Posted on 29 March 2021

A Brief History of Walton Street Cycles

Walton Street Cycles is the oldest, longest serving bicycle shop in Oxfordshire.

First opening the doors in 1975. To date there has been just three owners, with both the current owners being a married couple as well as their predecessors.

Our History

1975 – Shop opens, selling sports bikes and utility bikes. The shop starts to acquire its position as a leading repair centre.

1980 – Increasing sales of touring cycles and lightweight accessories

Mid 80s – Walton Street Cycles gets into mountain bikes from the very start. Rapidly becomes one of the biggest dealers in the UK. The shop gets a larger workshop to deal with demand.

Mid 90s – After the crazy days of innovation by the manufacturers start to die down, Walton Street decides to concentrate on only a few leading manufacturers of quality ATBs. The speed of development by some of the big names had left their quality control fall by the wayside. Well-known brands of aluminium American ATBs are dropped as their frames fall to pieces.

2000 – Bikes get more sensible and are now trying to appeal to what people actually want them for. Value for money just gets better and better. Comfort is all the rage. Sensible City bikes people actually ride become trendy, and great cross country and freeride Mountain bikes just get better and better.

Late 2000s – More people than ever start commuting to work and a varying ranges of commuter bikes become available. The Shop continues to focus on high quality durable products, British manufacturing continues to offer the highest standards.

2010 – The shop continues with traditions and offers expertise and quality service to all cyclists, extending the range of bikes and accessories available to offer even more options than ever before for travelling by bike with children, animals or any cargo. There is a bike suitable for everything and we can help.

2020 – The year of the dreaded COVID. The shop can remain open throughout the pandemic providing an essential service to people who rely on their bikes for travel and exercise. We start to welcome more people to the cycling community as folks become more health concise.