By Ellie Spark

Tom Overton has big plans for his city centre café—he hopes the vibrant space will encourage the people of Cardiff to put down the car keys and get on their bikes more.

The Bike Lock is Cardiff’s only secure-cycle storage facility; with fifty bike racks, shower facilities, and remote working spaces, it’s the perfect place for keen cyclists. To build “a healthier and happier community”, the coffee is ethically sourced and locally roasted by survivors of modern slavery, and all profits are reinvested to support active travel in and around Cardiff.

Tom encourages all into his café, whether you want to study, need somewhere to chill, or even host a meeting in a private room which seats up to eight!

I visited today and could really see that Tom has put his heart into The Bike Lock, and nothing has gone amiss. Each room is furnished perfectly—with recycled or second-hand materials—the ingredients are locally sourced, and the cakes are homemade.

Tom’s dream is to the fill the racks with bikes, and the seats with people as he believes we can be “kinder to people, kinder to ourselves and more community focused”.

The Bike Lock is a step in the right direction, take a look for yourself at 10 Windsor Place, open Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 5:30pm. Tom and his friendly team will be more than happy to serve you, because as he says: “it’s all about the people.”