Tributes have been paid to a former bike shop owner and a popular member of the Cardiff community who was told he had just two weeks to live over 20 years ago. Chris Harris owned Chris Harris Cycles, now Damian Harris Cycles, in the Whitchurch area of the city and raised money for a number of charities following his recovery from cancer.
After working in Halfords, Chris started his bike shop in 1956 when he was just 17 at the Mill Lane Market. He began the business in a 12-by-12 garden shed, working 18-hour days doing up second-hand bikes. People would queue around the block to buy bikes in Chris's big Friday sales.
The business was a roaring success and moved to Bridge Street for around 30 years, before setting up its current Whitchurch site. Dedicated to his work, Chris worked in the same business for 50 years before he retired in 2006, with Damian taking over as Damian Harris Cycles. Cycle shops have long been in the family, with Chris's father, Arthur Harris, also having had his own shop in Ely.
