Good Cycles departs Docklands bike hub after decade on Harbour Esplanade

The Good Cycles bike hub on Harbour Esplanade has closed after almost a decade in Docklands, opening up a new opportunity for the City of Melbourne and Development Victoria to rethink one of the waterfront’s most visible small-scale activation sites.

The not-for-profit social enterprise, which uses bikes to create employment and training pathways for young people, recently submitted notice to vacate the semi-permanent container facility in line with its lease agreement.

Good Cycles had operated in Docklands for just short of 10 years, after the hub was established near the NAB forecourt in 2016 with support from the public and the then Places Victoria.

At the time, the organisation described Docklands as a natural location for the facility due to its high visibility, waterfront setting and connection to the Capital City Trail.

Good Cycles announced in March that both its Docklands and Geelong stores would close, with the last day of trading on March 6.

In a statement to customers, the organisation said the locations had been “more than just shops”, describing them as community hubs, starting points for thousands of rides and spaces where meaningful connections were made.

“This was not a decision we arrived at easily,” Good Cycles said.

“Unfortunately, a combination of challenging factors has made it no longer sustainable for us to keep these stores open. Among these was our limited capacity to continue creating employment opportunities for young people and to generate the sustainable income needed to keep both locations running.”

The organisation thanked its staff and customers, and said it hoped to continue serving the community from its CBD location in Goldsbrough Lane.

While the Harbour Esplanade hub provided a useful service for cyclists and contributed to the social enterprise mission of Good Cycles, the container facility was not without controversy when first introduced.

Its arrival came amid broader ambitions for Harbour Esplanade, with surrounding landscaping intended to offer a glimpse of the waterfront boulevard’s future. However, the larger Harbour Esplanade master plan was never fully realised, and the facility was at times underutilised, with limited opening hours.

The vacancy now creates a fresh opportunity to consider how the site could better serve Docklands’ changing needs.

A City of Melbourne spokesperson said Good Cycles’ departure was a tenant-based decision and that the council was “excited to continue working with Good Cycles”.

The council is now working with its Creative Spaces events team and Development Victoria to explore new opportunities to activate the area.

The process comes as the council prepares to finalise a new Docklands Public Realm Improvements Plan, announced as part of this year’s budget, which will focus on improving the quality, function and experience of public spaces across the precinct. •