Biker groove: Charley Boorman on The Bike Shed

I'd wanted to be involved in a place like The Bike Shed ever since I did the Long Way Round documentary with Ewan McGregor. We had stopped at a place called Tynda in Russia, heading towards Magadan, which is one of the most easterly points you can ride to, when Ewan's frame broke. We went back to the town to get it fixed and found a garage that said they could weld it for us. There was a little cafe attached to it and Ewan went to get some coffees while we were waiting. He came back and said: "Guys, you've got to come in." The front of the place was the cafe with benches, but there was a nightclub attached to it, so we went back that evening and it was just the most awesome place.

We got the idea of doing that kind of thing then and I'd been thinking about it for ten years. I got close to starting a place with Nicholas Cowell, Simon Cowell's brother, but we never got anything together because I'd always be away. One day, Nicholas rang up and said:, "Listen, Charley, there's this guy called Dutch [Anthony van Someren], who has set up this thing called The Bike Shed." It was an annual motorcycle show that took place at Tobacco Dock – it had great coffee, food, a beautiful bar, barber's shop, bands and all these bike builders had been invited. We thought, wouldn't it be amazing to have this kind of vibe, but as a permanent space? We all jumped in and invested in Dutch to get the thing going. It had been a dream of mine forever; I'd love to say I had a big part in it, but I really didn't – this is his vision.

There's not really anything like it in London. There's the Ace Cafe, which is great but definitely has a different atmosphere, and then you've got places such as Soho House, which are exclusive and you have to be a member. We wanted a destination where you could have a really nice meal or a coffee, go in on your bike or watch the MotoGP – whatever you want to do. Guys who build custom bikes come and display their creations, which are all for sale, and we also have a beautiful shop that stocks loads of super-cool clothes.

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The perception of motorbikes has really changed in recent years. If you look at high fashion now, there's always some vintage motorbike in the background; even in films like Jurassic Park, they don't have just any old bike but a Triumph Scrambler. There's still a bit of a stereotype, though, that if you're on a scooter you're stealing handbags and if you're on a motorbike you're tearing around like a lunatic. I think more people are getting into bikes now, especially young people, and they're not racing around town. These are doctors, nurses, businessman, just normal people riding to and from work.

CHARLEY BOORMAN is a modern-day adventurer, travel writer and entertainer. He is an investor in The Bike Shed, a cafe and restaurant-cum-motorcycle club, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary. The Bike Shed, 384 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT; thebikeshed.cc