Originally specialising in “any kind of racer from the 1970s to the 1990s”, the company has honed in on some of the UK’s most iconic offerings.
“We soon realised how popular Peugeots were in London and taking them apart and rebuilding them ourselves we realised that actually they’re really decent quality for the price point,” said Tim, who rides an Mbk himself.
“For most people growing up in the UK, their first bike was a Raleigh, they’re one of the biggest bike brands in the world, so we have plenty of those hanging around too.”
With Tim and Stu both pursuing other careers - Tim running a golf course cost management and property development business and Stu in television production - opening times for East Bikes London previously comprised a handful of weekday evenings and Saturdays.
But a recent hiring of Italian mechanic Rosario Vacca, 29, is set to change that.
“We’ve just taken on Rosario who’s our new in-house bike mechanic and he’s able to offer a much better time-frame for things so that’s something we’re really pushing over the course of the next year,” said Tim.
“This time last year people would get in touch looking to get their bike serviced and we were just too busy to be able to do it so we would actively have to turn them down.”
While Rosario’s experience working in a garage since his teenage years means the company’s hours can grow, it’s his talent for bike customisation that looks set to add another branch to the business.