Easy riding with the Bike Man
Mixing business and pleasure doesn’t come easy to many people – but it’s certainly not an issue for Bike Man owner Matt Aston.
“It’s like working in a pub, talking about your favourite things but using all your skills. Except the people around you aren’t all drunk”, he says.
Bike Man has been a fixture on Gloucester Road for the past decade. In a previous incarnation, the site on the corner of Radnor Road was known as The Bicycle Shop.
“Since the day I opened it’s been busy”, he says. “Everyday commuters are our biggest customers as they’re always looking to have their bikes serviced.
“But we also do high-end builds on mountain bikes and have even made up wheels for wheelchair users”.
Matt started his bike repair business in a spare room 15 years ago. Following a spell in a workshop near Cheltenham Road he moved into a space at the back of what was then Bubalu, now Chance & Counters.
He says he jumped at the opportunity to move into his own shop, bringing customers up the road with him. Now he employs two mechanics to help out, broadening the team's skills. And that's come in handy with the rise in the number of people cycling seeing more e-bikes coming into the shop.
“You don’t get problems with name brands that use motors like Bosch, but the cheaper ones can have issues”, says Matt, pointing to a new budget e-bike brought in for fault-fixing.
