The 'local bike shops' of a bygone era weren't as good as you remember them, argues Dr Hutch

Hutch puts a helmet onto a child in a bike shop.

On a ride last week with my friend Bernard, the subject of the online retailer Wiggle Chain Reaction came up. The company is in deep financial water after its parent company pulled the plug.

Bernard was, if not actually pleased, at least not distraught. “They crushed all the local bike shops,” he said. “Without big websites we can have proper bike shops again.”