Londonist is media partner to the London Cycling Awards
What's the best bike shop in London? It's a hot debate, and one the London Cycling Awards hopes to settle this year.
To help you decide which you want to vote for, we're profiling the four nominees, this time, Brixton Cycles.
So who are Brixton Cycles?
Brixton Cycles are a co-operative; they stand for community and equality — a rare thing in retail. Thanks to their collaboration with previous London Cycling Awards winner Look Mum, No Hands! you can now get delicious cake and coffee there too.
They’ve been going for 32 years making them the oldest worker-owned bike co-op in London.
And what makes them so special?
When their premises next to the Stockwell skate park was up for demolition, Brixton Cycles did not take it lying down. They took the cycling web by storm and launched a fantastic Crowdfunder, that saw them raise over £60,000. After an emotional fight for survival, they’re now happily set up in their new Brixton Road premises.
SaveBrixtonCycles showed that good bike shops are more than just retail outlets, they’re an essential part of keeping London from losing its sense of community and neighbourhood.
But most importantly what does comedian and film actor Michael Smiley think of Brixton Cycles?
"I’ve been a resident of Brixton for 16 years now, I came for love and I stayed for the love of the community and one of the backbones of the community for me, as a keen cyclist, is Brixton Cycles. It’s a co-operative which is a dwindling thing these days — everybody’s in it for the money but these people are in to be part of the community and they give an amazing service and they give a fair price for what they do. There’s something quite addictive about this shop, you come in for an inner tube and you stay and you make friends."
