Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op: ‘The revolution will not be motorised’

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative started off as a bicycle repair service in 1977. At the time, there were few bike shops in Edinburgh, and each shop seemed to have a perpetual sign in the window – ‘Sorry No Repairs’.

Spotting a gap in the market, the original workers, Gerry Murray, Chris Hill and Morag Ogilvie, decided to open a bicycle repair shop and agreed it should be a workers' co-operative. They opened a small repair shop in West Crosscauseway, Edinburgh, trading under the name “Recycles Co-operative”.

Employee director Ged Holmyard said: “We believe that working co-operatively and advocating cycling is a natural mix. Both aspire to a better future.”

Over its early years the co-op managed to grow from just repairing bikes to start selling bicycles. By 1985 the shop had established itself as a retailer of quality bicycles and accessories and the co-op renamed itself to Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op.

In 1999 the co-op adopted the slogan “The revolution will not be motorised”. Building on the success of that campaign, and in recognition of the fact they had opened branches outside Edinburgh (in Aberdeen and Newcastle) they dropped the brand name Edinburgh Bicycle and launched the “Revolution” brand of bicycles, bags and clothing in 2003.

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative now has eight stores across Scotland and northern England. Plus it also has an online store at www.edinburghbicycle.com.