My favourite London bike repair shops

On my way to work this morning i was happily cycling along thinking 'I love my bike, its so comfortable and speedy, lovely lovely lovely....hmmm that was a big bump... uh oh.' Yup, a flat tyre- and a miserable walk into work the rest of the way.

Now normally I pride myself on being able to change a tube, and would whip out the tools at the side of the road. HOWEVER i knew that I most definitely did not have a spare tube in my bag, and I was not keen on patching the punctured one, being even later for work, and arriving covered in bike gunk!

On my way home from work I swang by my current favourite bike shop Brixton Cycles, to have a moan and get them to change it (i had only very recently purchased a pricey puncture resistant tyre from them) also it was the back wheel, and I was being a wuss! They found some wire which caused the puncture and got it changed super quickly, I even kept the tube so I can patch it later.

Photo by Richard Büttner http://www.richardalois.com/

Brixton Cycles is a cracking place! Right next to the Stockwell skate park, this is a workers co-op, and the customer service is just excellent! They sell bikes, accessories and components, and also have a proper repair workshop. The vibe is friendly and welcoming, and someone is always up for a chat while you are waiting, excellent.

Edwardes Cycles in Camberwell is the closest shop to my house, and helpfully they open at 8.30, so if I have any problems in the morning I can drop in on the way to work. The guys who run this shop really know their stuff, and are happy to give advice for free. Although it is all men who work here (it seems?) there is no intimidating atmosphere and I have always had good customer service. Amusingly this seems to be a shop popular with lycra clad road bikers (all men!) with crazy posh carbon dream machines. Edwardes also has a cracking selection of new and second hand bikes, worth a look if you are in the market for a new cycle.

My final favourite is the London Bike Kitchen, an open DIY workshop in Hackney where you can learn to fix your bike yourself! If you already know what you are doing you can hire a stand in the workshop and get going on your own, with the support of a resident technician. If not there are regular classes teaching everything from basic maintenance to building your own bike! Membership is £10 a year (bargain!) and although you don't need to be a member to use the kitchen, you will get 15% off new parts and accessories, and reductions on the price of workshop hire and courses. Check out the website for all the info.

Do you have a favourite bike repair shop? Any recommendations?