The Bristol Bike Project

What The Bristol Bike Project does

The Bristol Bike Project is a Community Interest Company (CIC) limited by guarantee, structured as a member-led cooperative and founded in 2008 by James Lucas and Colin Fan in Bristol, United Kingdom. The organisation refurbishes donated second-hand bicycles and rehomes them primarily with people facing barriers to transport — refugees, asylum seekers, those with mental health issues, people in substance recovery, the long-term unemployed, and young people aged 8-17. Commercial services (refurbished bike sales from £220, three-tier bike servicing at £60-£160, Dr Bike mobile mechanic sessions at £195+VAT, maintenance courses, and a £7-£15 DIY Bike Kitchen) generate earned income that subsidises the community programmes. The organisation is funded through a mix of retail/service revenue, donations, fundraising, and grants from trusts including the National Lottery Community Fund, Southall Trust, John James, Quartet Community Foundation, Nisbet Trust, and Bristol City Council, with beneficiary acquisition handled primarily through a referral network of more than 50 partner organisations such as Bristol Refugee Rights, Bristol Drugs Project, Second Step, and Unseen.

The organisation operates from a freehold premises at 198-200 Stapleton Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 0NY — a former fishmonger purchased in 2021 via a £43,311 community crowdfunding campaign that ended an 11-year tenancy at Hamilton House. The product portfolio spans community access (Access Bikes, Fix-a-Bike, Social Cycle, After School Bikes), DIY maintenance education (Bike Kitchen, Raise the Saddle, Courses), and commercial services (Dr Bike, Bike Shop, Repairs and Services), with a co-op membership pathway that converts volunteers (after 10 sessions) into voting members. Underlying technology is non-technical: bookings via Bookwhen, e-commerce via eBay, email via Mailchimp, and Vimeo for video. The 2025 impact report cites 271 bikes refurbished and rehomed, 843 people supported with free repairs, and 879 young people attending workshop sessions.

The business model is a hybrid social enterprise: earned income from bike sales, repairs, mobile services and courses cross-subsidises subsidised or free community programmes, with grant and donation income closing the gap. Pricing is unit-based and inclusive of 20% VAT. The 9-person staff is supplemented by a volunteer pipeline feeding into co-op governance, with co-op members holding legal and financial responsibility through an elected Directors Group. There is no external equity ownership; any surplus is reinvested in community programmes consistent with CIC asset-lock rules.

Name

The Bristol Bike Project

Legal name

The Bristol Bike Project

Website

https://thebristolbikeproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bristol Bike Project is a Bristol-based member-led cooperative CIC, founded in 2008, that refurbishes donated bicycles and rehomes them with refugees, asylum seekers, mental-health service users, people in recovery, the long-term unemployed, and young people, cross-subsidised by bike sales, repairs, courses and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Cycling Services

NAICS

Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (8114)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bike Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Used & Refurbished Bike Retail (CRAMAHAK)

Keywords

• Community bike refurbishment
• Bicycle repair services
• Bike maintenance courses
• Social enterprise cycling
• Second-hand bike sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bike Sales: Selling fully refurbished second-hand bikes starting from £220. Bikes are donated and given complete overhaul by mechanics. Profits reinvested in community programmes.
2. Repair and Servicing: Full repair and maintenance service with three service levels (Level 1: £60, Level 2: £95, Level 3: £160) plus standalone jobs. Labour charged at £60/hour.
3. Dr Bike Mobile Service: Mobile mechanic service hired for events, schools, workplaces or community groups. Minimum 4-hour session at £195+VAT.
4. Maintenance Courses: Bicycle Basics introductory course and Intensive two-day bike maintenance courses for beginners and intermediate learners, booked through Bookwhen platform.
5. Bike Kitchen DIY Workshop: Drop-in DIY workshop sessions where people fix their own bikes using provided tools and stands. Priced hourly (£7-£15).
6. Donations and Fundraising: Community support through donations, fundraising events, and crowdfunding campaigns. In 2021, crowdfunding raised £43,311 from 606 supporters.
7. Grants and Funder Support: Funding from trusts and foundations including Southall Trust, John James, National Lottery Community Fund, Quartet Community Foundation, Nisbet Trust, and Bristol City Council.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Bristol Bike Project is a member-led cooperative that refurbishes donated second-hand bicycles and re-homes them to people in need. It operates a physical bike shop offering refurbished bike sales, repair and servicing, mobile mechanic hire (Dr Bike), DIY maintenance workshops, and beginner-to-intermediate maintenance courses, alongside donated community programmes such as Access Bikes, Social Cycle, and After School Bikes. Trading revenue from bike sales and repairs is reinvested into community programmes that provide free or low-cost transport for refugees, asylum seekers, people with mental health issues, those in addiction recovery, long-term unemployed, and young people.

