In part two of our round-up of Britain's best bike shops, we look at the rest of the UK (and Scotland in particular!). All bike shops have been nominated by Twitter followers of @esquireuk.
Bike Treks, Ambleside: Nestled in amongst the green idyll of the Lake District, Bike Treks prides itself on its customer service, beautifully-presented showroom, and educational focus. Its status as a Shimano Service Centre Plus makes it one of only 25 in the country – and it even offers their own rental service. While their off-road range is impressive, owner Andy Stephenson has noted an increase in road bike brands like Roubaix and Scott. Selling well: As well as the road-bikes, Santa Cruz mountain bikes and British manufacturer Orange seem to be popular among Cumbrian enthusiasts. (Rydal Road, Ambleside, LA22 9AN. 015394 31245; www.biketreks.net)
Webster’s Cycles, Leicester: Bucking the recession, Webster’s Cycles is moving to a larger, purpose-built showroom in September where they will be able to continue supplying Leicester with some of the best road-bikes around. Offering an array of services and accessories, they focus most of their efforts on selling machines by Specialized, a well-respected road-bike manufacturer. Selling well: The Specialized Globe Vienna 1 seems to be a popular choice in Leicester. (134 London Road, Leicester, LE2 1EB. 0116 254 8065; www.mailordercycles.com)
Escape Route, Perthshire: When you’re surrounded by the Scottish Highlands, you don’t have much choice but to take to the terrain on a heavy duty mountain bike. That said, Escape Route is well equipped to cope with the meteoric rise in fixed-gear biking too. As well as selling bikes, they have two fully-trained mechanics, a fund of expert local knowledge and hire-service. And as outdoor specialists they can also provide everything you might need to hibernate in a heather-filled gorge for the winter. Selling well: Talon from Giant and the more subtle Defy. (3 Atholl Road, Pitlochy, Perthshire, PH16 5BX. 01796 473 859; www.escape-route.biz)
Kinetics, Glasgow: This one-man operation makes Lance Armstrong look lethargic. Specialising in unusual models, cyclist-extraordinaire Ben Cooper's love-affair with bikes began when he blew his entire student loan on a recumbent bike. He's never looked back and now focuses on folding, recumbent, and electric cycles. Ever the enthusiast, he notes many of the bikes can be faster than the the road-bikes which are currently in vogue. Selling well: Ben says the three-wheeling HP Velotechnic Scorpion is currently the one to buy. (54 Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1AE. 0141 942 2552; www.kinetics.org)
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative, Edinburgh: Though the hills of Edinburgh might dissuade one single speed and fixed-gear bikes, there is still a great demand for high quality road bikes. The Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative have six stores across Britain and pride themselves on their helpful attitude and mission to encourage cycling through their stores. In Edinburgh, as well as the popular road bikes, they are seeing the passion for Scottish mountain biking remains strong. Selling well: The Specialized Globe hybrid is suited to tackle the mixed commute terrain, whereas the Cannondale Bad Boy is fast, light, and stylish. (8 Alvanley Terrace, Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh, EH9 1DU. 0131 228 3565; www.edinburghbicycle.com)
Chain Reaction Cycles, Doagh: Our Northern Irish offering comes from a little rural town in Ballyclare and while the setting may be quaint its selection of mountain and cross-country bikes is anything but. Though predominantly a web-based operation, their showroom hosts some of the finest off-road bikes available – lovingly described as “bike porn” by owner Andrew Gillis. Chain Reaction also offer expert servicing and custom building on top of their range of mountain and road bikes. Selling well: Top-of-the-range action bikes from German company Cube are flying off the racks - ideal for the mountains. (Kilbride Road, Doagh, Ballyclare. 028 9334 5515;www.chainreactioncycles.com) Hugh Morris
To see the Twitter nominations for best bike shops in London, click here
