One of the original UK cargobike shops, born in the late 2000’s and dedicated to the use of cargobike in our UK places. We tune, fix, customise and build cargobikes. we specialise in URBAN ARROW and Larry vs Harry and offer objective, relatively unbiased advice and all the parts, bits and spares we can find for the URBAN ARROW range of cargobikes. Bosch, Enviolo, Magura certificated, powered by green energy, a warm welcome to all.
Rob was brought up in a mechanically minded household, his father and brother both taking things apart and more impressively, putting them back together again. I rode abike from an early age, rode for transport and freedom. my main bikes was a RSW16, a lump of a bike with a 3 speed hub gear and a dymano hub and lights. loved that bike…went everywhere on it. then hand me down Roberts frame and campag, then a commissioned Rory O’Briens MTB in purple..friction shifters, and i just rode and rode….my cycling tailed off as it does for alot of people…house moves, bigger commutes for work, etc…
Really Useful Bikes has existed since 2007, Rob was selling a wood fired hot tub at the time and was looking for product to compliment the outdoor, better living aspect of that product. His eye was caught by an article in the Sunday Times Q/A about carrying two kids on a bike, He rang the contact , a Mark Forster, it turned out that Mark imported the Yuba Mundo and the Xtracycle from the USA, Mark was a passionate visionary and an early adopter of the cargobike concept. That conversation was the start of a friendship and began Really Useful Bikes. It has been quite a journey since that first conversation. Being introduced to such innovative and useful bikes affected Rob to such an extent that it got into his blood, it reintroduced him to his earlier love of cycling so now, nearly 18 years on, he is still selling cargobikes and doing his little bit towards the bicycle being reinstated as respected local transport.
The mission of Really Useful Bikes (RUB) now is to support existing cargobike owners and to offer the best service and make available parts and spares to make them work better and to keep owners and families riding. We look after couriers and business bikes, and we actively promote the school run as a way tom change lives and our public spaces. We sell Urban Arrow, Tern, Larry vs Harry and Omnium and Enviolo, Bosch, Rohloff and Magura parts and spares.
Really Useful Bikes has made a lot of contacts over the years and we can now supply bicycles* and products from all over the world. It’s not possible to stock all the bicycles that we think useful, so we chose to work with the nicer people with the best products. As with most independent shops we aim to back good products up with customer service that only a small businesses can give you, adaptable, reactive and always personal.
