Over the last five years, bike retail has lived through one of the strangest chapters in its history. We saw a surge in demand, followed by historic overstock, then a slow return to normal that still does not feel quite normal. I have spent that time here at Workstand, working closely with independent retailers who are trying to find their footing in a market that keeps shifting under them.
Recently, almost every conversation includes a version of the same question:
What will AI do to bike retail?
Will it help? Will it hurt? Will it replace something essential?
Let’s take a step back. AI is not the first technology to force an industry to ask questions like these. The internet did it. The personal computer did it. The smartphone did it. Before that, the internal combustion engine, the telegram, and countless other innovations reshaped how people worked, communicated, and built communities.
AI is quickly becoming integral to our lives, and like all globally impactful technologies before it, it offers both benefits and the risk of harm. While its long-term trajectory is uncertain, AI is a major, undeniable factor now. For bike retail, the question is not if AI will change the industry, but how we choose to use it and the resulting industry structure we aim to create.
That question isn’t abstract for me.
Technology doesn't dictate our communities; people do.
As an uncle, I want to pass on what shaped me into the person I am today, and a big part of that is the cycling community.
Independent bike shops are vital community hubs. Cycling offers freedom, health, and belonging, and future generations deserve access to it. This matters because technological shifts can either boost local businesses or quietly eliminate them. Intentional, proactive adaptation is essential to ensure technology empowers, not squeezes, our community shops.
As a product designer, I like to start with the vision. Let’s first understand what we want our industry to look like. Then let’s walk through ways AI is changing our industry from four perspectives. Riders, owners, staff, and suppliers. Each one feels the changes a little differently, and understanding that will help us see the full picture.
Across all of retail, AI assistants and shopping agents are becoming the first step in a purchase. Riders are already asking their phones questions like:
"Find me a commuter e-bike near me for under three thousand dollars."
or
"Show me where to get my e-bike serviced this week."
This is powerful, but it also creates pressure. Riders will often show up already armed with recommendations, comparisons, and sometimes misconceptions shaped by an algorithm that cannot know the nuance of real fit and local riding conditions.
What this means for a bike shop is simple. Your digital footprint matters more than it used to. Clear product information, accurate hours, strong reviews, well organized service pages, and an up to date catalog give these systems something to latch onto. Shops that have clean, structured data will appear more often. Shops that do not may be invisible without even realizing it.
Riders also arrive with higher expectations. They are used to fast answers and personalized suggestions. If you cannot match the clarity they are used to online, trust erodes quickly. But when AI and human expertise work together, the in-person experience becomes even more valuable. Riders can research all day, but only a real person can translate that information into the right decision for a specific body, budget, and season of life.
When people talk about AI in retail, they usually jump to chatbots or agentic workflows. Those are interesting ideas, but the first meaningful impacts will be in deeper operational areas: inventory, marketing, and decision making.
The last few years showed how quickly buying decisions can turn into a liability. Many shops were forced to carry too much inventory, often because they had limited visibility into shifts in demand. AI cannot solve that overnight, but the industry is already learning from the tools that help retailers forecast better, identify sleepers, or notice emerging patterns.
The important thing is that these insights depend on clean data and good systems. That is one reason we take catalog accuracy and product structure so seriously at Workstand. AI can only help if the inputs are strong.
Most independent shops do not have a marketing department. The expectations for email, social, SEO, and online storytelling have risen dramatically. AI can help here, but only when paired with people who understand the brand, the riders, and the nuances of each shop.
This is exactly why Workstand runs a full marketing service for retailers. Many shops simply do not have the bandwidth to create consistent content or campaigns. Our team uses AI as a helper, not a replacement, which means retailers get higher quality work without needing additional staff or new software. AI plays a role behind the scenes, but it is our human team that turns ideas into effective communications.
Mechanics and sales staff are already navigating more complexity. Bikes are more electronic, more integrated, and more specialized. At the same time, the labor pool has not grown to match the demand for skilled technicians.
AI can support staff in healthy ways. It can speed up research, make compatibility questions easier, and help newer employees get information faster. But the real value still comes from the person who listens, diagnoses, and supports a rider with judgment gained through experience.
If AI removes tedious tasks, staff have more time for the parts of the job that build loyalty and trust. Shops that embrace AI in this spirit can create better roles with clearer career paths. Shops that try to use AI to reduce human investment will lose the heart of what makes a local bike shop special.
Brands are already using AI to improve manufacturing, quality control, forecasting, and product design. This generally leads to better bikes and more efficient supply chains. It also accelerates the pace of change. New models arrive faster. Technical standards evolve more often. Retailers end up carrying the responsibility of explaining these shifts in real time.
Suppliers are also using AI to communicate directly with riders. This is not always a threat to retailers, but it does mean shops need stronger digital and marketing strategies to stay visible. When brands, shops, and platforms coordinate instead of competing, riders benefit the most.
Here is the simplest version of what I believe.
AI will hurt shops that are disorganized, invisible, or heavily dependent on manual processes that drain time.
AI will help shops that are service-first, people-first, and ready to use better digital infrastructure to support the work their teams already do.
It comes down to visibility, clarity, and consistency.
If your business is easy for riders and AI systems to understand, you stand out. If your business is hard to read, you disappear.
Here is where I would start if I were running a shop in 2025. Every step is realistic today and aligns with the tools and support Workstand can provide right now.
Your website, your service pages, your catalog, your reviews, and your content tell a story to both humans and algorithms. Make sure that story is accurate, up to date, and clear.
This is one of the core areas my team focuses on at Workstand. A well structured catalog and an intuitive website are the foundation for any AI driven discovery.
There is no need to adopt a fleet of AI tools. Instead, make sure your current systems are populated, organized, and well used. AI benefits appear naturally when the underlying data is clean.
Mechanics and sales staff are the heart of the shop. Use AI to support them, not replace them. If you can give them more time with customers and less time on repetitive work, you win.
A lot of AI software is confusing and expensive. You do not need to chase it. Workstand already handles the marketing and digital infrastructure many shops struggle with, and we will continue evolving our platform in ways that prepare retailers for the changes AI brings.
Riders appreciate transparency. Let them know that you use modern tools to stay accurate and efficient, but that your service is human, personal, and rooted in real experience.
The shops that thrive in the next chapter will not be the ones with the most automation. They will be the ones with the clearest identity, the strongest relationships, and the cleanest digital foundation.
I believe deeply in the future of independent bike retail. The challenges are real, but the human side of this industry is powerful. Riders want connection, trust, and expertise. AI cannot replace that, but it can give shops more room to deliver it.
If you want to talk through how Workstand can support your next steps, I am always happy to have that conversation.
Alex