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    Balfe's Bikes Hackney

    5.0 (1 review)

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    3 years ago

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    CycleSurgery

    CycleSurgery

    (4 reviews)

    £

    Petticoat Lane, Aldgate

    I like wearing spandex as much as the next person (ie, a lot - bow chica bow wow), but the search…read morefor stretchy cycling gear for women in London bike shops is mostly dismaying. You see, bike shops cater to men*. Where one bike shop might have a wide variety of cycling clothing for those of a dudely disposition, the collection for chicks - if present - is woeful. But not at Spitalfields CycleSurgery! Here, I can peruse the cycling kit for women to my ass's exhibitionist content. Plus all the other bits like cycling jackets, gloves, shoes and helmets all for the women-folk. And CycleSurgery sells Timbuk2 bags. The only place in the UK I've EVER seen them for sale (and I've looked, trust me). I am a Timbuk2 whore and need to stroke them gently and inhale their San Francisco pheremones from time to time. CycleSurgery is good for it. ___________________________ *Which is weird, since I assume EVERYONE wants to stare at my ass in lycra. So bike shops should be encouraging this behaviour rather than thwarting it, surely.

    This is the best bike shop I have been to in London so far, i would highly recommend it…read more I brought my old broken bike here one day to be greeted by a lovely sales assistant who made a note of everything i needed from new tyres to a basket. It was ready the next day and when I collected it i realised the mechanic had fixed my gears and not charged me for it which I thought was really lovely of him to do. I have been back there several times since and it's always a good experience. 10/10 for bikes.

    Brick Lane Bikes - more interior

    Brick Lane Bikes

    (41 reviews)

    ££

    Shoreditch, Brick Lane, Bethnal Green

    Really nice. If you like bikes, or you want one - come here! It's the biz. They've just got a…read morelot of beautiful bikes in store, hanging from the ceiling, all lined up and ready to cycle. Lots of different colours and styles. They mainly specialise in fixed wheel bikes, them trendy stripped-down things that are all the range amongst them wha know in East London. No gears, no brakes - not my kind of thing. But there's also a really good range of accessories like bike lights, saddles (genuine leather saddle for £65, it feels like wood!!) and an in-house workshop, where they try and fix things by the end of the day. And what a nice bunch of people run the shop as well, always happy to see a shop staffed by enthusiasts. I didn't buy anything. Just wandered round, slethering over bikes more beautiful and expensive than I could ever own in the coming years of my life. If you're a keen cyclist, come here. If not, come here to become one

    I already have a great racer bike I love, but that does not stop me from looking. And looking is…read morebest done in here! All the bikes are handmade and specialized to exactly what you want. If you want a perfect bike that you will keep for years, then this is the place to go. They specialize in the light and strong frames for track bikes and fixed wheels. The best quality accessories required to assemble these are collected and stocked from around the world! It goes without saying that this specialized bike shop is pretty pricey. If you are a biking enthusiast though, you can't go wrong!

    Evans Cycles

    Evans Cycles

    (16 reviews)

    £££

    Spitalfields

    Looking desperately for a same-day chain set replacement, I visited three other cycle shops on a…read moreSunday morning before happening on a diminutive and somewhat empty Evans showroom in Spitalfields. "It's an itty bitty Evans. This won't do", I thought. But wait! There was a sign inside. MASSIVE SHOWROOM DOWNSTAIRS This warranted further investigation. And it was indeed massive. The selection of bikes was more than impressive. The selection of bike clothes was admirable. The accessories, appealing (there was even a Chrome messenger bag). But, better yet, this Evans had the first repair shop that was willing to take my bike and do the repair THAT DAY. Not Tuesday. Not Thursday. Sunday. The day I arrived with a busted, unrideable bike. This Evans is totally winning. I like it. ...as I tend to like most things that are "massive downstairs".

