Lismore will lose one of its oldest businesses from its original building on Friday, March 19 when Harris Cycle closes its doors on its Keen Street premises.

It was 1918 when Cecil Harris and Harold Wotherspoon joined forces and opened Harris Cycle at 85 Keen Street. 103 years later the building has been sold (October 2020) and the owners have told Harris Cycle owner Darryl Pursey his time is up as they would like to move their business into the premises this year.

Michelle Mitchell Principal at LJ Hooker and Robert Menin will renovate the old building then move in mid-year.

March 19 is the day that Darryl Pursey and his partner Joanna Bonaccorsi will leave a piece of Lismore history for good.

The good news is the Harris Cycle name will re-open on Tuesday, April 6 after the Easter holidays at their new address at 63 Bridge Street, North Lismore.

If the address sounds familiar, it is because Harris Cycle will share the building with Saddleworld on the Terania Street roundabout.

(Darryl and Joanna at their Keen Street store which has been the home of Harris Cycle for 103 years)

Darryl has been involved as a worker in the family business and then owner for 36 years.

Darryl married Amanda Wotherspoon so became connected to the family business through marriage but didn't start work when his father-in-law became ill and couldn't work for twelve months. This led to a full buy out years later.

Will it be sad to leave a long-standing historic business?

"I don't know, ask me when I'm gone," Darryl laughs.

"I think it will be. I like history and I like old things so that's what has kept me going for 36 years. I hope I don't lose that when we move to the new place."

North Lismore will certainly mean less walk-by or drive-by traffic than Keen Street but that won't affect Darryl and Joanna.

"The response so far (to the move) has been positive," Joanna said, "There will be more parking for people which is a plus and we are a destination shop really, we don't get a lot of drop-ins from people walking by. We see people who are dropping off bikes for repairs or they have done their research and know what bike they want to buy."

When you think North Lismore you do think more flooding but this will not be the case for the new store.

"The building has better flood storage for us, " Darryl explained, "Currently there is not a great deal of space to fit all our bikes in upstairs in case of flooding so we need to move the bikes out of the store if we have time."

"The floor in Bridge Street has a higher floor than this (with steps leading to the floor) and there have only been three floods on the floor whereas there have been about ten floods in my thirty six years here."

(The flood marked door in the Keen Street building showing the devastating levels of the 1974 and 1954 floods with 2017 coming in quite a bit under that mark.)

Will there be a Grand Opening at Bridge Street?

"No, no big grand opening," Darryl answered, " There will be an opening of sorts but it will be small. We just want to get on with running the business in a new location."

Between March 19 and April 6 it is a matter of packing one store up and moving all the gear to the next store and if all goes well, a few days holiday over the Easter break.

Already, the word has spread that the move is on so Darryl and Joanna have had quite a few offers to help them move to North Lismore which will be no small feat considering there are about 80 bikes on the floor with a further 100 upstairs plus all the accessories.

"A lot of the cycling fraternity have said if you need some help we will certainly come in and help you," Joanna said, "which is really nice."

March 19 will be the final day of trading at Keen Street with the opening of the 63 Bridge Street Harris Cycle store on Tuesday April 6.