Local Sources for Bike Bits & Services

If we were to compile a list of essential bike shops in London, threw in a framebuilder or two, perhaps someone that does paint jobs, any master wheel-builders, etc... what would that list look like?

So this thread is about shopping local, helping London bike shops and individuals first, before we turn to the internet to source stuff from anywhere that has it.

I'm personally looking for a master wheel builder at the moment (to lace some already acquired Phil Woods to some yet to be acquired Ambrosio's as well as to take care of sourcing the correct length Sapim spokes), so any recommendations for that would be appreciated.

First up the two most obvious shops just to get things rolling:

**Condor **(Bike Shop, workshop, can order most things, own range of bikes, lots of clothing)
51 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8PP
http://www.condorcycles.com/

Brixton Cycles (Bike Shop, workshop, good for fg & ss stuff, workers co-op)
145 Stockwell Road, Brixton, London SW9 9TN
http://www.brixtoncycles.co.uk/

Witcomb Cycles (Shop and framebuilder)

Witcomb cycles, International house
25 Tanners hill, Deptford, London, SE8 4PJ
0208 692 1734
witcombcycles@yahoo.co.uk
http://www.witcombcycles.com/

Brick lane cycles,
Bethnal Green Road

Good bike shop, stock lots of track stuff, and only place in know that have velocity deep v's

As for this coming may I'm going to have some wicked vintage / retro stuff in. Track aswell as old road parts.
Website http://www.tourdeville.co.uk when it gets done, so keep your eyes out.

Jos: will there be a physical store attached or is it just online?

Perry cycles in Woolwhich.

I have never tried him for fixed gear stuff but the governer of this place is like an encyclopedia for every thing else I have thrown at him, really helpful nice bloke. Will order in stuff at dam good prices. Pritty much equals most internet places when you add on p&p. They even have their own rang of bikes. I bet he will build good wheels David just a bit of a way for you to go from west London.

http://www.harryperrycycles.co.uk/

I never got on with the people in Brick Lane cycles.

Witcomb is brilliant though.

Helmut from Sonic Cycles is meant to be a good wheelbuilder and he has pretty good prices on wheelbuilds http://www.soniccycles.co.uk/

Frame resprays - Mario Vaz for cheap ones, Colourtech for more expensive (and apparently better) ones.

Framebuilder - Roberts in Croydon

If you want a geared bike built to your every whim and specification and have the money for it:

Cycle Fit
http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/
11-13 Macklin Street, Covent Garden, London WC2

Actually, one service they do that I would recommend to absolutely everyone is a fitting. They watch you ride on their size cycle and your own bike and will give you recommendations for adjustments to limit things like back pain, knee pain, and to increase comfort or power (whatever your aim is).

Hovis Brown:
I'm going to import whatever I can get my hands on. Have brought in some really nice oldskool track and road frames (and parts) over the last year but going to do it on a bigger scale. No shop (yet) though, will be doing it online and from my appartment.

Jos: sounds good. do keep us updated when you're up and running. always nice to see more track parts available.

And if you need a hand with the web site, let me know.

Harry Perry in Woolwich is pretty good, Paul Mepham who runs it knows his stuff.
I did his maintenance course several years ago to learn how to build wheels, it's great to learn how to do them, there are plenty of videos available now aswell.

Ian Whitehead at Ruxley Cycles is OK too in St Marys Cray

http://www.bicyclemagic.com is a nice place, down towards Whitechapel. They put a wheel together for me at a good price (~£15 plus the cost of spokes) and they have bike racks inside the front door. Some fixie stuff, too.

I met a Kiwi guy called Paul at one of the Critical Mass events a while back. He has his own web site and sells quite a bit of stuff. He is the mechanic at Witcomb Cycles in Deptford and also works from home building up bikes. He usually has a few bikes for sale as well as rims wheels hubs bars etc

Check it out

http://www.kiwicycles.com

He is based around Clapton area

Check out the Witcomb Cycles site too good info on a London Independant frame builder / bike shop. Still going in the age of mass production.

http://www.witcombcycles.com

Harry Rowland is the best wheelbuilder in the London area without doubt, ask any South London racer of a certain age!

Builds wheels for certain "high quality" shops some mentioned on this post that they then sell on as built by them on their top end bikes and for their sponsored riders....

A hard man to track down (try googling him).....he'll talk you through what's best for your requirements and build to your type of riding (my courier wheels had different tensions to my race wheels).....if you're lucky he'll deliver the wheels on his motorbike!

Did I mention he's very reasonably priced too.

P.S. I've just discovered an excellent mechanic in the Stoke Newington / Finsbury Park area.....he retrued my road wheels and track race wheels today, he's got a workshop in a very small outbuilding of the Castle Climbing centre on Green Lanes.

If I had the money I'd get a Ron Cooper frame:

http://www.veloworks.com/roncooper/rcooperabout.html

winston:If I had the money I'd get a Ron Cooper frame: http://www.veloworks.com/roncooper/rcooperabout.html

Give Colourtech in Dartford/Crayford a ring 01322 555549 his workshop is above theirs, he only works part time now but if you ask he might build one for you direct.

He did my Ron Cooper Fixedwheel Audax bike in 2003, frame and forks for about £450, I love it.

I wouldn't mind one of those retro Bates he builds for Classic Bikes with the fancy lugs though

I tried googling colourtech a few weeks ago as someone had told me the same couldn't find them....thanks for the info.

Nice bike, hope you don't reach for that blue bottle whilst riding!

If we were to compile a list of essential bike shops in London,
I very much like the thought process behind this first line, in the thread.

And to think, I get grief from the hypocrites that don't mind if VBAKADK does it.

Anyway, I was looking to start a new thread, and was led here; but reviving this thread doesn't quite meet my subject needs.

The whole "compile a list" thing, gets the full GA2G smile of approval though; obviously.

Or any of us poor numpties who can get the monthly funds together to continue to exist in this steaming metropolis.

In other news EEI I'm in the Red Lion in Leytonstone... The irony isn't lost on me.