    I'm in two minds about this particular store. Yeah I understand that it's a reliable staple shop…read morefor things that it can be hard to find elsewhere like gel padded gloves, mountain bike wear etc; and many of the staff did go out of their way to help me make a purchase. Which I suppose is the point - I made an impulse buy; a Mongoose Sabrosa which is probaly the crappest bike known to existence and I'm fighting back the resentment that they kept quiet about their 'test ride' policy until it was too late (i.e: they are supposed to offer you one, because if you buy a bike you can't return it the next day on the grounds that it doesn't work for you at all) and I bought the lilting, heavy creaking disaster on wheels. I'm sure that someone else would have loved it, espeically if you like hybrids, but after being on a zippy narrow racing frame for a year slowing down seems somewhat agonising. They also keep running out of stuff; from gloves, to bags, to pannier racks, on what seems to be a bit too much of a regular basis. Evans - I want to like you but it's hard right now! It took them a good few weeks before they could explain why they didn't have my power grips, made all the more frustrating by the fact that they are the cheapest place where you can buy that item. My experience of this shop seems to be this: attentive service, tinged with disappointment. The road to hell was indeed paved with good intentions.

    Lock 7 - So glad this Concorde has a new owner.  Can't wait to see them out on the streets of London!

    Lock 7

    (25 reviews)

    £££

    Broadway Market, London Fields

    The idea of Lock 7 is great, a bike shop and café in one. Its convenient, as you can sit and relax…read morewhile you wait for the repairs to be done. The shop is well situated on Regents Canal, in the heart of a café and bike loving community. I have only taken my bike in for minor surgery, but found it to be very reasonably priced. Its not often you can get any repairs done on your bike for 4 pounds, and considering I nearly threw my bike out the window attempting to fix the breaks myself, it was well worth it. The interior of the shop, with its minimalist design, has more of a 'fixing the bike in the garage' feel than a cosy café feel. The vibe is still relaxing and the food is reasonably priced.

    Is it a bar? Is it a bike shop? It's all a bit confusing from the outside, but once you walk in…read moreand get over the fact that there are bikes hanging from the walls where you sit and have your coffee, this place is actually pretty good. I have no complaints about the café's food or coffee and enjoy sitting and have a drink in the tables. I personally do not own a bike, but if I did I would definitely want to combine a dreary bike repair with a lovely warm coffee. I often see some young creative professionals doing work with a coffee and their laptops open here. They are friendly enough not to hurry you out, leaving you with a comfortable working space. Compared to the other cafés in the area, this one might appear to be a bit cold, but it is an interesting concept and it's always fun to discover a café with an edge.

    Cycle Surgery - Store front

    Cycle Surgery

    (3 reviews)

    £

    Spitalfields

    These guys are amazing! Just wanted to add a quick note on this place. I have a single speed hybrid…read morebike and I like to race around when I can rather than taking the Tube sauna. The roads around Liverpool Street aren't the best and can be pretty rough on a bike especially when suspension pretty much doesn't exist. I've blown two tires trying to beat traffic and each time I've called around to the bike shops. This one has been the only one that has managed to find 5 minutes to squeeze me in immediately and get me on my way rather than telling me to leave my bike for a day or two while they continue with the routine maintenance. It's much appreciated as I hate having to give up my bike for something as routine as a quick tire repair. I should learn how to do this myself, but for a tenner for labour, I'd rather just pass the job on to these friendly folks.

    I ordered a brompton bike and was told it will take 4 to 6 weeks and now at 6 weeks mark when I…read morecall to check the order I am told by the same person they dont have a clue when it will be delivered as Brompton hand make them(well as If I didnt know that). Why say things when I am ordering and completely say something else. I called the head office and I am told it will take roughly 7-8 weeks and the w-6 weeks may not be weeks it could be business days (that bits interesting) and whilst I was on the call it "got disconnected" (strange). I would definitely avoid buying things from cycle surgery. Not surprised now as I looked at other review forums. #learnfrommymistakes.

    Balfe's Bikes Hackney - bike_repair_maintenance - Updated May 2026

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