Farewell to the Friary Walk Bike Store: A Tribute to a Community Gem

Farewell to the Friary Walk Bike Store: A Tribute to a Community Gem

It’s with heartfelt gratitude and more than a little sadness that we say goodbye to the Friary Walk bike store – one of the most welcoming and secure places to lock a bike.

For the past four years, this space has been freely available to the Worcester community, thanks to the vision and generosity of Mike Lloyd and the Friary Walk team. While the unit has now been leased to a rent-paying tenant – which makes perfect sense from a shopping centre management perspective – we want to take a moment to reflect on what this facility has meant to the city and to us at Bike Worcester.

More Than Just Bike Storage

The Friary Walk bike store was never just a place to park a bike. It was a thoughtfully equipped hub for cyclists of all kinds. Mike approached us during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with an idea: transform an unused commercial unit into a secure bike parking facility. With CCTV monitoring, regular check-ins from the security team, and space tailored to include cargo bikes, it was an easy “yes” from us.

Inside, the space was a cyclist’s haven: a repair station, mirror, bench, shelving stocked with bike-related books and maps, and even a vibrant gallery of local riders – most of whom are now part of the Bike Worcester network.

A Community-First Approach

The security team went above and beyond. If a bike was found without a lock, they would secure it with one of their own D-locks, complete with instructions on how to retrieve it. We’ve even used this service ourselves (yes, sometimes cyclists forget their locks in conversation!).

Beyond storage, the unit became a central meeting point, a workshop, a donation drop-off for recycled bikes, and a handover spot for those we’ve refurbished. It sparked friendships and helped Bike Worcester grow. And of course, it encouraged more people to explore and support the shops, cafés and bars around Friary Walk.

Looking to the Future

While the public bike store may be closing, we’re pleased to confirm that Bike Worcester will retain access to the workshop space within Friary Walk for the time being—so our bike recycling efforts will continue.

The popularity and impact of this facility highlight a bigger issue: the urgent need for more high-quality, secure bike parking across the city. We regularly hear from people who would love to cycle more but simply don’t have space to store a bike at home.

Did you know around 20% of Worcester households don’t have access to a car or van, rising to 75% in some city centre areas? Cycling is already a practical option—Worcester is a “15-minute city” by bike—but we need infrastructure that supports this.

If local and national governments are serious about encouraging active travel (as their own policies suggest), then now is the time to invest in solutions that support cyclists and help the city move forward.