Any business can be environmentally and socially aware regardless what it is they do - it's all in…read morethe mindset. The Spokesman Bicycle Shop is a fine example. A cycling fanatic from Chile, the owner has been here only a short space of time and has already amassed a firm group of workers and customers. He explains to me (in a beautifully fluid mix of Spanish and English) that his ethos is to put back into the community what he takes out. He takes trade in with his cheap prices and honest approach, but puts back with cycling fares and mini festivals in the local park. A good service for your bike will cost about thirty pounds plus parts. You can pick up new or second hand models as well as all the reflectors, lights and accessories you could ever need. It's an independent store so they can't afford to be as cheap as some places on everything but they're a lot more personal, friendly and human. It's what you want really.

The Spokesman is yet another jewel in the glittering crown of St Werburgh's. Another local business…read morewhich knows exactly what people in the area need as so many of them rely on two wheels to nip about. I popped in here totally clueless after damaging my bike in a fall and, rather than treat me like the clueless idiot I am and fleece me, the owner, Baltazar Padilla- aka Balti - did a great job. For £17 he gave my bike a mini-service, fixed the brake blocks, made some adjustments and sorted my mud-guard. And he was friendly, bright and breezy all the while. It seems he knows most people in the area as passers-by are always popping in to say hi. And he sells a range of essential cycling accessories for very reasonable prices as well as new or second-hand bikes.

Fast, expert cycle tuning and repair - on your doorstep!…read more Ross Taylor's excellent little mobile bike business is super. Something was wrong with my bike (turned out the gears weren't really working), I called him and he came out almost straight away, fixed my bike and charged me a very reasonable fee (and a cuppa tea). Nuff said really. And a darn sight more knowledgeable and personable than the repairers at Halfords, plus he explains step-by-step what he's doing to your bike and has a joke with you at the same time. Give Taylored cycles a call!

Excellent Service. Ross collected my Son's Bike this morning and has just returned it. He sorted…read morethe gears as requested and replaced the brake pads. He knew we had a budget to work within and he very honestly kept the work to the lower end of that budget. In addition he took it upon himself to put air in the tyres, retape the handle bars and found a small magnet so the trip computer could work again. Brilliant service and I would recommend him to anyone. We have 5 bikes in the house and I suspect we will be using Ross again very soon. Many Thanks Ross.

Mat has just completed the build of my Surly Bridge Club. The result is outstanding and his…read moreexpertise and attention to detail is second to none. There was an issue with the fit of my Hope headset where he had to ream out some metal to fine tolerances. He explained why this had occurred and how the issue was resolved. Customer care is obviously a top priority with them and Mat could not have been more helpful, even to the extent of making sure that, as I was limited with time, my bike was ready for collection on Easter Saturday having prioritized in on Good Friday. If you want excellent service and expertise, don't go anywhere else, it's as simple as that.

Great people, astounding service. John and his team did an overhaul of my bike (more like a…read morecomplete rebuild) and changed it from a tired, neglected, sad old mountain bike that couldn't manage a hill let alone to a mountain - to a spiffing retro MTB that looks the bees knees.

Contrary to all the high end bike shops that cater to those who want to buy flashy gadgetry bikes,…read moreFred Baker Cycles is such a breath of relief. Relief that a normal, homely, down to earth cycle shop exists. The staff here are always friendly and they let you wander around the shop at your own pace, and are always happy to help you out with any biking issue you've got and can't get your head around! They also participate in the work cycle scheme. This shop is deceptively big - it is very long and goes all the way back, full of bikes and their spares. A great, family run business.

Fred Baker Cycles is a fantastic little family run bike shop on Cheltenham Road. It's a father and…read moreson operation, originally set up by the father, who now is getting a little too long in the tooth, and has handed over the reins to his son. It's a while since I chatted to them about the legacy f the business, but I think they have been going for over thirty years... or something to that effect. As you'd expect from a family business, the motivation to open the shop came from a passion about bikes, or perhaps more accurately, a passion for what bikes allows the rider to do. I pay regular visits to the shop and I'm offered as much of a welcome if I'm coming in purely for advice as I am to buy something. Obviously businesses don't stay in business if they don't make money, but everybody at Fred Baker seems to be able to somehow balance their passion for bikes, their willingness to be of help, and making sales s that they continue to succeed commercially, whilst at the same time being incredibly helpful. They do a lot to inspire people to take up biking seriously.

