Bristol Bike Fest is an annual race weekend held in June at Ashton Court Estate. The 12 hour endurance race in particular is a highlight of the mountain biking calendar. If you haven't raced before and are looking for a laid-back and fun event to kick off with, or if you're an experienced racer who wants a more challenging course than the usual muddy field, it's well worth doing. The same team also organise the Cheddar Bike Fest, which has a slightly harder course but is still really good fun.

Bristol Bike Workshop are specialists in the second-hand, the obscure and the bargainous. They are located on Colston Street, opposite the BRI. Their website is worth a look as it has loads of useful information.

Mud Dock are probably Bristol's best-known bike shop and are dealers for Trek, Scott and Santa Cruz amongst others. Their shop is also a good place to start if you're looking for new cycling clothes, as they have a big selection and a proper changing room.

Paligap are UK importers for a host of top brands, including Kona, Merlin and Litespeed bikes, Torq energy products and Sombrio clothing.

Pembury Cycles are a Bristol-based bike shop with an ever-expanding empire consisting of three branches in Gloucester Road, Bishopsworth and Imperial Retail Park, Hartcliffe. They are dealers for Felt and Merida bikes among others, and owner Paul can often be seen squeezing round the local trails on his pimped-out tandem.

Psyclewerx are a fairly new shop located just off Whiteladies Road, specialising in blinged-out custom builds. They carry a wide range of brands including LaPierre, Iron Horse, Cove and Intense.