In the past year or so, we've lost many bike shops in Portland OR.
Partial list
Velocult (our C&V Camelot)
Performance Bicycle (3 locations)
CityBikes Coop (the larger location, the original location remains open)
Crank Cycles
21st Ave Cycles
A Better Cycle (neighborhood bike shop on SE Division)
Western Bikeworks (retail and cafe in NW - rent was raised, WBW will be online-only now)
Universal Cycles (retail store in SE is moving to Hillsboro)
Most recently
Breadwinner Cafe (the frame biz remains but the cafe will close)
Rivelo (closing soon)
Norther Cycles (closing imminently)
I don't have a count of all bike shops, and don't know how many new shops have opened in this time.
Word is that bike shops generally aren't doing great for business, and not just the esoteric ones. Rents are going up all over the city, I'm seeing all sorts of retail businesses under pressure. Online is eating away at most categories of retail.
I used to think that specialty shops offering niche products would be more resistant, but you can now get even very niche-y products online. Bike shop plus bar/cafe seemed promising, but Velocult and Breadwinner Cafe are gone.
If you could design a bike shop model that can survive, what would it be? Size, staffing, focus? Would or could it end up being an interesting shop?