THE Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative has opened its third store south of the Border and is forecasting further expansion over the next few years.
The group's latest shop, in Manchester, is its biggest so far - double the size of its original outlet in the Capital - and marks Edinburgh Bicycle's fifth UK outlet overall.
Kate Webster, the co-op's promotions manager, said: "We have plans to e
xpand into the major UK cities where we feel there is a keen interest in cycling.
"In Manchester there were no really big bike shops and we felt it was on the cusp of something great in terms of cycling."
The city is home to the Velodrome, the UK's National Cycling Centre, hosting Britain's top indoor cycling track.
Manchester also hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games which helped give cycling a profile boost in the city, as has local Olympic cycling gold medalist, Jason Queally, who officially opened the store. Ms Webster also noted that the local council was "getting quite hot" on cycling, increasing its provision for users on Manchester's roads.
Edinburgh Bicycle invested around £500,000 moving into the former car dealership base, with the new business creating 18 new jobs and taking the group's overall payroll to 145.
Edinburgh Bicycle, which launched in 1977 with three staff, is Scotland's longest-established workers' co-operative and currently has a turnover of around £9 million.
The business is owned by around half of its staff, with workers having completed a year's employment entitled to join the ownership scheme on the payment of £1.
The Manchester opening adds to Edinburgh Bicycle's presence in Leeds, Newcastle and Aberdeen, as well as its home town.
Ms Webster says the co-op plans to expand further, suggesting there could be another five or so shops opened up over the next few years, although any expansion is likely to be contained within the UK.
"There's nothing definite to speak of yet," she said. "What's important to us is to make sure that the pace of development does not hinder the quality of service that we've established and become known for.
"We're looking at growing the business of all the current stores as well as opening more new ones.
"It would be fair to say there may be another five or so over the next few years but we'll be very careful to grow at a sustainable speed."
Helping drive the group's future plans is a growing interest in cycling, both for environmental reasons and from a health perspective, with many turning to bikes as a way of keeping fit.
"I was at a conference recently where there was the general feeling that there was a sea change in attitudes to cycling," said Ms Webster.
"In all the cities we're in, we're doing really well. If we were only doing well in one or two, you could say that it was because of specific reasons. But the fact all our shops are enjoying growth tends to suggest it's down to a wider interest in cycling in general."
