Bristol gets first Kwik Fit and Fettle cycle service workshop

Today (24 April) sees the first Kwik Fit and Fettle cycle service workshop open in the UK, in cycle hotbed Bristol.

Based at the Kwik Fit centre in Cheltenham Road, Bristol, this is the first centre of a partnership that will reach into London and likely beyond.

The centres are largely aimed at supporting fleets and cargo bikes used for last mile deliveries, though still open to consumers. Last year, Kwik Fit gave notice of its intentions in this area, when it launched eBike and EV servicing centres in the Netherlands.

With focus on emissions and efficiency in the ever busy last mile delivery sector growing, Kwik Fit’s move is arguably not completely surprising, neither would it be if we saw more of the same from major scale car servicing businesses who might be alarmed at the thought of losing existing last mile fleet servicing business.

Kwik Fit has tapped into existing bike repair network Fettle for its bike workshops, which has been operating ‘faff-free’ repairs and servicing across London for three years. The duo will offer “clear and transparent servicing and repair options”, including a bicycle MOT.

Mark Slade, Kwik Fit MD (pictured with Fettle founder Jeyda Heselton), had a blunt assessment of the UK bicycle industry’s capabilities of serving the growing numbers of cycle fleets: “A growing number of our customers who operate vehicle fleets have been asking if we can support their expanding cargo bike operations, which are increasingly being used for short urban journeys.

“The fragmented nature of the industry’s current network of largely independent bike shops makes it hard for manufacturers and fleet operators to secure reliable and consistent high quality servicing across their operations. By partnering with Fettle, we can offer its services and the expertise of its dedicated teams at Kwik Fit locations to address this need.”

Fettle CEO Jeyda Heselton added: “Over the past three years we have experimented and invested in skills, processes, systems and locations. This has enabled us to understand how to best meet the growing demand for bike servicing and maintenance by consumers, manufacturers and fleets to help see green travel succeed in the UK. Combining our knowhow with Kwik Fit’s network and experience in the automotive sector was therefore a natural next step to accelerate our ability to service customers at scale.”