Making Active Travel Easier
Yes yes we all know the Tour de France is coming to Yorkshire but did you know that there was a bicycle tyre made especially for it?
Quality tyre manufacturer Schwalbe have only gone and produced a special batch of Durano tyres emblazoned with the white rose and and dedicated to the Yorkshire 'Etape'.
I've got a stash in the workshop and at £30.00 each you can put a little bit of patriotism on your road bike this summer. Limited stock so hurry!
Road tyres made for the Grand Deprt
I will have a fleet of 8 black Marin Fairfax hire bicycles available for hire from a few hours to 2 weeks. I plan to name each one individually and I'm now looking for suggestions on a theme: I'd like every bike to carry a women's name being with 'R'. Yes I could go on Google and just get a list of babies names... but where is the fun in that?
Name one of our Hire Bikes
Email me or better yet leave a comment below with your top three suggestions. I'll have an 'official' naming ceremony once the Cycle Hub is active and the name you suggested is selected you could be the first to take your bike out for a short adventure on the streets of Sheffield, along with a free Russell's Bicycle Shed Pink Hivis vest.
So get your thinking caps on first five people to suggest names get a Pink Hivis.
I've just been told by my doctor I need to cut back on the coffee, its hard to do when you are a cyclist. Coffee and cycling seem to be inherently linked maybe its the opportunity to have a refuel after or during a hard ride or maybe its just a stop off on a relaxing ride through the country but either way you generally can't go anywhere these days without seeing a cyclist friendly cafe. Whether you are speeding through heavy traffic on Old Street in London past the most famous and amusingly titled cycling cafe Look Mum No Hands or you are cycling through Hope on your way into or out of the Peak District at the Woodbine Cafe you are sure to find a cafe catering for you and your bicycle.
One such cafe exists here in Sheffield; Amici & Bici is a cafe and social for cyclists and coffee lovers alike. You'll find it on Abbeydale Road on one of the busiest arteries into Sheffield City Centre and one of the flatest routes out of the city into the countryside. Its a great place to stop off for coffee and cake after a ride or a sandwich before. I'm also there on Tuesday afternoons helping you stay on the road doing all those little jobs that can niggle on you as you ride, gear changes, brake blocks, flat tyres etc.
I'm always on the look out for new cafes to visit especially those that cater for cyclists, why not tell me about your favourites, they can be anywhere in the world!
They also do decaf so at least I can still enjoy a cup.
I've just got back from a public presentation about Snowsport for Sheffield and the great things they have planned for Sheffield Ski Village at Parkwood Springs. I remember the ski village opening and its now such a shame to see it, along with other 'City of Sport' venues, in tatters. What Snowsport for Sheffield are looking at is a new venue, a centre of excellence as it once was for the youth to develop and build their skills not only at snowsports but mountain biking too.
This is great news for Sheffield and if everything goes to plan could end up with that iconic venue being brought back to life and will mean more, better and accessible facilities for cyclists too, building on the blue trail already in place there would be uplift for a downhill section which was in its infancy when the ski village closed. It will also help to breathe more life into the huge resourec available so close to the city.
If you want to know more why not follow them on twitter @snowsportsheff or at www.snowsportforsheffield.co.uk
If you fancy a chance of having your name immortalised in stone then this is a competition you should enter. Parkwood Springs Trail needs a corner naming and the good guys at Sheffield City Council in association with Over-ride Cycles, Ride Sheffield and me are offering you the chance to name the corner. Enter here on Over-rides blog http://overridemtb.com/parkwood-competition/
Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
You are sat in an office gazing out of the window; the glorious sunshine is now beating down on the road outside. And, that itch just needs scratching. You know the one? It is telling you that you should be out there on your bike. A ride in countryside with the wind on your face is relief you need, it's only real soothing ointment to office life.
Then bang, the phone rings or a college fakes a cough hello; it's back to reality.
After a long cold, wet and windy winter like we've just had, I bet, we've all got that itchy feeling.
Well the weekend is going to great, so lets all get out there and ride!
I know I will be.
A brace of Marin bikes, already for the streets of Sheffield.
We had sat down and discussed the options, front suspension v rigid frame, gearing, frame sizes and even the colour. Finally settling on a Silver Marin San Rafael and a Blue Marin San Anselmo. Both great entry level hybrids and just perfect for riding some the trails and road.
So after recieving the bikes at my workshop and setting them up we took some time making sure our customers were comfortable riding them, a few laps around the car park, a few tweaks here, a few more laps and everyone was happy. Learning the gears would take a little time but after a few trips they would get the knack of choosing the right one for the terrain.
Off they went on their shiny new steads. Some new cyclists for Sheffield.