Hi Dmitry,
As far as I'm concerned, there are 2 places in London that you cannot miss. One is Condor Cycles on Gray's Inn Road - you've seen their frames appear on the CR list from time to time. They're by far the leading shop in Southeast England for racing bikes, but they also do some very nice KOF lugged steel touring and Audax bikes. See http://www.condorcycles.co.uk for more info.
The other shop is Velorution in Great Titchfield Street (just north of Soho, near West End shopping, etc.). They have a great assemblage of modern & traditional bike culture, with a continental and utilitarian focus. If you're looking for a Dutch city bike or a Danish cargo trike, that's the place to go - but they've also got lots of folders, some gorgeous Pedersens, and some lightweights. You can also hire a Brompton folder from Velorution that you can use during your stay! See http://www.velorution.biz for details.
Edinburgh Cycles is a well-regarded co-operative in Scotland, though there's little of note for the classic enthusiast.
Of course, there are other steel framebuilders like Chas Roberts (just outside London) or Mercian (midlands), but those would represent a bit of travel off the beaten path.
Are you looking for anything in particular? You may be surprised to find that the prices (even excluding VAT) are, in many cases, not too different from what you'd pay in the US.
Cheers - Andrew
> I will soon be in London & Edinburgh, and would appreciate
> recommendations on which bike shops are worth visiting. Please share
> (either on or off list). Thank you!
>
>
> --
> Andrew Conway (formerly of London)
> Arlington Massachussetts, USA
> http://www.velofellow.com