Interview with William Cycles
Can you introduce yourself and tell me a bit about your background?
My name is Dominic Williams. I grew up in Cheltenham and I’m proud to now be the owner of William Cycles.
Alongside the business, I co-founded Wheel Good Vibes, a community interest company focused on creating positive local impact through cycling and community initiatives. I’m also involved in running a bike park in the Forest of Dean, as well as other family business ventures.
I’m passionate about supporting people, improving our local community, and doing what I can to make a positive difference. Cycling naturally connects with those values, which is why it remains such an important part of everything I do.
How did the business start and what inspired it, do you know?
William Cycles has a long history, having first been established 121 years ago by my great-grandfather. It began through a passion for bikes and motorbikes, and over the generations the business evolved alongside changing times and customer needs.
Like any long-standing family business, there have been both successful periods and challenging ones. My father dedicated much of his life to ensuring the business remained strong and continued to provide for our family. His commitment and work ethic created the platform that my brother and I are fortunate to build upon today.
When I was younger, I perhaps didn’t fully appreciate what had been created over generations. With time and experience, I came to understand the value of legacy, hard work, and the responsibility of carrying a respected family name forward. Today, I feel incredibly proud to continue that journey.
What makes you stand out? What makes you different?
Our biggest strength is our commitment to people. We focus on treating every customer fairly, respectfully, and honestly. When times get tough, some businesses can lose sight of that—but we don’t.
Our staff are absolutely amazing and every single one of them are unique and bring their own qualities to the team, but at the core of them all is a good person who understands our ethos and that’s what makes our shop so great. The foundation of what we stand for and what we aim to do is understood and embodied first and foremost in our staff.
As an independent family-run business, we have the flexibility to make decisions based on what is right for our customers and our community, rather than simply following a corporate model. That allows us to maintain a personal service and genuine connection with the people who come through our doors.
We aim to be a business where customers know they will receive expert advice, trusted service, and a warm welcome every time they visit.
Are there any new products or maybe services that the business is going to do this year?
One of our main focuses this year is the Go Cargo scheme, which gives people the opportunity to trial electric cargo bikes and explore how they could benefit everyday family life or business use. Within the workshop, we are also introducing professional chain waxing services, helping customers improve drivetrain efficiency and bike maintenance.
We also have several exciting projects currently in development, and we look forward to sharing more details in due course. In addition, we’re delighted that Merida Bikes are sponsoring our bike park this year, which is a fantastic partnership for the future.
If you had to sum up the brand in three words, what would you say?
Community, Service and Respect.
What would you say is the biggest challenges? That you might be facing or other businesses will be facing in Cheltenham kind of at the moment?
One of the biggest ongoing challenges is online competition. Customers understandably compare prices, and many products can be found cheaper online.
However, what can often be overlooked is the value of professional service, expert advice, aftercare, and the trust that comes with dealing face-to-face with an established local business.
At the same time, physical businesses continue to face rising operating costs, which makes competing solely on price extremely difficult. Our focus therefore remains on delivering value through service, expertise, and relationships.
How often is the shop open and how many people work here?
The shop operates seven days a week, and we have a dedicated team of around twenty-four people across the business. In addition, we also have people involved through our community projects and bike park operations. It’s a busy environment, but I genuinely enjoy it. Knowing that we are creating jobs, helping customers, and contributing positively to the local area is something I value greatly.
I’ve heard that you like to raise money to buy bikes for children to do cycling proficiency, could you expand a bit about that?
Yes, through Wheel Good Vibes one of our key projects is the Little Bike Project. The aim is to support children taking part in cycling proficiency who may not otherwise have access to a safe and suitable bicycle. Each year, we see children unable to participate fully because the bikes available to them are poor quality or unsafe.
Our solution is to raise funds, purchase quality bikes, and donate them to schools. Those schools can then access a fleet of bikes for children who need them most each year. Once used, the bikes remain with the school so future pupils can benefit as well.
Our long-term ambition is to expand the project across multiple schools and communities. We’re currently building momentum and preparing to place our first bikes, which is very exciting. It’s a project we care deeply about, and with continued support it has the potential to make a real difference for many young people.
Williams Cycles has been at the heart of the cycling community for over 100 years. Established originally in 1904 we are now onto the fourth generation of family members to continue forwards the Williams Cycles experience. All of our staff are keen cycling enthusiasts and our team offer honest friendly advice to all our customers.
Opening Hours
Monday-Saturday 9:00am – 5:30pm
Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm