Following the launch of its workshop management software ‘Workshop’ in the UK in April 2024, Bikebook has now launched its Workshop service across new European markets, including Germany, France, Spain, Scandinavia, BENELUX, and Italy.

Bikebook has been working closely with key partners in Europe, including German retailer, Spoks:

At spoks, we have been using Workshop as our integrated CRM, workflow, and booking tool since day one. Customers love the system because they can select their bike and service directly online, and we send them automated reports for inspections.

At the same time, the tool helps us internally by allocating resources, managing parts, and obtaining customer approval for higher maintenance costs. I give my wholehearted recommendation for Workshop by bikebook to any bike business. – Sam Toepfer, co-founder of spoks

The team also worked with Flashfix, Veloroo and leading retailers in Finland and Norway to get the platform ready for launch.

In part one of our interview with Jake Fieldsend, Co-Founder of Bikebook, we discuss their recent EU expansion and uncover a little more history behind the business. 

What was the ‘aha’ moment that inspired you to create Bikebook? What gap in the market did you see? 

I used to race a lot in the South, both road races and time trials. I had a local mechanic who always kept my bike running perfectly. When I went off to uni, I stopped racing, and by the time I moved back home, he’d shut up shop. That left me taking my bike to one of the big chain stores, which turned out to be a disaster and it actually came back in worse shape than when I dropped it off. 

Following this, me and the guys built a really simple platform to see what local mechanics were actually out there – that was how bikebook was initially born. Then, what we found started to make things interesting: within a 30-mile radius, there was a mechanic every mile, yet we had no idea they existed, even though we were well involved in the local cycling scene. 

What started as a bit of fun and just a way to help cyclists find decent local mechanics, ended up growing way beyond Sussex. Mechanics from all over the UK started signing up. 

Bikebook started as a platform for connecting cyclists and mechanics. How did that evolve into also offering workshop management software? Was that always part of the plan? 

The more mechanics we spoke to who were signing up to bikebook, the more we realised there was a bigger problem. Most of the mechanics signing up were completely priced out of the specialist software that bigger bike shops use, meaning they missed out on the tools that help businesses grow and run more smoothly.

That’s what led to Workshop – affordable bike shop management software designed to help independent mechanics professionalise, grow their business and increase revenue, without breaking the bank. 

Can you give us an overview of Bikebook and its mission? 

Bikebook’s mission has always been and always will be to help the industry grow. Bike shops have every right to be wary of software companies; it can often feel like they’re all just out to squeeze as much money as possible while locking customers into contracts that hold their business back. 

But the right systems can make a real difference. Independent repair shops and large retailers alike can benefit from streamlined processes that help them run more smoothly and grow. That’s where we want to be not just another software provider, but a company that genuinely cares about its customers and is focused on helping them succeed, without the nonsense. 

Why was now the right time for Bikebook to expand into Europe? Were there any specific demands or opportunities that drove this decision?

The challenges we’re solving for UK bike shops aren’t unique, shops abroad are facing the same issues. As a result, we’ve seen a lot of inbound interest from international businesses, ahead of schedule. 

Over the last six months, we’ve had the opportunity to work with great partners like Spoks Bike Repair, Flashfix, and Veloroo to refine the platform and ensure it’s ready to roll out in European markets! 

Will there be any specific features or adjustments for the European market? 

We’ve added regional-specific translations, European address picking for mobile mechanics, and support for those offering collection and return services. Furthermore, we’ve introduced automatic timezone recognition, currency adjustments, and improved onboarding to make the experience even smoother.