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Local Bike Shop Day: Cyclists from around the country show their love for neighbourhood shops

With more than 500 retailers taking part, here are some of the people giving shoutouts to their favourite cycling shops

A sunny Saturday might be the perfect excuse for for a trip to the local bike shop, and all the more reason if it’s ‘Local Bike Shop Day’.

Local Bike Shop Day is organised by the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), representing over 4,000 business in the UK, and designed to encourage the nation’s 6.5 million people who take part in cycling for sport, leisure or travel.

Jonathan Harrison from the ACT said: “It the one day a year when independent bike shops across the UK can come together to celebrate their distinctive culture. It's the day for local bike shops to showcase their passion, knowledge and personalised service they offer to their local communities.”

“Whether it’s for accessories, for servicing or repairs, for accessories or just for specialist advice, independent bike shops provide a knowledgeable and invaluable service to cyclists of all ages, and this is a chance to support them and celebrate them. We hope bike shops will get on board and use the day to reinforce their customer relationships and promote themselves to new audiences.”

> Retailers and public urged to get behind Saturday's Local Bike Shop Day

The event first kicked off in Brooklyn in 2017, before ACT began hosting it on the other side of the pond from the next year. In 2018, just over 90 shops took part.

Come 2022, and it had turned into a huge success. Across Twitter and #SupportYourLocalBikeShop had a reach of 2.2 million on the week of Local Bike Shop Day, with 1 million of that being from the day itself. The hashtag had 4.3k interactions, 424 mentions, 183 shares and 3.9k likes. Facebook post reach hit over 80,000 on the Local Bike Shop Day channels alone.

Besides, a record-breaking 524 shops took part and there was well over 3,000 votes from customers across the UK last year. A few well-known faces also got on board such as Jeremy Vine, Gail Porter and Sharron Davies.

Speaking about their Local Bike Shop Day experience last year and plans for this weekend, Joanne Mahon, CEO of Get Cycling CIC, a York-based not-for-profit that helps people of all ages and abilities get on a bike, said: “Last year, Local Bike Shop Day helped us promote our Spring Sale and us being a local independent bike shop that specialises in disability and adapted cycles.”

Katie Legg, Commercial Director at Cycling UK, the national cycling charity, said: “Everyone has a story to tell about their favourite bike shop. As recognised by the Government during the pandemic, local bike shops are businesses that play a vital part in our communities and deserve support.

“They don’t just fix and sell bikes, but often act as hubs for local cycling which help encourage people to ride. This Local Bike Shop Day, I’d encourage everyone who can, to pop by and continue to support our small cycling businesses which literally keep the wheels spinning for so many of us.”

This year, the day of celebration was today, 29th April, and cyclists across the UK were posting their favourite local cycle shops. The ones below put a little smile on everyone's faces at road.cc, so it’s only fair that we share it...

Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after graduating with a masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Wales, and also likes to writes about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.

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7 comments

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Rik Mayals unde... | 1 year ago
1 like

I love my local bike shop. Just walking in and smelling that rubber smell from the tyres and tubes, it takes me back to buying my first bike 40 years ago.

We should accept that we should pay a little more and support our local bike shops before they disappear. Large online businesses may be cheaper but there is no service, very difficult to sort out issues, especially with a bike bought online. Even Ribble, if a customer has an issue, tells them to take the bike to their local bike shop, no idea who pays for their services?

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Rome73 | 1 year ago
0 likes

Good to see Future Cycles still in business. There used to be 4 bike shops - including an Evans, in that part of North London. Now it's down to 2. 

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ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

If I'd of known, with a bit of notice, I'd have made them cake, popped in a found something to buy. I very much endorse AW Cycles at the top end of Caversham.

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brooksby | 1 year ago
3 likes

Well, that wasn't very well advertised... (at least, I'd never heard of it).

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perce replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
0 likes

Me neither. Coincidentally I was in my local bike shop today and I was the only customer.

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chrisonabike replied to perce | 1 year ago
7 likes

Well randomly it's a good bike shop day for me.  I may recovered the bike stolen some months back!

I was collecting some parts ordered from the LBS and the owner recognised me and said he had my bike.  Thought he'd got the wrong person but no.  He said someone had left a bike with him for a service.  Since he'd originally sold it to me he thought he recognised it; checked the frame number as he's got records etc.

I must ask him how the conversation goes when he tells the person who'd brought it in that it was stolen goods...

So it looks like - for the cost of replacing some parts which apparently have left it or been damaged - I'll be back up to n+1 again!

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belugabob replied to brooksby | 1 year ago
1 like

It's just carrying on the tradition of not publicising cycle to work day - also in the same respect that it suggests that cycling to work or appreciating your LBS only matters for one day per year

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