Showasing dlr Entrepreneurs - Ziggytec & Re-cycle Bikes

Re-cycle Bikes

Stacey and Willo King only began operating ReCycle Bikes out of their premises in Stepaside in July 2020, but already they’ve built up a great reputation for bike repairs and selling quality second-hand bikes. In December they won dlr Chamber’s “New Business Entrepreneurs” award after just six months in business. Most people might have thought that opening a business in the midst of a pandemic was a risky venture, but quite the opposite, say Stacey and Willo. “We planned to open on the first day at 12 p.m. and by the time we got to the shop there was a queue of 25 people”. It turned out that their timing was perfect.

There was initial interest from families looking for bike repairs, but that quickly spread to include people who were looking for new ways to commute to work, as well as people who simply wanted to give cycling a go. The new cycle lanes popping up across the county have made a huge difference according to Willo, “they’ve encouraged people to get out on their bikes and they’re coming to us looking to repair old bikes that haven’t been used for years”. They see their business as belonging very much to the circular economy – taking something which appears to be past its best, then bringing it back into use to ensure as Willo says that “nothing is wasted”. Crucial to how they operate their business is Stacey and Willo’s belief in paying things forward. As they got up and running, people started dropping in donations of old bikes that had maybe been left behind by adult children, and dropping in unwanted bike parts to the shop. For Willo “it just didn’t sit right that we were getting so much for nothing. We decided to set up a monthly donation to St Vincent de Paul and have continued with this ever since”. “The simplest format”, says Stacey, “is sometimes the best” – and it is certainly working for Re-Cycle Bikes. Re-Cycle Bikes, The Stoneworks, Ballyedmonduff Rd, Dublin 18, D18 E6T4. 086 275 1154