Pete Owen

I set up Rat Race Cycles after several years working as a mechanic in major London bike shops. I worked with, and learned a lot from, some great mechanics, and pretty soon was workshop manager myself. I managed a number of busy workshops before striking out on my own in 2008.

Rather than set up a traditional bike shop, I realised that many cyclists, particularly in and around central London, don’t have the time to take their bikes to a shop at all, much less to wait, bikeless, for a few days or even weeks to get it back. Also, the bike industry seems increasingly to be made up of large chains, and I know from experience that staff turnover, even in the workshop, is high. To me, a specialised service means knowing your mechanic, trusting their expertise and being able to rely on the quality of their work. A specialised service is personal. This is where the idea for Rat Race Cycles – a personal service for your bikes at your convenience – came from.

So, you’ll be wanting to know a bit about my expertise, then…

I’ve gained the highest qualification available in the industry, the complete Cytech level 3. This means I’ve had extensive training in all aspects of bike servicing, including more complex jobs like suspension servicing, disc brake servicing, exotic and specialised wheel builds, and working with very high-end components. Obviously, technology moves on, and I ensure I keep abreast of the latest developments through manufacturers’ briefings, trade exhibitions and industry seminars.

Bikes aren’t just my job, though, they’re also a huge part of my life. I’ve been riding mountain bikes since I was in single digits, and I got into tricks and jumping far too old to be cool. I’ve done long-distance cycle touring, I’ve been a cycle courier and more recently I’ve also been getting into road racing, but I’ll spare you the Lycra shots! This means, though, that I’ve tried and experienced most aspects of cycling, and my clients include people from all areas – mountainbikers, road riders, track cyclists, elite triathletes, BMX-ers, downhillers and even vintage tandem tourers.