Russell’s Bicycle Shed

Making Active Travel Easier

Sheffield

There Really is lots to DO in Sheffield City Centre

Bike Hub, AdviceRussell Cutts

We see a lot of commentary online, on social media and in response to our posts or those of others, from individuals about how rubbish our town centre is now (since Cole Brothers closed, seemingly). In fact on our walks around the city to promote the new hub we also hear people say that there isn’t anything to go into the city for now. Well we whole heartedly disagree! Not only is your city busy all the time but there is so much to do here that you’d probably find it hard to not come into town everyday if you look hard enough.

Let’s begin with the shops, it feels like some people define our city by how many big name stores we have here and now that Cole Brothers (John Lewis to others) and Debenhams have closed it feels like some people think that our city is now closed, the reason they closed their doors was because they could make more money selling online, let’s be honest. Sheffield shops are varied and different, there are independents galore from Bookshops like La Biblioteka, Juno Books and Forbidden Planet to everyday food stores like Iceland, Sainsbury’s and Lidl. Yes there are plenty of coffee shops, they are all very different, there is the hustle and bustle of Cambridge Street Collective, Sheffield Plate and Kommune (soon to become Department). There is H&M, M&S and TK Maxx. If you are into your sports and outdoors there is Blacks (soon becoming Go Outdoors), Up and Running and Decathlon. Buying music too from HMV, yes it is still there at the bottom of Fargate.

Then we have the entertainment, whether it be by day or by night, its amazing how many live venues putting on shows and music are in your city centre. The City Hall & Memorial Hall we all know and love. The Crucible and Lyceum and the smaller Playhouse attached to the Crucible. There is the Library theatre that puts on some occasional racy burlesque and amateur plays. The newly refurbished Montgomery Theatre can be found opposite the Town Hall. With 4 prominent Cinemas in our town centre you’ll be spoilt for choice, The Light and Odeon showing all the big blockbusters and the Curzon and Showroom show more specialist titles including opera and the Showroom is home to ShAFF the film festival.

There are art galleries, the Millennium Gallery, the Greaves at the top of the Central Library is still going strong, the Site Gallery and smaller unique galleries like Pete McKee gallery on Cambridge Street. Events are happening all the time in the City Centre, this month and every March it’s the Festival of the Outdoors, there is the Food Festival in May, the Sheffield Grand Prix cycle race in July. The Half Marathon and Sheffield 10k all start in the City Centre.

Live music cannot be forgotten too, with the iconic Leadmill, Sydney & Matilda and Corporation all playing a varied mix of live bands. Hoping to be joined once again by the O2 soon. Notwithstanding all the unique smaller gigs going off all over our city centre.

For a night out our City is home to a multitude of restaurants and bars, there are so many it’s difficult to pick out some but to name a few here include the local names like Cambridge Street Collective, Mamas & Leonies, Ego and Streetfood Chef. But for chain restaurants that don’t include McDonalds or Burger King you can find The Botanist, Piccolinos, Pizza Express and the restaurants in Leopold Square like Zizi’s. If you are looking for games to play Roxy Bar, Boom Bar, Common Room and Arrowsmiths at Bungalow & Bears offer entertainment that requires a pool cue or sheaf of darts. The classic pubs still exist in the town centre too it’s not all fancy young discotheques (tongue firmly in cheek) The Roebuck, Globe, Red Lion and Howard can still be found on Charles Street and Howard Street, the Red Deer is still behind the University and the institution that is Fagans still stands overlooking Broad Lane. The Rutland Arms still maintains that prominent position on the corner of Brown Street.

“Well I’m not interested in all that”, sigh, I hear the chorus from those un-social-media types. Well that is just scratching the surface! Get fit and feel good at Ponds Forge, The Gym, Hotpod Yoga and The Turkish Baths all available so you can sweat it out or chillout. There are also loads of Churches to cleanse your spirit, Sheffield is home to two Cathedrals, a grand Methodist Hall and a multitude of smaller venues where you can contemplate life, being and all things peaceful in the world.

