These days, there are a lot of bike shops in the UK selling touring bikes and bikepacking gear.
There are far fewer, however, who are specialised in these fields.
This is not surprising. Cycle touring remains a tiny and underserved niche. Bikepacking is trending, and suddenly there’s money to be made selling mountain bikes with weird-shaped bags attached to them, but for most UK bike shops, sticking an old touring bike in a corner somewhere is about as far as it goes.
But a few brave shop owners and bike builders have made a name for themselves as true touring and bikepacking bike specialists.
The owners of these workshops and showrooms all tend to have one thing in common: they are (or were) cycle tourers and themselves. As a result, they know exactly what a cycle tourer needs – better than any high-street sales assistant ever will.
They are also some of the rare places you’ll be able to test-ride a range of touring bikes to see which one fits your riding style.
They are, in short, an indispensable friend to the adventure cyclist, especially when you’re just getting started.
Here, then, is a list of bike shops the length the UK who partly or wholly specialise in off-the-peg touring bikes, custom-built touring or expedition bikes, bikepacking bikes and luggage, and associated equipment and accessories. They’re listed in alphabetical order, with full contact details.
As for which shop is ‘best’, the truest answer I can give you is whichever one is closest to you. I’ve said it many times before: there’s no substitute for test-riding a bike before you buy it.
On with the list!
A Different Gear (Sheffield)
This not-for-profit bike project based in Heeley, Sheffield, specialises in new and reconditioned city, hybrid and gravel bikes, and stocks bikepacking gear for rent or purchase.
Ash Tree Yard
62–68 Thirlwell Road
Sheffield
S8 9TF
0114 250 7717
http://www.adifferentgear.com/
Alpkit Hathersage (Peak District+)
The flagship store for the popular direct retailer of Sonder touring and bikepacking bikes, Alpkit luggage, plus pretty much everything else you’d need for a two-wheeled adventure.
Main Road
Hathersage
S32 1BB
01433 730930
https://alpkit.com/pages/hathersage
Other branches in Ambleside, Betws-Y-Coed, Bristol, Edinburgh, Ilkley, Inverness, Keswick, Kingston and Metrocentre (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) – see map above.
Bicycles By Design (Shropshire)
Custom-fitted bicycle specialists and stockists for Tout Terrain and Co-Motion among others, also providing wheelbuilding and bespoke framebuilding services.
The John Rose Building
High Street
Coalport
Shropshire
TF8 7HT
01952 459900
http://www.bicycles-by-design.co.uk/
Bikefix (London)
Distributor for Tout Terrain in the UK, as well as several recumbent and trailer brands, with an emphasis on personalisation and individual service.
44 Emerald Street
London
WC1N 3QH
020 7405 1218
http://bikefix.co.uk/
Brixton Cycles (London)
Co-operative London bike shop with an emphasis on a minimal selection of ultra-reliable bicycles. Test-rides and care & attention compulsory.
296–298 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6AG
020 7733 6055
http://www.brixtoncycles.co.uk/
Condor Cycles (London)
Bespoke bicycle specialists in London with a selection of touring frames, including their classic Heritage steel frameset.
49–53 Gray’s Inn Road
London
WC1X 8PP
020 7269 6820
http://www.condorcycles.com/
Cycle Heaven (York)
True touring experts, stocking Surly and Salsa bikes and framesets (among others) and providing custom assembly services.
2 Bishopthorpe Road
York
YO23 1JJ
01904 636578
http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/
Cycle Sense (Tadcaster)
One of the few UK dealers for Koga and Van Nicholas touring bikes, as well as other touring brands, and stocking a great selection of tandems and trailers.
20/22 High Street
Tadcaster
LS24 9AT
01937 530303
http://www.cyclesense.co.uk/
Edinburgh Bicycle Coop (Edinburgh+)
Flagship store selling several brands of touring bike, including Ridgeback and Genesis.
8 Alvanley Terrace
Edinburgh EH9 1DU
United Kingdom
0131 228 3565
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/
Other branches in Aberdeen, Canonmills (Edinburgh), Newcastle and Leeds – see map above.
Green Machine (Horwich)
Supplying a range of bikes including tourers from Dawes and Ridgeback. John also provides custom bike building and wheelbuilding services.
146a Lee Lane
Horwich
BL6 7AF
01204 696831
http://www.greenmachinebikeshop.co.uk/
Ghyllside Cycles (Cumbria)
Run by highly experienced cycle tourers, supplying stock bikes, custom assembly services and their own line of touring bikes and frames, as well as a huge range of luggage and accessories.
Ghyllside Cycles
The Slack
Ambleside
Cumbria
LA22 9DQ
01539 433592
http://www.ghyllside.co.uk/
Hewitt Cycles (Lancashire)
Hidden behind the general range of popular bikes lies the well-respected Hewitt Cheviot touring frameset and complete bike range. Also look out for their Surly framesets and bike building services.
17–19 Preston Road
Leyland
Lancashire
PR25 4NT
01772 424773
http://www.hewittcycles.co.uk/
Keep Pedalling (Manchester)
Relatively new shop in Manchester’s Northern Quarter run by experienced cyclists with a big emphasis on utility and touring.
23 Hilton Street
Manchester
M1 1EL
0161 222 6015
http://www.keeppedalling.co.uk/
Mastercraft Cycles (Hereford)
Dealers for British cycle touring brands Dawes, Ridgeback and Carradice; also custom builders of touring bicycles.
39 Bridge Street
Hereford
HR4 9DG
01432 274047
http://www.mastercraftcycles.co.uk/
Mercian Cycles (Derby)
Long-running bespoke framebuilder in Derby with a touring-specific model (the King of Mercia), also offering complete bike builds to individual specifications.
Pontefract Street
Ascot Drive
Derby
England
DE24 8JD
01332 752468
https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/
Oxford Bike Works (Oxfordshire)
Independent Oxfordshire-based builder of custom touring bikes, including in-person workshop fitting sessions. (I helped Richard design his flagship expedition model.)
Sycamores,
Station Yard,
Steventon,
Oxfordshire
OX13 6RX
01235 831 992
http://www.oxfordbikeworks.co.uk/
SJS Cycles (Somerset)
SJS Cycles are the sole UK dealer for Thorn touring and expedition bicycles. They no longer have a physical shopfront, so consultations regarding complete bikes are by appointment only (though you can walk in and they’ll do their best to help).
91–93 St John Street
Bridgwater
Somerset
TA6 5HX
01278 441505
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/
Spa Cycles (Yorkshire)
The north’s best-established specialists in cycle touring equipment for over 30 years.
48A Camwal Road
Harrogate
North Yorkshire
HG1 4PT
01423 887003
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/
Stanforth Bikes (Brighton & Hove)
Small-scale touring bike builder established in 2014, selling a range of touring & expedition bikes based on their own frame design, with plentiful custom build options.
Workhaus
Unit 6
18a Arthur Street
Hove
BN3 5FD
07850 881438
https://www.stanforthbikes.co.uk/
Swinnerton Cycles (Staffordshire)
Long-running family business stocking Trek and Ridgeback touring bikes.
67 ‑73 Victoria Road
Fenton
Stoke on Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 2HG
08448 112299
http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/
Temple Cycles (Bristol+)
Central Bristol bike shop selling bikes based on its own range of framesets, including drop-bar road touring bikes, each of which is built to order and fully customisable.
Unit 22
Brookgate
Bristol
BS3 2UN
Second branch on Brick Lane, London.
0117 403 2314
https://www.templecycles.co.uk/
Do you know of any UK touring bike specialists not listed here? Please let us know in the comments – such shops are hard to come by.
Something to add?