Hurford shuts down Republic Bicycles after 16 years

Mayor Armand Hurford has closed the Republic Bicycles, a business he ran for 16 years in Brackendale. Hurford said he will always be a passionate supporter of biking in Squamish, but he felt that it was time to move on and focus on his new role in the community.

“It’s a bitter sweet of course, but it felt like the right time to move on.  The last few months, I have been putting this project to bed (store closure) and allowing myself to make the most of this unique role I have now,” he said. “This will allow me to be able to fully commit myself to this role, and it gives me four more years to figure out what the next step will be for me.”

Hurford worked as a car salesman for some time before starting the Republic Bicycles 16 years ago, though he had worked in the bicycle industry in sales and race support before.

He thought of opening a bike store after he did an informal guiding tour for a mountain bike media company after a local race. “I showed them what Squamish had to offer for biking and I had the realisation that I should be doing something related to biking as I was very passionate about it,” he said.

Hurford says he will always remain passionate about biking in the community. “I am actually looking forward to riding my bike more, it’s a  huge part of my life.”