What about taking in a breathe of fresh air or getting the kids entertained with a trip to Pounds Park, the Peace Gardens fountain is always fun in summer and then there are pocket parks to discover like Nursery Street, Matilda Street and not forgetting the Frisbee playing zone on Devonshire Green that happens to also be home to the skate park in the city. How can we forget the iconic Winter Gardens too, it’s all in the name.

If you stopped visiting the City Centre during the pandemic and you feel there is nothing to tempt you back I challenge you to try, you'll be amazed at what is right here in your City and the varied and exciting small local businesses making your City come alive.

By far the best way to enjoy all this is to either cycle or take the bus into your City, don’t worry about finding a parking space and have a wander through your City and discover what it truly has to offer. Our Sheffield City Centre Cycle Hub is open 24/7 so it doesn’t matter what time the gig finishes you’ll still be able to collect your bike in a well lit safe environment and if you get caught short there are even toilets too! Get more from your City enjoy it!

If you do want the shops, Meadowhall Shopping Centre is there with all the big names and you can even park your bicycle securely there too in our hub at the interchange all included in the price of a monthly pass of £5.

Sign up by clicking the banner.

Our Ethos: Helping All Sheffielders to Start and Stay Cycling

David BockingComment

Some of the more vocal critics of new cycling initiatives often suggest it’s only the professional classes of south western Shefield who are interested in ordinary day to day cycling nowadays. We disagree.

We think people from the north and east of the city see the benefits of cycling as much as anyone in the south west suburbs, maybe even more so now that finances are tight, and the costs and inconvenience of public transport and car travel are increasing.

Our business aim is to spread the cycling message across the whole city: Russell was born just around the corner from our Neepsend shop, and still lives in the north of Sheffield.

Russell at work at Sheffield Station

We fully support initiatives to improve road infrastructure for cyclists and walkers, but as a business we think we can also play our part in creating a sustainable cycling eco-system, for example by opening secure cycle hubs, and by offering cyclists with little interest in bike maintenance the confidence that they’ll be able to stay moving, year in year out, through our cost-effective Club scheme.

Our delivery service is designed to reduce air pollution and congestion, but also to help local businesses keep costs down and play their part in building an efficient, productive Sheffield fit for the future.

Darren packing a delivery east of the River Don

And our long-term aim is to increase and adapt our secondhand and refurbished services to offer a sustainable reasonably priced maintenance and loan scheme to all Sheffielders, since one of the biggest deterrents to many low income Sheffielders is simply not being able to afford a decent reliable bike.

So, thanks to you for being our customer! Be assured that your continuing support will help us in our aim to increase and enable cycling in all parts of Sheffield.

Is Time On Your Side?

David BockingComment

How would you feel about a calm Christmas and a peaceful New Year?


Here at Russell’s Bicycle Shed, we’ve been thinking a lot about how time, hassle, and stress are related over the last year. We’ve been working flat out to keep the city moving through the twists and turns of the Pandemic, and we know thousands of other key workers have too. (And hats off to them all).

Woman fixing a bike

If you work for a living, you can calculate how much your time fixing up your commuter bike is worth. And how much time you save for your employer by riding in to work rather than waiting in a queue for half your commute. And evidence shows that cycle commuters are more alert and ready to get started once they arrive, unlike stressed out rush hour drivers. That’s more productive time for your employer, in addition to the fewer days off sick you take because you ride a bike.


We’d like to spend more of our time talking to friends and customers about how the city can come out of all this as a better place for cyclists, with better active travel routes like Grey to Green, and more enlightened employers providing secure parking and other essentials for the commuters who save them time and money by riding to work.

But we’re often too busy replacing hundreds of rusted chains and worn out wheelsets.

We want to keep the city (and you) moving, and we’ve seen how much stress is involved when you decide to ride to work one Spring day only to discover the bike you last used in October has seized up. Or how it feels to miss an important meeting one morning because a wheel rim or a tyre fails halfway there.

