Inaugural Local Bike Shop Week hailed a major success as ACT Director visits winning bike shop

Posted on 12 Jun 2026

The first ever Local Bike Shop Week has been hailed a major success, as the Association of Cycle Traders Director made a personal visit to present the inaugural Local Bike Shop Awards winner with their trophy.

Jonathan Harrison travelled to Pickering, North Yorkshire, to meet David Beeley, Founder and MD of Big Bear Bikes, and the team behind the winning shop. Big Bear Bikes was crowned the first ever Local Bike Shop Awards winner after securing 42% of the public vote, ahead of The Bike Barn in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and A&S Cycles in Hackney.

David Beeley, Founder and MD of Big Bear Bikes and Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won the Local Bike Shop Awards. We believe passionately that a good quality, local bike shop at the heart of its community is the best place to buy and have your bike looked after, and this recognition means a huge amount to us and the whole team."

The week-long celebration, which ran from 3rd to 9th May, attracted over 50 award entries, more than 20 industry partners and widespread coverage across the trade press. Among the campaign highlights, partner and bicycle tyre specialist Schwalbe UK launched a "brew and a biscuit" initiative, with their Sales Promoter team directly visiting around 70 independent bike shops across the UK to deliver custom brew kits. The activation generated a total Instagram reach of 9,300 across seven posts, with 2,200 engagements, and secured features in both BikeBiz and Cycling Industry News, along with regional press.

A spokesperson for Schwalbe UK said: "Our promoters had a brilliant time out on the road and the care packages were a huge hit with retailers. We absolutely loved being part of Local Bike Shop Week and the brew and a biscuit theme was a fantastic way to connect with the independent bike dealer community. We can't wait for next year."

Jonathan Harrison, ACT Director, said: "It was brilliant to visit David and the team at Big Bear Bikes and present them with their award in person. They are everything an independent bike shop should be, and it was a privilege to celebrate that with them. The response to the first ever Local Bike Shop Week has surpassed all expectations. Seeing brands like Schwalbe UK go out on the road to support independent bike shops directly, combined with the incredible enthusiasm from retailers and the public for the awards, shows just how much appetite there is to celebrate independent cycle retail. We can't wait for next year."

Local Bike Shop Week is an industry-wide initiative managed by the Association of Cycle Traders. More information about Local Bike Shop Week is available here.