Product overview

The Bristol Bike Project is a community interest company operating as a member-led co-operative that repairs and rehomes bicycles within the Bristol community. The organisation offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes centred around three pillars: community access (Access Bikes, Fix-a-Bike, Social Cycle, After School Bikes), DIY maintenance education (Bike Kitchen, Raise the Saddle, Courses), and commercial bike services (Dr Bike mobile mechanics, Bike Shop, Repairs and Services). Revenue from commercial bike sales and repair services funds the community programmes. The Co-op Membership enables volunteers to participate in governance and decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access Bikes A community programme providing fully refurbished donated bikes to people experiencing involuntary long-term unemployment (6+ months). Recipients pay £25 for the bike including a D-Lock and light set.
• Fix-a-Bike A weekly workshop session specifically for ongoing maintenance of bikes given out through the Access Bikes programme, providing free repair support for recipients.
• The Social Cycle A relaxed workshop session for adults struggling with mental health, loneliness, anxiety or isolation. Participants fix bikes in a supportive environment with tea and companionship.
• After School Bikes A free, drop-in workshop for young people aged 8-17 years to learn how to fix their bike, running every Friday from 3pm-5.30pm with discounted parts available.
• Bike Kitchen A DIY maintenance workshop session where users access fully equipped workshop space with professional work stands and tools to fix their own bike. Drop-in, no booking required. Thursdays 6pm-9pm. Priced £7-£15 per hour.
• Raise the Saddle A women-only and non-binary/trans workshop session providing a supportive space to learn bike maintenance skills together.
• Dr Bike A mobile mechanic service where professional mechanics cycle to events, schools, workplaces or community groups to provide free safety checks, brake and gear tune-ups for attendees. Minimum 4-hour booking at £195+VAT.
• Refurbished Bike Shop Sale of fully refurbished second-hand bikes starting from £220. All bikes are donated and overhauled by mechanics. Also participates in Wheels to Work scheme offering £150 discount for qualifying Bristol residents.
• Repairs and Services Full repair and maintenance service with three service levels: Level 1 (£60), Level 2 (£95), and Level 3 (£160), plus standalone jobs. e-bikes serviced at mechanic's discretion by prior arrangement. Labour charged at £60/hour.
• Bike Maintenance Courses Bike maintenance education programmes including Bicycle Basics (introductory course for beginners covering punctures and basic repairs) and Intensive bike maintenance courses (two-day programmes covering common and deeper repairs, tailored to participants' own bikes). Booked through Bookwhen.
• Co-op Membership Member-led cooperative membership available to regular volunteers who have volunteered at least 10 times. Members can vote at General Meetings, propose ideas, elect directors, and receive training on cooperative governance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 271 bikes refurbished and rehomed in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bristol Refugee RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey referral partner for Access Bikes programme. Helps identify asylum seekers and refugees who would benefit from affordable bike access.
• Bristol Drugs ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for people undergoing substance abuse recovery programmes to access bikes through Access Bikes.
• Second StepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for people with mental health issues to access affordable bikes and Social Cycle programme.
• UnseencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for people who are homeless or in supported/sheltered housing.
• CoexistminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided three-month rent-free period in return for BBP sorting out space at Hamilton House. Early supporter helping BBP establish its first official home.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Decathlon: Global mass-market sporting goods retailer with strong UK cycling presence (sales, service workshops, bike hire). Adjacent competitor for general consumer bike purchases and maintenance, but no comparable social/community programme.
• Halfords: UK's largest cycling and motoring retailer with national service and repair network. Competes with BBP on the general-public side for bike servicing and entry-level bike sales, but does not serve the community/refugee programme niche.

Direct peers

• Re~Cycle: UK charity that refurbishes donated bikes and ships them to Africa. Directly comparable on the bike-refurbishment-as-social-impact model, with shared upstream (donations) and downstream (community benefit) structure, though their end beneficiaries are international rather than local.
• Bikeworks: London cycling social enterprise offering inclusive cycling sessions, training, and bike refurbishment. Overlaps with BBP on community-facing cycling programmes, training courses, and commercial workshop services, though operates at larger scale.
• Cycle of Good: UK social enterprise refurbishing donated bikes for resale in Malawi, also running UK-based training and volunteering. Comparable as a community bike-refurbishment social enterprise with a volunteer-dependent workshop model.
• Leeds Bike Mill: Leeds community bike workshop and social enterprise — refurbishes donated bikes, sells them affordably, runs repair sessions and training. Closely comparable workshop + sales + volunteering structure to BBP.
• Edinburgh Bike Co-op: Scotland's worker co-operative bike shop offering sales, service, training, and community cycling programmes. Same co-operative governance structure as BBP plus overlapping service portfolio (sales, repair, training).
• Recycle Bicycles (Birmingham): Birmingham-based community bike project refurbishing donated bikes for affordable sale and offering free/low-cost repairs. Direct functional overlap on the refurbishment-plus-affordable-sales-plus-repairs model.
• Bike for Good (Glasgow): Glasgow-based cycling charity running refurbished bike sales, bike library, training, and outreach to disadvantaged communities. Same multi-stream model (sales + courses + community programmes + refurbished bikes) and similar UK civic-funding context.
• The Bike Project (London): London-based charity that refurbishes donated bikes and gives them to refugees and asylum seekers. Near-identical operating model (donated bikes → volunteer-refurbished → Access programme) and beneficiary base as BBP, making it the closest direct peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebristolbikeproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebristolbikeproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bristol-bike-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bristol Bike Project