22 FACTS ABOUT EDINBURGH BICYCLE COOP
- 1. Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op is the UK’s original workers' co-operative bicycle retailer.
- 2. Most people simply refer to us as The Bike Co-op. (We’re the first to admit that Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative Limited doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.)
- 3. Workers' co-operative means once you work with us for a year, you become a full co-op member with an equal vote and an equal share in the business.
- 4. We trust that this employee involvement comes over in the quality of service you experience whenever you visit one of our shops, give us a call, send us an email or order something from this website.
- 5. We opened our first shop in Edinburgh in 1977.
- 6. The Bike Co-op now runs seven bike shops, and not just in Edinburgh. We also have substantial stores in Aberdeen, Newcastle, and Leeds. Whatever its location, every one of our shops is called, Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative.
- 7. All seven of our shops are open 7 days a week.
- 8. Our shops are open every day of the year with just four exceptions: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and the date of our AGM (usually the 4th Monday in March).
- 9. If you can't make it to one of our shops it’s easy to browse and shop online on this website.
- 10. The Bike Co-op operates a dedicated telephone/mail order service, offering free weekday delivery to UK mainland addresses for clothing and accessory orders over £20. See ordering and shipping.
- 11. Every one of our shops has its own in-house workshop, staffed by our trained mechanics. Our workshop mantra is, no job to small: few jobs too complex. Find out more.
- 12. If you would prefer to find out how to do it yourself, every Bike Co-op branch runs day classes in cycle maintenance – a fantastically popular service we have been offering since 1982.
- 13. The Bike Co-op employs around 150 people. Most of us really do cycle for transport and for pleasure.
- 14. We are committed to making cycling less taxing. We launched our Cycle to Work Scheme in 2004 to make it easy for any employer to offer tax incentives to enable their staff to enjoy serious savings on the price of a new bike. Since then, more than 1,000 employers, from the largest city councils to the smallest (even one-person) businesses, have worked with us as their chosen bicycle / cycle equipment retail partner.
- 15. We also take CycleScheme.
- 16. Since we helped create the annual Edinburgh-St Andrews Ride in 1981, the Bike Co-op has supported or sponsored a diverse range of cycling events such as the Great North Bike Ride since 2003 and the Tour o’ the Borders since 2014.
- 17. Mission Statement - The Bike Co-op’s mission statement is to promote cycling in the UK as a pastime, and as a method of transport by making it easier and more enjoyable to own and ride a bike. That’s why we strive to stock the widest selection of genuinely useful cycling equipment.
- 18. Visiting a Bike Co-op shop or this website is your portal to some of the best brands in bicycling: Abus, Altura, Awebright, Bell, Bern, Blackburn, Brompton, Brooks, Buff, CamelBak, Cannondale, CatEye, Cervélo, Charge, Continental, DMR, Early Rider, Easton, EBCO, Endura, 5Ten, Fabric, Fenwick’s, Fibrax, Finish Line, fi'zi:k, Focus, Frog, Garmin, Genesis, Giant, Giro, Gore, GT85, Hamax, Handlebar Heroes, High 5, Hiplok, Hollywood, Ice Toolz, Kryptonite, Lezyne, Liv, Lizard Skinz, Look, Minoura, Marin, Mio, MKS, Moon, Muc-off, Niterider, Nuun, Oakley, Ortlieb, Osprey, Panaracer, Park, Pashley, POC, Pocket Mountains, Red Ant, Ridgeback, Saris, Science in Sport, Seal Skinz, Secret Training, 7Mesh, Shimano, Sixsixone, SKS, Solo, Specialized, Squire, SRAM, Stan’s No Tubes, Sugru, Systemex, Tacx, Tern, Thomson, Topeak, Torq, Udderly Smooth, Van Nicholas, Vaude, Whyte, Wilier, Yepp, Zefal and Zipvit.We really can offer you the A to Z of cycling.
- 19. To complement these world brands, we have been creating our own line of bicycles and equipment since 1985 – the Edinburgh Bicycles, which morphed into our Revolution range in 2003. Inspired by the mantra, making quality bikes and cycle equipment more affordable, our Revolution line has become a by-word for industry-leading value and design flair as shown by a host of reviews.
- 20. Connect with us - We have a Twitter account, a Facebook account, and a Instagram account. We'd love to hear from you.
- 21. Phone us - we have two contact phone numbers, so you can choose the lowest cost option.
- 0131 331 5010 (use this number if your phone contract offers ‘free’ calls to 01 numbers).
- 0345 257 0808 (lo-call tariff - you will only get charged local call rates from a land line, even if you phone us from the other side of Britain).
- 22. Contact us by e-mail.