It’s a challenging time for bike shops right now, said Zach Rachell, of Keystone Bike Co., a worker-owned cooperative in South Kensington.

Rachell, who is a worker-owner, credits the unique ownership structure as one of the company’s biggest strong suits.

“A lot of bike shops have been closing the last couple of years,” he said. “My personal feeling is that this kind of structure is what has helped us navigate the challenges of 2020, and even the tumultuous market that we’re in right now.”

Keystone Bike Co. was started in 2020. Woody Felice, another worker-owner, explained the five founding worker-owners are still the store’s operating employees.

“We practice democratic decision making, as do most cooperatives, and operate with an operating agreement,” she said. “We have an agreed unde

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