IN BRIEF
North Shore Racks, the Canadian maker of vertical bike racks based in North Vancouver since 2004, is suspending operations after 22 years. The company has closed its warehouse and describes the situation as a pause to rethink the future of the business, with no restart date. It points to changes in the bike market, rising costs and tariffs. Its main models appear sold out on its online shop.
North Shore Racks: a pause rather than a closure
North Shore Racks announced its decision on its official Instagram account. Its managers speak of a pause intended to reconsider the future of the company, explore new ideas and look into possible innovations.
Three reasons are given: changes in the bike market, rising costs and difficulties linked to tariffs. The warehouse is already closed, and the pause is visible on the brand’s online shop, where the main models appear sold out.
The announcement says nothing about outstanding orders, warranties or future after-sales service. For owners of one of the brand’s racks, that is the question that remains open.
The vertical bike rack, made in North Vancouver
Its racks attach to the back of a vehicle and carry two, four or six bikes vertically. The brand claims to have launched the industry’s first vertical bike rack in 2004, and highlights local manufacturing in North Vancouver, with North American-sourced materials and no cheap plastic components. It also presents itself as a company owned and run by cyclists.
Its latest product, the NSR4 Gradus, unveiled in 2025, was an evolution of its four-bike vertical system. For a company that claims to have pioneered the vertical bike rack, the pause comes after 22 years in business.
