CERO Bikes - "It's over. 😢"

[Bike Shop Girl]

It may seem odd, but an email I received in early December kicked me into high gear for creating this site.

Quietly, CERO Bikes sent an email that they were closing. Not one publication picked it up, and I can't find a hint of it on Google. Now, CERO's website is shut down. Now, if this were a gravel or mountain bike company, there would be so many articles and videos - but not for a small Californian cargo bike company. For many industry and cargo bike lovers, the writing has been on the wall as CERO has been slowly discounting more and more. Unless they were about to release a new product, all signs were pointing to closure.

As someone who has loved CERO from afar, I'm very sad to see this progressive bike company hit hard by the COVID boom. Their bikes appealed to the folks who don't need a huge cargo bike, and I loved that they were based in the US.

Sending love to the CERO family!

Dear CERO Bikes Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closure of CERO Bikes.

Despite the end of our journey, I want to reassure you that the warranties on our motors will remain valid. You can still reach out to Shimano dealers for support.

Additionally, the CERO One frames were built to last a lifetime, ensuring the legacy of our bikes lives on in your hands.

Why are we stopping the company?

During the pandemic, we ramped up bike production expecting high demand, but simultaneous deliveries across brands led to market overstock.

This caused a sales drop and a cash flow crisis. It limited our ability to invest in R&D for the CERO TWO and continue operations normally.

Since 2015, we have worked to empower everyday life through electric utility bicycles.

While this chapter comes to an end, I am proud of the journey we've shared with all of you.

We have always defended our mission to the heart, but unfortunately, we can no longer lead the fight.

However, we remain personally committed to advocating for more bikes in our cities and continuing the push for a sustainable urban future.



Shimano customer service: 1-800-423-2420



Thank you for being a part of the CERO family.

With gratitude,
Kiyoshi Iwai
CEO & Founder, CERO Bikes

 

[cargodad]

I liked their concept when they launched, but then were out of stock for a long time (years?) citing working on a v2 as a reason (if I remember right? maybe I'm wrong about that). I actually didn't realize they were ever back.

The Pandemic was really tough to operate a bike brand through. Lots of sad stories of brands, big and small, that didn't make it.

 

[joe_sanfilippo]

I liked their concept when they launched, but then were out of stock for a long time (years?) citing working on a v2 as a reason (if I remember right? maybe I'm wrong about that). I actually didn't realize they were ever back.

The Pandemic was really tough to operate a bike brand through. Lots of sad stories of brands, big and small, that didn't make it.

I think Kiyoshi (CEO) was liquidating their current inventory in the hopes that it would raise enough cash for the v2. I remember when they went on sale for $2000 and couldn't believe it. It's a great bike for that price but I've only every seen one other person with one in Denver. They had inventory as recently as May 2024 but I think they went out of stock after that.

I emailed him after I saw the news and his reply was:

I am hoping to develop CERO 2, but I don't have any actual plan at this moment. I can start it if someone invest the money but all bicycle industry is struggling their own business.

I agree with you though, they must have gotten over their skis a bit during the Pandemic when demand was booming and since then it's slowed down significantly. It really does highlight the importance of not using proprietary parts though. Knowing that the battery/motor/controller are Shimano and the rest of the parts I can find in pretty much any bike shop is a relief.