Bike shop companies in Bristol
123 bike shop companies have a registered office in Bristol, and 23 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £14,837 in cash and owed £26,479 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | Bristol | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 123 | 8,433 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 23 (19%) | 26% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 7 (5.7%) | 10% |
| Typical cash at year end | £14,83741 accounts | £13,743 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £26,47978 accounts | £33,402 |
| Typical number of employees | 275 accounts | 1 |
What this means if you’re starting one
Most of these businesses are run by one or two people
The typical bike shop company in Bristol reports 2 employees; the top quarter has 4 or more (75 filings).
You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.
Cash is tight in this trade
At year end the typical bike shop company in Bristol holds £14,837 in cash and owes £26,479; that cash figure is lower than 76% of UK industries.
Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.
At least a quarter of these companies owe more than they own
The lowest quarter of bike shop companies in Bristol report net assets of -£5,425 or less; the median is £9,270 (69 filings).
Many operators are propped up by loans, unpaid bills or money from the owner rather than by profit kept in the business. It is easy to keep going for longer than the numbers justify.
Planning a business like this in Bristol?
Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.
Check my ideaWhat these figures can’t tell you
Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.
Bike shop in other places
- Bournemouth125 companies
- London1,111 companies
- Belfast217 companies
- Birmingham189 companies
- Cardiff176 companies
- Manchester165 companies
- Portsmouth135 companies
- Sheffield128 companies
Other businesses in Bristol
- Buy-to-let landlord4,258 companies
- Business consultancy2,651 companies
- IT support or consultancy1,604 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services1,332 companies
- Web design and software1,268 companies
- Online shop1,198 companies
- Physiotherapy or therapy clinic1,075 companies
- Builder954 companies