Shop Front - Merlin Cycles

We talk to Merlin Cycles manager Andy Oldham about his shop in Buckshaw village

"The bulk of what we do is mail order but we do have a shop in Buckshaw village near Chorley in Lancashire, which is generally very busy.

"We've been running for 20 years now, the last 10 of which I've been at the helm. We were an out-and-out mountain bike shop but in the last five years we've swung more towards the road market and so we probably have a 50/50 split between the two. We tend to stock high-end mountain bikes and equipment, and cater for the mid to high-end road market.

"We have a diverse customer base due to being able to provide for casual sportive riders as well as the more serious road and downhill racers."

Top five sellers

Ultegra Di2 groupset

"Ultegra Di2 is coming in at a great price and availability is pretty high compared to other groupsets." £1,049.95

Zipp 202 FireCrest Carbon Clincher Wheelset

"We are a Zipp flagship store and therefore have a good stock available with pricing that is pretty competitive too." £1,599.95

Schwalbe Ultremo ZLX RaceStar

"As we move into the summer and customers want something lighter and racier, along with a choice of colours and at a good price, these set themselves apart from the rest." £33.95

Shimano XT M785 Disc brake set

"As I say we are pretty much 50/50 split between road and mountain bikes and as mountain biking doesn't seem to be a seasonal discipline these days we sell pretty well all year round with the XT disc brake set." £179.99

Sidi Wire Carbon Road Shoes

"Moving into the summer season, customers want to replace their tired winter boots - hoping summer will be coming soon anyway!" £299.99









This article was first published in the May 30 issue of Cycling Weekly. Read Cycling Weekly magazine on the day of release where ever you are in the world International digital edition, UK digital edition. And if you like us, rate us!