13 of the best bicycle shops in the world

Here’s a short list. Very personal. Very mixed up. For sure I’ve missed somewhere.

Places I visited; places I know; places I’ve read about;

At almostthere we have selected our personal favourite 13 bike shops in the world.  The selection has been made from many many great shops, all fantastic and equally valid choices, but here we list what we consider to be the best 13, trust us, they are fantastic, each with their own unique character.

We are cyclists.  We love beautiful bikes: whether they are single-speed, time trial bikes or mountain bikes it doesn’t make any difference.  We are irresistibly attracted by the beautiful architecture of bike shops, even if is only internal, and we can never turn down a warm welcome.  This is the basis for the selection.  Then of course each one has its own unique characteristics that make it a world of its own, worthy of a detour in order to pay a visit: they will all welcome you with open arms and your curiosity will be repaid with locations and welcomes that are simply out of the ordinary.

Ultracicili

1. deuscycleworks  – part of the Deus Ex Machina family, a well known Australian lifestyle brand. In reality there are 4 temples of cycling in the world: Sydney, Bali, Venice (CA) and Milan, the last born. And it is Milan that took the reins of the bike world into the Deus brand. From its location in the heart of the popular Isola district of Milan, DeusCycleWorks proposes a series of models and noteworthy personalisations with the same spirit in which it takes on surf and motorbike fashion.  The industrial space, an old weaving mill, has been skillfully converted: a completely out of scale table is the masterpiece which marks out the internal pathways; inside a wooden cage a skilled mechanic assembles all the bicycle models with the same approach for which Deus became famous across the world for its customised motorbikes.  You can always make yourself comfortable in the welcoming armchairs, drink a beer, use the wi-fi network or read one of the magazines left at your disposal.  There is a wide selection of clothing, and many collaborations with other brands.  In the magnificent, unusual setting of the private courtyard you will also find the Deus Cafe where you can refresh yourself after all the effort of cycling or shopping with an aperitif or perhaps even dinner.

2. ultracicli –  a very small italian company. They don’t have a fixed shop; they only open temporary shops in random loctions during the season. I must stay tuned to find out where they will appear next. In the meanwhile they live on the net…
A tiny young Italian brand of handmade bikes entirely made to measure.  They don’t have a fixed store but work with many different temporary shops. The selected locations are always impressive due to their originality and they have been published many times in prestigious international bike and architecture magazines and books.  To find out where they will be opening their next temporary shop, you need to visit their website or check out their social-life (blog or Facebook).  Born from the idea of two creatives, one from the world of communication and the other from design and architecture, they pay a lot of attention to the atmosphere and to the appearance of the shop; there’s no need to add that the bikes are of the highest quality; made entirely in Italy and made to measure for each client, who they involve in planning every detail with them.  They have a strong collaboration with…

3, pave‘– C/ Alcalde Ferrer i monés, 57-59 Prat del Llobregat · Barcelona
Not open long, it has immediately attracted international attention for its contemporary and fashionable image. In an outlying district of Barcelona, inside a really spacious loft, they offer a fantastic selection of the best international cycling brands, both in terms of bikes and technical clothing.  Also in this shop, there is a very popular welcome and meeting area.

4. brick lane bikes london – 118 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6DG
An absolute staple of the contemporary bike world. Splendid location. Fantastic bikes. If you’re in London you must definitely pay them a visit. Exceptional, they have a BLB brand through which they sell bike accessories and they’ve just finished a colloboration with the fashion giant H&M.

5. rapha cycle club london – 85 Brewer Street, London W1F 9ZN
As you can read on their website, the RaphaCycleClub started as meeting point for road riders.  Present in the key cities of the bike world, New York, Sydney, Osaka, San Francisco and in London, where it was founded, and continues to dictate the fashion in the sector. In addition to the cafe, the retail store has all of the best products, including, obviously, the Rapha collection.

6. tokyobike – Tokyo
What can we say…as the name suggests this location is the temple of the bike in Tokyo, and in Japan overall.  An austere and unpretentious place in the best Japanese tradition, their have made both quality and image their strengths.  Putting linguistic issues aside, they are always very friendly and welcoming.  The shop has become a brand and they’ve opened branches in London, Berlin, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and Milan.

7. vecchio’s bicicletteria – Boulder, Colorado
In an old building in Boulder in Colorado they are resellers of small and sought-after cycle brands only, such as Moots, Gunnar etc…their three mechanics know how to take care of every type of bike and can find a solution to any problem, really any problem or modification that you may ask for.  Passionate and knowledgeable like few others, they are total fans of Campagnolo but, however Italian it might be, they don’t use olive oil to lubricate the chain.

8. red lantern bicycles – Brooklyn, New York
Their payoff is ride it . drink it . love it .  and they’re based in Brooklyn – New York, in one of the districts with the most unrest in the city, or perhaps even in North America.  Inside a typical New York space, as well as the classic shop you’ll find a small typical American style bar-cafe.
In the workshop they’ll greet you like real bike nerds, able to fix any type of cycle, and they are obviously fans of the most stylish current trend:fixed-gear and cargo bikes.

9. Old Spokes Home – 322 N. Winooski Ave Burlington, Vermont 05401
Situated close to the Winooski river close to Burlington, this classic yet unusual shop sells Jamis, Salsa and Surly bikes obviously. Inevitable given the location. However, its biggest attraction is the presence of an out-and-out bike museum; with about 70 bicycles dating from 1860 to the present day.  It is definitely worth a detour and real enthusiasts should mark it down as a specific travel destination. And as tourists you’ll be treated with the best possible American small town hospitality.

10. velocult – 1969 42nd Portland Ave, Oregon
This special place makes modern cycling culture a true belief system.  Stupendous architecture, they organise events continually and are an absolute reference point for the city and surrounding areas. Don’t miss out on the cafe/bar and attention, attention a stupendous museum/collection with valuable collector pieces.  No need to suggest you pay a visit.

11. BIKEID STORE STOCKHOLM – Brahegatan 6, Stockholm
In the best Scandinavian tradition this small shop is a design gem, both for the super stylish architecture as for the cycles on sale, almost all of their own production representing the most contemporary style trends : single speed and simple, basic/essential fixed-gear. Rich with related accessories, they include design pieces for the bike world.

12. cicli berlinetta – Schönfließer Straße 19, 10439 Berlin
They describe themselves as “the house of chic” and as Germans, there is some truth in it. The shops is never without valuable pieces from the italian tradition and new models at the height of contemporary. Specialised in custom frames they produce very elegant pieces and for the most part fixed-gear and single speed, even if they often they let themselves be convinced by a more teutonic functionality.

13. lock 7 cycle cafe – 129 Pritchards Road, London, E2 9AP, UK
As the name well suggests, there is a wonderful cafe. Obviously there is also the shop and a splendid workshop. A fascinating location, highly illuminated from unusually large windows, it is the ideal location to “hang out”between the displays and the splendid young Londoners who don’t leave any part of their look down to chance.