Leisure Lakes Bikes is a family-run bike retailer that began in 1981, when brothers Tim and Chris Noy started a small windsurfing business at Leisure Lakes, between Preston and Southport. When the wind dropped, visitors turned up with bikes instead, and the brothers began selling them. The business now trades as XLR8 Sports Ltd, registered in Bury, and lists 20 UK stores from York and Leeds to Southampton and Newport, with Swindon on the way.
The online shop covers mountain bikes, road and gravel bikes, hybrids, e-bikes, kids' bikes and second-hand and ex-demo bikes, plus clothing, helmets, footwear, parts, tools and accessories. Brands include Specialized, Trek, Cube, Whyte, Santa Cruz, Orbea, Marin, Brompton, Endura, Fox, Burgtec and Troy Lee Designs. Stores run Cytech-trained workshops for servicing and repairs, and bikes bought online arrive with a tool kit and instructions.
Perks include free Click & Collect at any store, 0% APR finance on spends over £500, Cycle to Work and Cyclescheme, Christmas Club for spreading the cost of a reserved kids' bike, and a free VIP Club that earns reward points on clothing, parts and accessories. Returns are accepted within 60 days in showroom condition.