Brixton Team Stories: Meet G
February 15 2023 – Brixton Cycles
At Brixton Cycles we don’t just have a team of staff, we have a family with a shared passion for bikes and the Brixton community. In this series we’ll be finding out a little bit more about our Brixton Cycles family members – coming from all walks of life, we’ve got plenty of stories to share, so let’s get into it!
Meet G: having joined us in the Stockwell Road days, G has been a part of Brixton Cycles for around a decade now! As one of our resident mechanic extraordinaires, day-to-day you’ll find G fixing up bikes and building wheels in the workshop. With that being said, we sat down for a quick chat to find out more about G’s cycling story.
How did you get into cycling?
For me, cycling started from being a part of the punk scene. All the punks in South London had bikes, and we would ride to gigs, demos, squats and skips all over the city, all the time! That’s when I really fell in love with riding a bike.
What has kept you cycling? Was there an aspect that drew you in?
The freedom and autonomy that cycling affords are what keeps me riding. There’s no better way to explore a city or a country than cycling, and it’s genuinely fun & exciting!
How did you get into the bike trade?
Well, again it was punk and DIY culture that really kicked things off for me. I wanted to be able to fix my own bike and my friend's bikes, so when I discovered that Mel (previous Brixton Cycles Co-Op member) was running a free series of bicycle repair classes, I signed up straight away! It was super fun and Mel was real cool, so it just went from there. Ultimately, I like fixing things and I like bikes!
When did you join Brixton?
I joined Brixton Cycles maybe 10 years ago, back when we were situated at Stockwell Road. To me, BC seemed like the best bike shop to work at, so when Sarah gave me a call and asked if I could do a trial day, I jumped at the chance! As a business with a real community focus where profit isn’t the bottom line all the time, Brixton Cycles felt like a perfect fit, and I was really excited to get started.What do you like about being part of the Co-Op?
I really believe in a non-hierarchical business structure where everyone is treated fairly and equally. Aside from the altruistic stuff, being in the Co-Op has broadened my understanding of the running of a business and allowed me to pursue things outside of the workshop, like some of the newer Brixton Cycles t-shirts that Suzi Kemp and I designed (just to be clear, it was just my rough ideas and all Suzi’s talent!).What would you do if you weren’t in the cycling trade?
Probably another job where I’m fixing things or helping people.Any recent/upcoming cycling expeditions of note?
I recently returned from New Zealand where I spent a few days mountain biking in the Whakarewarewa Forest, which was excellent. When the weather fines up here I want to do some more cycle touring in the UK (I really think people overlook some of the great Sustrans routes!) as well as the King Alfred’s way on the gravel bike that I intend to build up!
