Local bike shops feel the economic squeeze as Christmas looms

Supply chain issues, along with the cost of living, continue to hit retailers hard

Bike shop
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Standing on the workshop floor of Sterlands Cycle Service in south Bristol, one does not really get the impression that the cost of living crisis is biting too much. There are bikes ready to be worked on everywhere, with a steady stream of customers arriving to deposit or pick up their fresh wheels.

"We haven't slowed down really," Josh Le Oudec, the workshop manager there says. "It's pretty constant. We're slammed, I was still servicing on Christmas Eve last year. Everyone bought bikes in the first lockdown, and everyone needs those bikes fixed. I don't know how many more we can do in Bristol now.

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