Into the future of biking retail: how Uprise Bikes enables unforgettable cycling experiences
As Cycle Solutions’ dynamic new retail arm, Uprise Bikes (Uprise) strives to transform the cycling retail landscape. Born from a company with a rich history in providing top tier cycling brands and leading the Cycle to Work scheme for businesses, Uprise offers a new retail-focused venture, with a diverse range of bikes, both instore and via its online e-commerce store. This way, the company caters to cyclists of all levels, whether they are seasoned riders or newcomers to the world of biking. Made up of individuals passionate about cycling, the Uprise team is enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and expertise with clients by delivering the best shopping experience and helping them find the perfect bike to match their cycling aspirations. Steve Edgell, Founder, sheds light on the origins and purpose of the business.
“Whilst Uprise was only established in 2023, cycling and the bike industry have been in our DNA since the 1980s. My fellow directors, Mike and Keith Jones originally bought a small bike shop called Wheelies in 1989 which served the student community of Swansea. Both Keith and Mike were ambitious young men in their early twenties and were looking to expand the retail business beyond the local community. When I joined Wheelies in 1995, we began noticing that many customers were coming into our shop asking for quotes for stolen bikes to submit to their insurance companies to get a replacement bike. However, we found that after giving them the quote, we rarely saw them again and it seemed that their bikes were not actually being replaced. Thus, my role involved reaching out to insurance companies and building relationships with them, working together to validate claims and determine what had been stolen before offering the replacement bike. From there, our humble business grew to the point where it was turning over £7 million a year. Because we were having to replace nearly any bike as it was stolen, we had to build a massive range of brands that we could supply, from prominent bike brands like Trek, Specialized, and Giant, all the way to more niche brands,” he explains.
“In 2006, we set up Cycle Solutions, a leading provider of bikes for the Cycle to Work scheme, working with employers all over the country to offer a tax-efficient way for people to obtain bicycles,” Steve continues. “Although Cycle Solutions’ business-to-business-to-consumer model is successful, we didn’t believe it truly reflected the values of our team of 80 people, the majority of whom cycle every day. Hence, two years ago, we came up with Uprise, a retail brand that would enable our enthusiasm for biking to shine through. In July 2023, we launched the Uprise website and in early 2024, we opened our first retail store and refurbished our original location, which we have owned since 1989, reopening it as a Trek store. Additionally, in April 2024, we inaugurated our Uprise Electric store in Swansea, displaying 120 e-bikes for riders of all levels.”
Last mile initiatives
Taking its passion for cycling a step beyond retailing bicycles, Uprise has recently introduced last mile initiatives. “Bikes provide a great opportunity to green up the environment and the economy. To promote their use, we have supplied Swansea University with two Cube cargo bikes, which are currently being utilized to replace vans. Instead of transporting cargo into a van, university staff can load the bin at the front of the bike with any type of bulky items, jump on the e-bike, and transport them to other parts of the campus. Not only is this solution more efficient and cost-effective for the university, but it also checks crucial boxes when it comes to sustainable travel and preserving the environment. We have extended this initiative beyond universities, offering it to local authorities and delivery companies. In city centers, in particular, it is often more practical to get someone onto a bike with good storage than it would be to deliver the same parcel using a van. Thus, we are concentrating our efforts on encouraging delivery companies and organizations with large sites to consider e-bikes and e-cargo bikes as a means of transportation, particularly for that last mile delivery,” Steve enlightens.
Competitive edge 
Moving on, Steve explains how the pandemic affected demand in the bike industry and how Cycle Solutions adapted to meet the needs of its customers. “During the initial Covid outbreak in 2020, the bike industry experienced a surge in demand as a significant number of people wanted to start cycling, mostly because they could only be outside to walk, run or cycle during lockdown. Therefore, people saw biking as a fun way to spend time outdoors, leading the international bicycle market to grow exponentially throughout that period. Initially, it was great to be able to get so many new cyclists riding, but there was quickly a shortage of bikes, prompting us to buy any remaining products and even rent an extra warehouse facility. Later, we bought and expanded that facility, increasing our storage capacity for both our retail and online stores. Consequently, we are now able to fulfill the vast majority of orders within 24 or 48 hours, which is vital for us in order to compete with organizations like Amazon who offer next-day delivery,” he informs.
To further hone its competitive edge, Uprise will be placing a greater emphasis on social media marketing and its online presence for the remainder of the year. “Our vision is to create a rider-first community through our social media platforms, by curating and creating content that we love as riders. With this strategy, our goal is to position Uprise as the go-to online place for advice, support, and details regarding bike maintenance, the latest bike ranges, as well as complementary clothing, parts, and accessories. Therefore, we have numerous videos in the works that you probably wouldn’t get with most run-of-the-mill retailers, seeking to recreate excitement around our experience of cycling. Alongside the rapid expansion of our online presence, we will also continue to enhance the reputation of our physical stores as we open up new locations,” Steve ends.
Driven by its passion for cycling, Uprise is poised to continue providing excellent guidance to its customers, while promoting sustainable transportation with quality products and initiatives.