We fix bikes. We can’t fix this alone.
A foul stench seems to be rising, intermittently, from beneath our Herne Hill shop. When it gets too bad, we have to close. Every closure means lost repairs, lost sales and less income to keep going.
Three ways to help us keep going
If we’ve kept your bike on the road, we could use your help now. A booking or a voucher brings in income. Sharing this page helps get the problem heard.
Arrived to find the shop closed?
We’re very sorry that you’ve had a wasted journey. When the smell gets too bad, our mechanics can’t work and we have to shut the doors.
We can still look after your bike
Our Collect & Return service is still available. Book a collection and we’ll arrange the details with you. Before travelling to Herne Hill, give us a ring on 07796 201261 to check the latest arrangements.
The smell comes and goes. The bills don’t.
The stench seems to be entering from beneath the shop. We still don’t know its underlying source. When it becomes unbearable, we can’t carry on working.
Every closure costs us work.
Customers find a closed door. Repairs are interrupted. People who came to buy a bike or a part leave empty-handed. We lose income every time it happens.
It puts the whole business at risk.
Herne Hill brings in most of Bicyclenation’s income. This has been going on since June 2026. We need a lasting fix, and we need to keep looking after riders while we wait!
What is happening now?
Latest update: 8 October 2026
A week of gas monitoring
We are waiting for Thames Water to install equipment to measure gases and their concentrations in the shop over a week. We’re waiting for the results to help explain what’s happening.
We still need a fix
We don’t yet have confirmed gas findings, an agreed remedy or a date for resolving the problem. We’ll update this page when there’s confirmed news.
Who can help fix this?
We need our landlord, the council and Thames Water to work together. We can’t solve this from inside the bike shop. We’re asking for:
- A named lead who can bring the investigation together and keep us informed.
- Answers about the source and what the findings mean for staff and customers.
Help us get an answer
If you’re a journalist, part of a local group or know someone who can move this forward, please get in touch. Months of disruption are taking their toll on a small team and a local business.
Since June: what’s happened
We’re checking the dates of reports, visits and responses so we can add the full record here. These are the main events so far.
June 2026 — the problem begins
A severe, foul-smelling stench begins affecting the Herne Hill shop.
June–October 2026 — repeated closures
The stench comes and goes. When it becomes unbearable, mechanics can’t work and the shop has to close. Repairs and sales are lost. The gas company and Thames Water keep pointing fingers at each other. There’s still no lasting solution.
6 October 2026 — Thames Water inspection
Thames Water visited our Herne Hill workshop again to investigate the smell. So far, no cause has been identified. The problem remains unresolved.
October 2026 — gas monitoring
Thames Water is installing equipment to measure gases and their concentrations in the shop over a week. We’re waiting for the equipment and the findings.
What needs to happen next
We need the results explained and a plan to tackle the source. We’ll add confirmed developments here.
For journalists and local groups
We’re an independent bike shop at 83 Norwood Road in Herne Hill. A foul stench, apparently entering from beneath the floor, has repeatedly forced us to close since June 2026. Lost repairs and sales now threaten the shop and the wider business.
The timeline above covers what we know so far. To arrange an interview or ask for photographs and records of reports and visits, email info@bicyclenation.co.uk or call 020 8671 6900.