RICHMOND, Va. -- The abrupt shutdown of a bicycle shop on Richmond's Southside has left dozens of cyclists out many thousands of dollars after paying for bikes they never got.
And now a bike manufacturer is suing Coqui Cyclery and owner Clint Kronenberger for not paying for bikes he bought from them.
One distraught local customer told CBS 6 he has one question: where is Clint?
"I don't know what's going to happen," said Richmond resident Wayne Cox. "Right now, the place is locked up, the lights are off. All communication has ceased."
Cox would love to have the high-end bicycle he paid for three months ago, in cash, for the 10% discount Kronenberger offered him.
But he, along with many other Coqui customers, will likely be waiting a long time.
"I trusted Clint. I've done a lot of business with him the last three years on high-end bikes," Cox said.
Kronenberger has seemingly disappeared since early December when Coqui abruptly closed.
That was after giving Cox the runaround on the bike Cox paid $6500 for a bike that Kronenberger promised to build for him, starting with the frame.
"A week goes by and the frame was to come from California," said Cox. "Well, another week goes by, where's the frame? Another week goes by. Where's the frame?"
As the weeks went by, Cox says Kronenberger gave him one excuse after another- sick relatives, a burst pipe, his shipment mistakenly sent to Philadelphia.
"I was over at that shop I bet you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday because that was his winter hours," said Cox. "To see what's going on, because he had just got back from Jersey. I said, 'Did you pick up my frame?' He said, 'Yes.' Well, it wasn't there."
The phone at Coqui Cyclery is disconnected so CBS 6 went to Kronenberger's home.
No one but a dog responded.
Cox has filed a claim against Coqui in Richmond District Court. And he is not alone.
Last month, bicycle maker Giant filed suit against Coqui and Kronenberger saying he failed to pay the $144,000 he owes the company for bikes and parts.
Kronenberg has not yet responded.
So as cox waits for his hearing at the end of the month he says he has little hope Kronenberger will do what's right.
"I thought he had a good business, you know, well respected in the cycling community for being an excellent mechanic, having excellent this, excellent everything," said Cox. "Well, it just went downhill in October."
I reached out to an attorney for Giant about their suit against Coqui and have not yet heard back.
Late Thursday afternoon, after we had made many inquiries, and before this story was to air on CBS6, a post on the Coqui Cyclery Facebook page said the shop would open in "mid-January," and that "all customer products and bicycles are safe and will be returned."
We will check back with Wayne Cox and see if that is true.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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