Member of the Month: Abdullah Hussain

Congratulations to our April Member of the Month, Abdullah Hussain, founder of a multi-faceted bike empire.

From lockdown side hustle to multi-faceted bike empire, Abdullah spent three years working on his side hustle, finessing his pre-owned bike business while holding down a full-time job. When COVID hit, it was the perfect time to take the business to the next level as demand for cycling soared.

Once he quit his full-time job, Abdullah had more time and energy to analyse the UK’s cycling market and find gaps that his businesses could thrive in. He says:

“I quit my job and focused on the business full time. That’s when everything else – Sell Your Cycle, The Cycle Courier Co., Inspect A Bike – started to take shape. I finally had the space and energy to step out of the day-to-day and think strategically.

“Entrepreneurship isn’t easy. You’ll face constant challenges. But if you’re passionate and willing to innovate, you’ll find your way. The UK cycling industry might be underdeveloped – but that just means there’s so much room to grow.”

Tell us how your journey into entrepreneurship began.

It all started in 2020 during the COVID lockdowns. Like many people, I found myself reflecting on what I really wanted to do. I’d been working in tech, but my real passion was cycling – I’ve been riding since 2017 and always loved tinkering with bikes, buying and selling them just to try new models.

At some point, I realised I had a good eye for market trends. I could spot a deal, knew what bikes were in demand and understood the mechanics and appeal behind each model. So, I bought one bike, sold it, reinvested and just kept going. That’s how the business was born.

Fast forward to now, and at the retail business, Broximo Prestige Steeds, we stock around 50 to 60 bikes, from entry-level models to £7,000 high-performance road bikes. It’s grown organically but rapidly and we are aiming for 100 units by the end of the year.

What do you think helped the business grow so quickly?

A few things. First, timing. During COVID, cycling exploded. People were looking for ways to stay active, commute safely, or just take up a new hobby. Demand went through the roof.

Second, I genuinely care about bikes. I take pride in helping people find something they love – whether it’s a commuter or a dream bike. That “first ride” smile? It never gets old.

And finally, I saw bikes as part of a circular economy. There’s a throwaway culture in the West – we discard things too easily. My goal has always been to refurbish and rehome bikes, so they have a second (or third) life. It’s sustainable and satisfying.

You mentioned your business has gone global. Tell us more.

We mainly serve the UK, but over time, word spread. Now we’ve shipped bikes to Nigeria, Poland, Norway, Canada, the US and the Middle East.

As the business grew, I noticed something else: the cycling industry in the UK is very immature. Compared to industries like the used car market, the UK cycling market is incredibly underdeveloped. Cars have grading systems, auction platforms, resale value databases and trade networks. Bikes? None of that.

So, I decided to do something about it. I’m now building out three services to professionalise and bring standardisation to the market:

• Sell Your Cycle

Think Motorway.com, but for bikes. Sellers upload their bike, and vetted trade buyers – bike shops or independent traders – can place bids. It solves a major issue: bike owners rarely know what their bike is worth, and shops don’t offer trade-ins. We’re building a pricing model to guide both sellers and insurance companies.

By the end of the year, we want to get at least 20 traders on there and transact around 20 to 30 bikes on the platform.

• The Cycle Courier Co.

There’s no dedicated bike courier service in the UK – until now. We launched one to support Sell Your Cycle, offering intelligent, hands-off transportation for bikes. The system syncs availability between buyer and seller, books a date, and handles collection and delivery.

It just lifts the effort from both sides to have to actually transport that bike, and also it means that you can bid on bikes anywhere within the UK without limiting your reach. It also means that sellers can access buyers within the UK without limiting their reach.

We’ve completed over 150 orders in three months, all with live Uber-style tracking. No vague “9.00 am to 6.00 pm” windows – just precise, transparent logistics. At the moment, we are focusing on the B2B market to get the volume, but we want to get more from the B2C market too.

• Inspect A Bike

Launching this summer, Inspect A Bike is a grading tool. Users fill out a report on the cosmetic and mechanical conditions of their bike, and the system assigns a score from zero to five. We're kind of standardising things within the industry and it means that hopefully a bike shop can go on there, do the grading for the bike and then when they go on the Sell Your Cycle platform, they'll put that grade in and get a realistic valuation for that bike.

Think of it like a car’s MOT meets an eBay listing – with more trust built in. It creates transparency, improves insurance valuations and helps trade buyers make informed decisions.

Once we launch, I am hoping to get at least 20 to 30 bike shops and traders using it by this year.

How did you manage all this while holding down a full-time job?

Honestly? It was intense. From 2020 to 2023, I was working full-time in tech while running the bike business on the side. Early mornings. Late nights. Every spare minute was spent sourcing, servicing, cleaning and selling bikes.

But after three years, I took the leap to get to the next level. I quit my job and focused on the business full time. That’s when everything else – Sell Your Cycle, The Cycle Courier Co., Inspect A Bike – started to take shape. I finally had the space and energy to step out of the day-to-day and think strategically.

It was a case of, I've been doing this for three years. The model is working. Let's basically take it to the next level and also introduce new ideas.

What’s your advice to others thinking about scaling their business?

It's dependent on which industry you're in, but definitely don't jump into it straight away. Give it a year or two. It’s tempting to go all in right away, but use that time to understand your market, build processes and create a financial runway.

Each business is different, but once you have your systems in place – stock, suppliers, repeat customers – you’ll be in a better position to scale. And when you do jump, the payoff can be huge.

Also, don’t underestimate how rewarding it is to solve real problems. That’s where growth happens.

How did you get involved with Enterprise Nation?

I came across it in early 2025 through a grant opportunity. I’m already a Monzo customer for business banking, so the connection was seamless.

Since joining, I’ve had mentoring calls through the platform, including one with Egan OCallaghan, a Help to Grow mentor, who offered great insight.

Ryan Tindall from the Enterprise Nation team has also been a great support in getting started and pointing me to useful advisers and resources.

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