When keen cyclist Jamie Lynn needed new parts for his bike, he started buying and selling on eBay from his bedroom.

Ten years on, the 32-year-old runs a string of five cycling shops with a turnover of £2m.

And the carpenter from Cholsey even fits the interiors himself.

The stores, which trade under the Mountain Mania and Road Room banner, are in Didcot, Carterton, Reading and Tring, Hertfordshire.

Mr Lynn said: “I started off buying second-hand bike frames and bike parts.

“I was into cross-country racing, so would ride something for a year and sell it on, but that wasn’t about making money, it was just my hobby.”

The outlets, which sell mountain and road bikes, stock 10,000 product lines including clothing and accessories.

Mr Lynn’s father Paul, 57, handles business development while his brother Dan, 25, runs the Didcot store.

He met Carterton store manager Dave Llewellyn when they were 16 and had Saturday jobs at Halfords in Didcot.

The firm has close links with local clubs, stocking clothing for Didcot Phoenix cycling club and supplying bikes to RAF Benson, business zone Milton Park and the Henley Regatta.

Two-thirds of turnover is from bike sales but 10 per cent comes from repairs and servicing.

Mr Lynn, who “loves bikes”, added: “I get dirty in the workshop with the mechanics.”

Average spend on the two-wheelers is £700-800 but prices go up to £10,000.

Mr Lynn, who left school after GCSEs, said his eBay dabbling turned into serious online dealing by chance.

He explained: “I was doing my carpentry apprenticeship and racing at weekends and someone suggested a Canadian brand, which I bought direct from their factory.

“They had a lot of enquiries from people seeing me race their bikes, so asked if I’d like to be their point of contact in the UK.”

Others followed until he was representing eight brands from Russia, Europe and America. He continued trading online alongside his day-job as a carpenter for two-and a half years until buying the shop in Tring.

He said: “We have been quite lucky in that we have picked the right places at the right time.

“You can work hard and get nowhere, or you can go places and that can be down to luck.

“It’s also fortunate that because of being a carpenter I can refit all my own shops.

“If you have to employ contractors, it’s pretty expensive, so we save thousands.”

He also credited the success to his 22 staff, all keen cyclists.

Despite his online history, he no longer sells through the internet.

He said: “Everybody else has gone from bricks and mortar to selling online, whereas we have gone the other way. It’s more about the service and experience than having the cheapest price.

“We offer a personal service and if we don’t think a bike is right for you, we’ll try and persuade you not to buy it.”