Bristol-born bicycle maker Temple Cycles has opened a new central retail space on Whiteladies Road, bringing a physical home to the high street in the city where the brand began, and where its bikes are still built to order.
Since 2014, Temple has grown into a global direct-to-consumer brand, with customers across the UK, Europe and beyond discovering the company online. But behind that digital presence remains a small team in Bristol designing, assembling and dispatching every bike. The new store is a way of making that process more visible.
“Everything starts here in Bristol,” says founder Matt, “the design, the builds, the conversations around the workbench. Opening this space is about reconnecting our customers with those parts of the story.”
A human touch
The Whiteladies Road retail space serves as both showroom and bike assembly workshop, allowing customers to see bikes being built, speak directly with the team, and take their time with consultations and customisations.
The aim is to create somewhere people can dwell — to ask questions, understand the materials and design decisions behind each model, and feel more connected to the product they’re investing in.
As consumer habits have shifted increasingly online, Temple still sees value in creating moments of physical interaction, particularly for something as personal and long-lasting as a bicycle.
Matt Mears, Founder
“A bike isn’t an impulse purchase,” Matt explains. “It’s something you should live with for years. Being able to sit down, talk it through, understand how it’s made — that really matters.”
A space for community
The store will also provide a permanent base for the brand’s growing calendar of events designed to enrich people’s lives through the joy of cycling and exploring outdoors. From group rides through the city to multi-day cycling events, talks and practical workshops, the programme will extend Temple’s long-standing focus on community beyond the screen.For Temple, opening on Whiteladies Road is about anchoring the brand physically in the place that shaped it.
“Bristol is where we learned how to do this,” says Matt. “It’s where our bikes are built, and where many of our earliest customers came from. Having a central space here feels important — not just commercially, but socially.”
The store is now open, showcasing the brand’s full range of city, adventure, road and electric bikes, as well as a refined collection of bike components and accessories.
Customers can book free test ride appointments online to guarantee a slot with the bike they want to try, or simply stop by during opening hours (Tuesday – Saturday, 9.30 am – 5 pm).
Temple will host an in-store party to celebrate the beginning of this new era on Friday, 24th April (7 – 10 pm). Attendees can expect local craft beer, a DJ, and a “spin the bike wheel” game to win Temple goodies. Free tickets can be secured here.