This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
s D


TOP IBDs


>>>


closely with the local youth service to provide free sessions for


disadvantaged teenagers. While the skatepark makes no money, the shop reveals, but it certainly helps with media coverage – and somewhere for staffers to ride in their spare time. Finally, the shop won the ‘Ride Retail of The Year Awards’ as voted for by readers of Ride BMX Magazine.


8


MOORE’S CYCLES, Twickenham


We’ve tried to include plenty of new names in this year’s Top 20 IBD list, but Moore’s Cycles was again so strongly nominated we felt the shop deserved to return to this list. Moore’s Cycles actually has three shops in the South West London area – Twickenham, Teddington and Isleworth – and has been supplying customers with bikes and accessories since the 1940s. The Twickenham store has been open for 21 years and the family-owned prides itself on offering friendly service to its legions of customers – and fans.


9


EPIC CYCLES, Ludlow


Ludlow’s Epic Cycles has branded itself as ‘no ordinary bike shop’, and with a new 12,500 square foot converted warehouse at its disposal it’s not hard to see why. Located off the High Street, Epic stocks cycles for virtually every discipline of road cycling and has a huge test fleet of over 100 road bikes. That off-High Street location has been picked by the store for its proximity to good cycling roads. The ethos of the store is one of its most impressive facets, however, simply promising to provide unhurried and honest advice.


10


CADENCE, Bath


Cadence is ‘deceptively large’ according to one visitor, with a basement and second floor, high footfall and an apparent loyal customer following. One trade pundit told us: “nice club feel, helpful staff.” The shop has also been graced with the presence of Mystery Shopper, who said the staff providing interesting and helpful answers to his questions, before saying: “The bikes recommended to me were done with strong reasoning and explained in a jargon-free way. I left with an earmarked catalogue for browsing and asked to return to ‘size up’ once I’d made a firm choice.”


1 1


CONDOR CYCLES, London London’s Condor Cycles is something of


an international brand, but at its heart is an independent bike retailer offering a one-stop- shop for touring equipment, commuting products, singlespeed and track components, also offering road cycling accessories, components and bikes. The shop has departments on separate


floors, allowing staff to specialise. And have any other independent bike retailers got their own coffee table bike? You know, one that details how it has attracted the likes of Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Phil Liggett?


12


JD TANDEMS North Yorkshire


“JD Tandems are specialist tandem retailers, with a dedicated showroom with 25 different


BIKEBIZ.COM


tandems available to view and test ride, representing six different tandem manufacturers. With a national reputation, customers travel from afar to purchase tandems from JD, knowing there’ll be plenty of choice and unbiased and independent advice, backed up by top after sales service. The tandems in the showroom vary in price from £800 to £12,000. The shop runs Discover Tandeming Days


providing tuition and tips on how to ride a tandem, catering for beginners as well as the experienced customer. JD has been retailing tandems in earnest for about 15 years, from the beautiful village of Gargrave in the Yorkshire Dales. In addition the firm also has a good ecommerce side of the business providing tandem components often very difficult.


13


BICICIELO, Birmingham


Bicicielo opened right in the heart of Birmingham City Centre last year, and as such is probably the youngest shop on this list. It’s a Pinnarello and Asos concept store located direcly below Birmingham’s Louis Vitton shop, appropriately enough. Store events, local and national event sponsorship and workshops with customers – covering the likes of bike maintenance and nutrition advice – are some of the ways in which the store reaches out to its customer base. Offering custom bike fitting, custom shoe insoles and similar ‘only on the High Street’ style offerings, the retailer has made a big impression in a short time.


14


CYCLE HEAVEN, York


Last year Cycle Heaven acheived what may be a first for a UK bike shop by opening a branch within the York mainline railway station. The prime location sees the shop offer cycle sales, repairs and hire to the hundreds of punters that pass through the station every day, while cleverly tapping into the station operator’s desire to boost numbers of train commuters biking to and from the station. Don’t just take our word for it though. One customer told us: “Cycle Heaven’s main shop sells a huge range of bikes including Gazelle and other traditional cycles. The shop at York railway station concentrating on folders – including Bromptons and Birdys – offers same day repairs and bike hire. Both shops employ female staff and all staff are customer orientated. The evidence is the high number of women and family customers as well as us blokes after good advice, quality products and excellent after sales.”


15


CYCLE SENSE, Tadcaster


This family-run shop was established back in 1991 and has won the praises of a distributor or two who recommended the independent bicycle dealer for this list. Staffers include mechanics that are armed to the teeth with tools, experience and Cytech qualifications, as well as ex-national cycle champions at their level on the sales floor. The firm sponsors a mountain bike and road racing team and offers customers hire bikes (including road and electric bikes) as well as a nearby location to cycle route 66. Other shop features include a purpose built showroom.


Sponsored by


TOP 20 IBDS | FEATURE


4


7


10


>>> BIKEBIZ APRIL 25





T


2


O


P


P


2


T


0


I


B


s


D


D


s





I


T


2


O


P


P


2


T


0


I


B


D


s


s


D





I


T


O P


2


0


B





O


0


B





O


0


I


B


s


D


D


s


I





T


2


O


P


P


O


2


T


0





I


B


0


B


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80