As a keen cyclist I have been familiar with lifecycles for many years, primarily due to its…read morereputation as an excellent place to have your bicycle repaired. I recently had a problem with my bike gears and so brought it down to the lifecycles workshop to have it looked at professionally. Now on first name terms with the guys working there, I always receive fantastic service from the friendly and knowledgeable workers and have to say I'm usually very happy with the work they do. My most recent problem I had with my bike was fixed within 2 days and this for me was very pleasing. They replaced a part on the bike but explained why they had to, what was causing the problem in the first place and how to prevent it in the future. Money well spent!

This place is tucked in the alleyway in Lawrence street, so you may need help with directions on…read moreyour first visit. However, when you get there you can be confident your bike is in good hands. Austin is the guy who runs the shop and I don't think there is anything he doesn't know about bike maintenance. In addition to this, he's pretty cheap compared to other similar bike repair services in Belfast. I'd advise leaving enough time for any work though- since it's a small business it can probably get busy so rush jobs may not be possible. Still, very happy I have this place so close!

The famous McConvey cycles has been around for a long time and features everything an amateur or…read moreserious cyclist should need. Placing myself firmly in the 'amateur' bracket when it came to get a new bike I found the staff unintimidating and always helpful and sincere when answering my less than informed questions. The shop runs over 2 storeys and has everything from kid's bikes through to serious roadsters. They also do the 'cycle to work' scheme here which was one of the reasons I was down to check the selection. The assistant actually managed to talk me out of a more expensive model when he realised I wasn't going to be doing any serious miles on the bike and reminded me about a few necessary accessories (like a helmet, lock and lights!). After receiving the bike and a few admiring looks/comments from friends and colleagues I was only too happy to recommend McConveys to them. Pros: Good selection of bikes and accessories. Very knowledgeable staff. Cons: Location not idea. No parking.

Would not recommend this shop to anyone just starting or just returning to cycling. They are only…read moreinterested in money and will fleece you for as much as possible. The advice they give is often false, misleading and again geared to separate you from as much of your cash as they can. If you want to buy a bike, get one on the internet and get a good technician to set it up for you because this will save you money and you'll get better looked after and get better advise somewhere else. I feel as though I've been violated by these gangsters. One of the worst shops I've ever had the misfortune to step into. Never ever again. Fraudsters.

I use the Belfast Bikes going to and from work and have done so for about a year now. It costs £20…read morefor the year and if you rent a bike for less than half an hour there is no charge. Using the bikes i can get to and from work really quickly, avoiding traffic, and not having to worry about locking up a bike or where i am going to park it. Making this a very handy service. The app is the easiest way to get a bike out and return it, you put in the bike code and go, pretty simple. You can also ask for a card that you can swipe at the bike dock, or imput the details at the dock. I have had a few issues with the service over the year, bikes not coming out of the dock then having to get another and be charged for the second bike, being the most annoying one. Although this seemed to be an issue early on, that they have now sorted. All in all its a really handy service to get you round Belfast.

For someone living in or close to the city centre these are great. For £20 a year, the bikes offer…read morea fairly dependable mode of transport around the city, and a greener, cheaper alternative to the taxi or bus . If you have the app on your phone, you simply enter the code in the bike and it unlocks. There will be an additional charge of you go over 30 mins, but Belfast is that compact I've never had them out for more than 15 mins at a time. The bikes are generally in good working order, though I've used a few that have had small problems. There is a feedback function on the app if you need to report anything. Additionally, the support team (available on the free phone number) are very helpful and pleasant. The bikes themselves are quite simple with 3 gears , stand, lock, bell, lights, parcel basket and easily adjustable seat height. Very handy and enjoyable way to get around the city. For anyone just visiting for a few days, i believe there is an option for shorter hire durations. Also, for anyone apprehensive about the traffic, belfast has become very cycle friendly in the last few years, with cycle lanes throughout many parts of the wider city and 20mph speed limits in the city centre.

Pros: Low prices, fast shipping…read more Cons: VERY poor customer service experience. Ordered a groupset and they sent me two front sets of brakes instead of a set for front and rear. When I brought this up with them they immediately blamed me (because obviously I'd need two front brake sets to build a bike right?) and refused to assist telling me it is my fault and need to order the rear brake separately. Bottom line: I refuse to do business with a company that doesn't treat their customers well. It's not worth the lower prices, you're better off going somewhere else.

The world is truly flat. I can order from Chain Reaction Cycles from my home in a suburb of San…read moreFrancisco, California and get it faster and cheaper than on-line shops here in the US. Most bicycle products are fungible. Competition is in price and service. CRC has figured this out.

I'm so clumsy, that at any moment, whilst sitting on this sofa I could fall off and break most…read morebones. So sitting on a bicycle with a petrol tank attached is not a sensible idea for me. But I was close by so I popped in. Apart from having the coolest name in town, Hein Gericke had everything the motorbike enthusiast could need, from new bikes to every form of safety gear needed to slightly reduce your risk of becoming a statistic. There's also an information board displaying lessons and other invaluable information for those who of me Conor K disposition.

From the owner: Caters for Motorcycle Enthusiastsread more

A great way to see a lot of different parts of the city. Very reasonable price for the amount of…read moretime & the many places you see. Definitely recommend!

This was an amazing tour. David is so friendly and easy to be with. He presented the history of the…read morecity in an biased manner, which is not easy in a city like Belfast. We saw so much, including riding around the Titanic Museum and surrounding docks. We heard the history of the Titanic and stood where it was built. We saw several of the Game of Thrones stained glass windows. The show was filmed at the studio next to the Titanic Museum. We rode down curvy alleys that contained pubs we never would have known about. The peace wall and history of The Troubles was very interesting and moving to see. Once again, David did a great job of presenting both sides of the issue. You must do this tour when next in Belfast.

Podium is a huge sports shop located in the slightly strange location of the Montgomery Road, not…read moreanother shop in sight so you have to make a journey specifically there. No great hardship I suppose. They sell all manner of sports and outdoorsy stuff for adults and kids. I tend to get my gym gear there, often in the sale and usually pay around £20 for really good USA Pro bottoms and £10 for a top. And it lasts for ages even after being constantly washed. I also take the kids there for football boots, tennis racquets and mouth guards (which seem to be swallowed up into some black hole on a weekly basis). They give 10% discount to pupils of some Belfast schools so it's worth asking if your kids' school is one of them. There's a large range of Canterbury tops and bottoms. Canterbury is the must have casual brand these days and pretty expensive, but Podium often have reductions going on which is when I but a few pieces. If you need trainers, Podium is a good place to head to as they have a huge range and the staff actually know which shoe is best for different types of sport. My next purchase is going to have to be the dreaded football kits for my 2 boys. What on earth is the attraction of over priced nylon shorts and tops in lurid colours? Clearly a boy thing. Podium 4 Sport Ltd. ,Belfast, Castlereagh,

This sports shop on Montgomery Road would be my favourite. The shop is massive, very spacious and…read morewell laid out. There are a lot of different types of bikes, accessories and bike specialists to help with any enquiries. The shop stock a good range of Ulster & Ireland rugby shirts etc along with other clothing and sports lines. There is a good range of football and rugby boots and a really good collection of Asics trainers. There is a Ticketmaster in this store which is great for getting concert/event tickets. I never have much luck with Ticketmaster online so this is handy. If you are a frequent customer they offer a 10% loyalty card that you just show at the till for extra bargains! The staff are by far the most friendly and helpful from any sports shop I have been in.