My family have been going to Reg Braddicks for about 40 years. All our family bicycles have come…read morefrom his shop. I recently took my bike for a service and got a flat tyre mended. I love my bike and being without it is tough. It's my only means of transport. Braddicks is a little treasure on the drabness that is Broadway. While other business have found it difficult to prosper there Reg Braddicks have continued to expand until they now take up quite a sizeable chunk of the block they occupy. Basically the shop has everything you could want lots of new gleaming bikes in stock lots of bike parts and lots of good advice when you need it. They also do an ordering and repair service. Often if it's something small they will try and fix it on the spot. Sadly I never learnt to change a tyre or do any of the usual maintenance stuff that I should have, but I'm never made to feel small about this. Bikes and bike repair can be an expensive business so they phone you as a matter of course if they have to do more work than was anticipated originally. I find this reassuring.

Put my bike in for a service. At the time my cycle was my…read moremain mode of transport and I used it to and from work on a daily basis - I did point out it was my commuting hack so it was needed. The service took a whole week to complete ! On the day it was due back to me - I had to call to see what was going on as it was coming up to lunch time and I needed to collect the bike in my lunch hour. It cost £94 which is a lot for a cycle service. The fact that it took so long means I won't be using them again as I can't wait that long for my cycles - I have one which I commute on and one which I race on - I think I will be learning how to fully service my own bikes if you don't need your bike in a hurry then book here - the work carried out to my bike was to a good standard and the bike felt so much better for the first few weeks after having the service done.

This takes me back to the last time I was in Halford. Cyclopaedia is an amazing shop for cyclists…read morehaving the largest array of mountain bikes and accessories for the amateur up to the pro level. Combining a retail shop with a repair and technical assistance. They can easily outcompete other cycle shops with a cool style and interior the latest in cycling gear and some really nice bikes. If you're looking for pro equipment such a cross country or downhill bike then get some knowledge from the experts. The staff are all cycle fanatics so they should know what they are talking about.

I love this shop it smells of bike grease, a lanky lurcher is curled up in front of a calor gas…read moreheater, if you peek behind the counter you can see upside down bikes in various states of repare. As a keen cyclist I was a Cyclopedia regular when I lived this side of town. The shop is well stocked and parts can also be custom made. The chaps that work here are extremely knowledgable and friendly. These people are good, very good, they have been established for 16 years. As well as selling new parts, they also offer the only bike fitting service in South Wales, fix all makes and models of bikes, without the need to book and even fix punctures while you wait.

Bikes, bikes, bikes. There is no better way to get around Bristol…read more Psyclewerx is a well run cycling shop, with young people working in it. So far as purchasing bikes goes it seems to have a larger selection of mountain bikes rather than road bikes. I popped in to get a puff of my air put into my tyres, they joked with me about not being a paying customer etc. but since I have been back they recognise me and it is a bit of an on going joke. they do very competitively priced Bike MOT's and they are a lot smilier that the in the shop at the top of Black Boy hill, and they are independent unlike places like Evans cycles.

I went in for a gear service as my gears were slipping. The staff were very friendly and after I…read moredropped the bike off in the morning phoned me up to tell me how much it would cost to sort out. They were very reasonably priced and did a great job. They even sorted something else wrong on the bike and didn't charge me.

This great local bike shop won the South Wales Echo's 'They're The Business' award in 2009, which…read morerecognises local businesses that go above and beyond the call of duty for their customers. Now the Bike Shed has moved to Cathedral Road it has more space than at its old premises on Wyndham Crescent, and they've added new makes to their range including Trek, Pashley, Raleigh and Cooper. Apart from the bikes themselves, they also have loads of cycling accessories, from child seats for the back of your bike through to gloves, helmets and clothing. From fairly low-price goods through to high-end brands, they offer stock for most budgets. You can also get your bike repaired and serviced by experienced staff and they supply parts by dozens of cycling brands such as Rock Shox, Endura, Truvativ, Shimano, Mavic, Avid, etc. The staff are all cycling experts, and are knowledgeable on local issues such as good biking trails and Cardiff's Bike To Work scheme - so you can find out all sorts by having a chat with them. Highly recommended for any Cardiff cyclists out there.

This is where local business beats the big national chains…read more National chains usually employ someone who looks decent enough, doesn't have a criminal record and can just about string a sentence together without swearing. They don't care if they have any knowledge or passion about the product they are selling. The people working at the Bike Shed know their stuff and you can tell - their enthusiasm is infectious. They don't won't to sell you a bike to make money, they want to find you the right bike so you enjoy biking. That's why I bought a bike off them that I ride all the time. If you're after a bike or just some advice - pop in here -there is no hard sell just friendly advice.