So, there’s the setup, here’s the sell: if you and your family cyclists love playing with oil, grease and spanners, read no more.

But if you’d rather spend your time watching a film with your partner of an evening, or meeting your mates at the weekend instead of spending the afternoon trying to make your gears work, ask yourself, how much is that time worth? More than £11 a month?

That’s how much it costs to join our Club, with the two annual services, emergency fixes and free loan bike required to keep you moving, without hassle or stress.

And when everyone is saying ‘buy less stuff to help the climate’, and ‘spend more time on yourself and your loved ones’, maybe spending some festive funds to have a peaceful, hassle and grease free New Year is worth thinking about. Yes? Join the Club.

SHEFFIELD HALLAM GRAND PRIX -

EventRussell CuttsComment

British Cycling Elite Circuit Series:
Sheffield Hallam Grand Prix

To give you a taster of what you can expect tonight, here are just a few photographs from a previous event.

Top three spectator tips:

  1. Try standing on the apex of a bend (for a short while): you get a real sense of speed.
  2. Lots to see; so, walk around the circuit clockwise: you will always be facing the action.
  3. Taking photos?  Get low and high, but be very careful, don't put yourself or the riders in danger - they will be moving at quite-a-lick.

Fingers crossed the weather will be fine tonight and it will be wheel to wheel action.
Photography courtesy of our friend at studio | P O L Y M A T H I C.

© ALR / studio | POLYMATHIC 2014/15  

CliffHanger 2015 Sheffield

ShopRussell CuttsComment

10:25am (ish) the gates are about to open. Cliffhanger 2015 Sheffield.

Well that was an amazing first day at Cliffhanger 2015, Sheffield. Wonderful support for our small independent bike shop from all the people who stopped to say hello. Thank you so much for spending time with us - we really appreciate it.

We've also had some good feedback. Lots of people are keen to try cycling to work this summer and many have shown an interest in our new 5-Day Commuter Trial which we officially launched this weekend:

Hire a commuter bike from us for 5 days for only £45 - if you love the experience (and we are pretty sure you will) If you then buy a new bike from us, we will give you your hire fee back. 

Also, pick up one of our flyers from the CliffHanger Festival; we'll be pleased to offer you a special 10%  discount of any new bike in our shop. 
(valid for next 28 days).

Marin Lombard

Tern Link D8

The two most popular bikes at the show have been the Marin Lombard and Tern Link D8 folding bike. 

Both these bikes have been attracting the crowds and they have both been taken on several test rides around Millhouses Park.

Sunday is set to be another good day - we hope to see you here, please pop-by and say hello.

Looking good in Sheffield

ShopRussell Cutts2 Comments

When you start selling bikes, often the manufacturers supply you with some photographs to use on your website and in brochures etc.

Whilst the ones we have got are really good photographs (very dynamic and full of life) and in fact some are OK for our needs. We wanted some photos of our own that were less generic, unique to us; something that gives our website a real sense of place and character.

So, we've been exploring Sheffield to find some picturesque locations. There is a great mix of backdrops within minutes of the railway station (where our shop is). So, with the help of our designer/photographer friend 'Polymathic' we decided to take some of our own Sheffield bike photographs.  

We took out our new Tern folding bikes. These bikes a built for commuting in and around places like Sheffield. Unlike some other foldies, Tern's have a good range of gears and even a 24 inch wheeled version - perfect for hills .

So, here are just a few photos from the day. Now we have them, look out for some changes to our website within the next few weeks. Ps. have you see our Russell's Bike Shop taster page yet?

Love commuting? You might by bike.


Ride to work: part 2

AdviceRussell CuttsComment

Finding a route in Sheffield by bicycle to any place, even just the local shops can be daunting I know. The city is not renown for its cycle lanes or flat roads; so finding a safe and easy route to ride, when you are starting out, is the thing that puts people off.

But don't worry, there are lots of ways to discover new cycling routes around Sheffield that suit you and there are lots of people and technology to help you...