Northside Wheelers

Northside Wheelers is a bike shop unlike most.  Malachi Moxon, the owner and operator, runs the operation out of a small space on Greville St., Prahran.  For those familiar with both Melbourne and cardinal directions, you're probably asking, "Why northside?"  There are two reasons for that and both relate to Malachi's geographical roots; firstly, he heralds from Yorkshire, a fact his accent reveals, and more recently, he calls the north of Melbourne home.

Walk into Northside Wheelers and it feels more like a gallery than a bike shop, and indeed, there is plenty of stuff in there that is simply nice to look at (and not for sale). Crammed into the space are frames, clothes, art, memorabilia and paraphernalia from years gone by. Pictures of past champions, such as Merckx and Hinault, grace the walls. And no matter how hard you look, you won't find any signs of your Armstrongs, Contadors, Schlecks or the like. Similarly, you'll have a hard time finding any Shimano; this is mostly a Campagnolo affair, no doubt with a few exceptions every now and then from the likes of Simplex and Suntour.

And while there is plenty to look at, if you want to spend some money you won't have any problems. For me, Rapha makes the nicest and most stylish cycling gear around. So it's a good thing that there is extensive stock of the English brand along with some products from Capo and Campagnolo as well as a modest selection of good books.

If you're a cyclist with an interest in the sport's history and heritage, this place is sure to have something to interest you. So, next time you're southside, check out Northside Wheelers.

Address, opening times and other stuff are available from the Northside Wheelers website and blog.