If you’ve caught the cycling bug, are the proud owner of a fixie and/or not afraid to be seen in a pair of tight pants, you might like to know about these cute places that fix your bike and serve great coffee while you wait.
Cycling in London still feels slightly suicidal at times, but there is no denying it is the way of the future - and in this heat, literally the only sensible way to get around the city right now! If you've caught the cycling bug, are the proud owner of a fixie and/or not afraid to be seen in a pair of tight pants, you might like to know about these cute places that fix your bike and serve great coffee while you wait.
The Dynamo
The Dynamo is a cafe, pizza restaurant, and a home for local cyclists in Putney and Balham. In the mornings you’ll find great coffee and awesome breakfasts, then in the evening and at lunch they serve wonderful wood-fired, sourdough pizzas, small plates, healthy salads and an even healthier range of craft beers! If you like cycling then this is a must-visit pit-stop. There are places to hang your bikes, a pump at the door and photos to inspire you over the walls. Also, you won’t miss any of the nail-biting excitement of the battle for the prestigious yellow jersey - they'll be screening all stages of the Tour live at both restaurants!
Dynamo Putney is at 200-204 Putney Bridge Road, London, SW15 2NA. Dynamo Balham is at 16-18 Ritherdon Road, London, SW17 8QD
Look Mum No Hands
LMNH has been serving coffee, fixing bikes, and showing Le Tour at the famous Old Street café since 2010. They have four full time mechanics on hand to fix any bikes from carbon speed machines to that thing you found in your parents shed. Their brand new pop-up at London Bridge overlooking the Thames will be open until 31 August. There’s no workshop at the pop-up but food and drink, Tour de France on the big screen and a Cycle Speed Dating Date & Ride on 17 June where single bike lovers can meet likeminded people.
Look Mum No Hands! is at 49 Old Street, EC1V 9HX. The new Pop-up is at The Pier, Hays Lane, London Bridge SE1 2HB
Auguste Handmade
Established in 2012 by young multi-talented bicycle enthusiast Victor Duchêne, Auguste Handmade is the place to go to refurbish old objects with a modern twist. The little Hoxton shop merges a quaint cafe area with a bicycle workshop and showroom, so you can get a nice coffee and French homemade pastries while you wait... trés bon! If you are looking to create the bike you’ve always wanted, the “Build Your Own Bike Wall†makes it easy to select each component and accessory from a wide range of sustainable vintage frames to create a hybrid vintage/modern one of a kind. Once a month, the space transforms into a venue for happenings, exhibitions and gigs for likeminded bike lovers.
Auguste Handmade is at 187 Hoxton St, Hoxton, London N1 6RA
In the heart of Shoreditch, CycleLab & JuiceBar is a safe heaven for cyclists and healthy eaters. The shop floor is divided into three sections including a bike repair shop, a cafe with cozy seating for eight to ten people, and a juice and food bar, serving smoothies, juices, salads and vegan Acai pots sourced from a local producer. The crowd is a combination of cyclists, tourists and locals seeking healthier options to the pizza, noodle and chicken shops on Pittfield Street. They also offer bicycle accessories, tools, nutrition and clothes, and they do special yoga classes for cyclists every Wednesday to stretch out those hamstrings.
CycleLab & JuiceBar is at 16b-18a Pitfield St, London, N1 6EY
Rapha Cycle Club, Soho
Rapha’s first-ever Clubhouse was launched in 2012 and instantly became a destination for the London cycling community. The central London location proved so popular that it was expanded in 2014, adding more retail space and a larger café area, now occupying half the floor space of this very smart cycle clothing shop, which also shows live cycle events on big screens. This is as much a destination for shoppers dropping in for coffee and a bite as it is a meeting place of the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC), which meets ahead of laps around nearby Regent’s Park or at the weekend, rides out to Kent and the Surrey Hills. Events are a regular feature of the Clubhouse, and visitors could find themselves rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the sport, who will often make a point of visiting when they are in town.
Rapha London Soho is located at 85 Brewer St, W1F 9ZN