About

Practical Cycles is a small business established in 2007 by me, Zaynan Lythgoe. Yes, we have spacious new premises, and a dapper website but our common belief is that we are simply committed to selling Practical stuff for the everyday cyclist (rather than the sport cyclist which is well represented already!). Our motivation is not to become rich but get more people enjoying riding bicycles – Cargo Bikes, bikes for just getting from A to B, bikes for doing errands, bikes for carrying stuff, be that to the shops, work, pub or following the route of the Urubamba River.

We have 3 Practical Cycling disciples dealing with everything from website-building to packing mail order goods from our expansive Ebay shop to building a Hub Geared wheel. That’s me in the picture, page bottom, (when I still had hair) riding the Surly Big Dummy with my two naughty nephews. I also ride a Christiania Long Cargo Bike to carry parcels to the Post Office, the dogs, shopping, small elk etc.

We are not ‘global-mega-corp.’ We believe that small and manageable is more sustainable (and fun!) than the insatiable hunt for massive growth and domination at the expense of having fun and living a happy life.

After a decade of selling Cargo Bikes / family bikes and trailers, we now concentrate on selling a great range of parts and accessories that most bike shops don’t stock but can these are products that can revolutionise how you use your bicycle – ie more! If it’s a thing that can enhance and complement your everyday use of the bicycle, your bicycle tour, your venture into gravel riding, carrying your child to nursery or moving a wardrobe under your own steam – we will probably have it or can get it!

We believe that even on a ‘regular everyday bike’ you can “carry stuff”. There are now so many great bags, racks, carriers and brackets that enable you to carry shopping, laptops and work stuff. It’s the nomad in us that keeps us hunting for ever more Practical ways of carrying stuff both large and small over distances near and far.

Put simply our mantra is that, “you can do more by bike”