old to think about expansion, but I’ll concentrate on this and do this right.
“We’ve got a website; we do a lot of sales on there but E-commerce is the icing on the cake – it’s a good thing to have, but we wouldn’t rely on it.
“Sometimes in a business you can get to a point where the business expands and lose sight of what they’re about – we’re more personal.”
Although shop closures continue to plague the high street, Foster’s continue to ride on and will no doubt have its eyes set on an oak anniversary in 10 years’ time.
