When you walk into T. White's Bikes at 132 Symonds Street, you're in no danger of not knowing what the shop is about. The whole aesthetic is built out of what they do: bikes, accessories and parts. Behind the counter, you can see bikes being worked on and above it, the vintage signage lists the prices for various jobs. If there's an opposite to minimalism, it lives here.

"You can see us on the tools, you can flick through the same drawers we flick through to repair the bikes," says co-owner Anae Brown. "We sell all the parts, so if you feel like tinkering at home, you certainly can. Otherwise you can come in and see the work unfolding."

Anae and his partner Gabrielle Stannard took over the shop in 2018 from its founder Timothy White, who opened it in 2008. It fits well with the surrounding businesses, including Southbound Records, with which it shares an address.

"We've gone hand in hand since Southbound came in – it's worked really well," says Anae. "We have people crossing over between the two shops, which is really nice. I frequent there far too often!"

T. White's repair-and-reuse ethos also chimes with Gemmell's across the road – why throw something away when you can make it as good as new?

"The lads up at Gemmell's are great – he's done bits and pieces for me, and I've fixed his children's bike tyres after they did too many skids on them. It's similar to the kite shop – it's a pretty hands-on little area, you know? It's cool."

T. White's also buys, reconditions and resells second-hand bikes. That made it very popular after last year's Covid lockdown, when Aucklanders got their old bikes out of the garage.

"We certainly saw a lift around lockdown. It was a bit nail-biting there for a while, because we didn't know what was going to happen. Tourism was a large part of our summer business, so it was a bit scary to have that taken away. But the pick-up from the public was great – it was nice to see some attitudes changing towards cycling as an actual thing rather than a children's pastime. So it was unexpected, but very positive."

Anae has also seen a change in the style of bike people are asking for.

"It's becoming more practical. New Zealand was riding mountain bikes everywhere, but now there's a category of commuter-style or multi-surface bicycles, which tick every box. They're comfortable to ride, they work well in a lot of situations. More people are commuting now – and there are a lot of parents keeping up with their kids!"

Part of the change was the retreat of the big-barn bicycle retailers – which has also prompted an expansion, with a second T. White's store opening in New Lynn late last year.

"The vibe was going to go wherever the shop went, so we've tried to create a mini-Symonds Street, with the carpets on the floor and the crates to dig through. As the big box stores started closing, it left quite a few suburbs without bike shops – and there were no more mower and cycle shops any more. So we decided to fill that gap."

But Uptown, with its proximity to the city and the main cycle paths, very much remains home base, says Anae. "It works well for us."