Saturday 29 September 2012

2012 bike clear out!

We are running out of Road bikes in our 2012 clearance sale! Come in quick and see these rediculous deals in store.

Friday 28 September 2012

Kona 2013 Sneak Peak!

The Kona Europe rep came past the shop last week an brought in some of the 2013 Kona range. Here's a few pictures from my iPhone. We should have these in store in the next week.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Bike Sale: Scott Scale Jr 2012 £269.99

The Scott Scale Junior features a lightweight 6061 alloy frame, 12 speed Shimano gearing and a RST 50mm suspension fork. Perfect for the kids getting into mountain biking.





WAS £329.99
NOW £269.99
Layaways and Cycle Schemes excluded.




Specifications:
Frame: Scott Racing 20“ Junior, Alloy 6061 P.G., Pressed D/out
Fork: RST Capa T20, suspension fork 50 mm, softer spring setup
Headset: VP-A71 black
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio, RD-M410, 12-Speed
Front Derailleur: Shimano FD-M190A
Shifters: Shimano SL-RS35-6, Revo Shifter
Brake Levers: Tektro JL510 - TS
Brakes: Lee-chi 209 P, For Kids-Bikes
Crankset: Lasco double 42x34 T, 140mm
BB-Set: TH M-1
Handlebar: Junior Flat Bar, 540 mm
Stem: HL-TDS-C41-8, 1 1/8“, 15°
Pedals: VP-570, BMX - Type
Seatpost: Scott SP-252, 26.8mm
Seat: Junior Racing VL-50610
Front Hub: JY-433 32 H Nutted
Rear Hub: JY-434 32 H Nutted
Chain: KMC Z-51
Cassette: Shimano MF-TZ 20, 14-28 T, 6speed
Spokes: 15G UCP black
Rims: Alex C-1000
Tires: K-832, XC- Type, 20 X 2.0
Weight: 10.90 kg / 24.01 lbs

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Bike Sale: Scott Metrix 20 2012 £699.99


The Scott Metrix 20 2012 Hybrid Bike features a lightweight 6061 alloy frame, an alloy fork, a flat handlebar, durable 27-speed drivetrain and disc brakes to let you roll the way you want to. A perfect road & canal commuter or weekend bike. Size Medium.

WAS £849.99
NOW £699.99
Layaways and Cycle Schemes excluded. 








Specifications:
Frame: New Metrix Disc-Brake, 6061 Alloy, FlatBar specific Geometry
Fork: Metrix Disc Brake
Headset: Ritchey OE Logic Zero, semi integrated
Bars: Scott Hot Rod, T shape Flat, 600mm, 9° bend
Stem: Scott Alloy, 31.8mm, 4 bolt
Speed: 27
Front Mech: Shimano Alivio, FD-M430, 34.9mm clamp
Rear Mech: Shimano XT RD-M592 SGS
Chainset: Shimano FC-M431, 48x36x26T, w/ chainguard
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB-ES 25 / 68-118mm
Cassette: Shimano CS HG 50, 11-32T
Chain: KMC X9
Front Brake: Shimano Deore, BR-M446 disc, w SM-RT53 center lock rotors, 160mm
Rear Brake: Shimano Deore, BR-M446 disc, w SM-RT53 center lock rotors, 160mm
Rims: Alex Race 28, 32H, CNC
Front Hub: Scott Comp Disc CL
Rear Hub: Shimano FH-RM 35 CL
Spokes: Stainless black, 15G, 2mm
Tyres: Continental Ultra Sport, 700 x 28C Front Continental Ultra Sport, 700 x 28C Rear
Seatpost: Scott Alloy, 27.2/300 mm

Size = Medium.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Bike Restoration is not a Crime...

but it should be .
 I just wanted to thank Alan for helping with the project .

I haven't contributed much to this blog , of late . I've just recently been restoring my old Muddy Fox Courier . That's a mountainbike , kids . I thought I'd ' blog ' it . For posterity .
It all came as a bit of a shock really .

I've had the Courier for about 5 , maybe 6 yrs . Time flies . I didn't think it had been that long ' til I thought back . I picked it up off Ebay . I'd been kinda browsing for one for a while . I'd bought one in 1987 , off Alan . It was such a new sport , that I'd mention" Mountain -Biking" to people , and they'd be , all like ...  " Mountain ? Biking ? "
 Seriously . People had never heard the two words together in the same sentence .
We took to it with  gusto . Soaking up every bit of information . Not much in those days . It seems incredible today , but there was no internet . None . There wasn't even a dedicated magazine . It did not come on the telly .
But still , we rode .
Alan had ordered me a courier saying if I wanted one , he'd get one too . We waited soooo long for them to come .

 I'd meet him up near his mum's on the canal , and from there , without any plan as such , we'd ride the local spots . Some would be old BMX jump spots . Or we'd even go to the track. We'd explore the local woods . I'd ridden BMX as a ' street kid ' . Alan was the celebrity racer . But it worked well . I fancied myself as a bit of a trials rider type . I'd done ' freestyle ' . Tricky dicky front wheel spinny stuff . Balance and poise . Ha . It carried over well , descending short steep drops in the Haigh Plantation , or Borsdane Woods , I'd love exploring the limits of control . Weight back . Still the same today .
 I guess Alan still craved the competition from BMX , and we soon ended up doing the odd race . Again , very early days . There just weren't any MTB races . So we did Cyclo-cross .
Insane really . We were at a huge disadvantage , weight wise , and with the fat tyres , but we did it anyway .

So , then we also had a few trips away . I can't remember exactly the order in which we did this , but we went up to the Lakes for a ride , and there was the first ever national champs weekend in Telford . That was good . It was a weekend event , with a ride on the Saturday , and a race on Sunday . I'd been ill in the week , just a bit offside , but despite my mum's protestations , I went anyway .
The Saturday ride was ace . Farther than had been suggested . Probably 30 odd miles around the Wrekin .
I can remember loads of mad bits . An impromptu hill climb . A crazy french guy getting a puncture . The Independent newspaper took our picture and ran a story . ( i'd love to see that ) . Bunny hopping , without toe-clips !!! We were so rad .
 The ride finished in Ironbridge . Kinda going dark . The van was in Telford , like , 7 miles away . No one had told us . So after a big day in the saddle , we rode some more .

And then we couldn't get food .

By now we were riding with Andy , and one or two other guys . Andy had come along , with ' 602 ' , his mate .( 602 was his bike . He had no name )  Andy had done some freestyle BMX also , riding for Alan's Torker Trick team , partnering up with Julian Parkinson . It was all just BMX , but with bigger wheels .
Imagine my horror , when my mum's concerns about my health were correct . I awoke on the Sunday , feeling properly ill , full of spots , and pebble dashing the bog . Not good . It turned out I had measles.
I spent the whole day in the van , partly hallucinating , whilst the others did the race . I vaguely remember waking up at Keele Services on the way home . I was really ill for a good 3 weeks . The illest I'd ever been .

Here . A pic . Lakes ride ( I think this is ' later ' ( '88? ) Alan has a Fisher , and proper shoes ).....



So now I know Andy , too .Around this time , although again , the exact date / time / order eludes me , Myself , Alan and Andy , did a ' big ride ' to the Peak District . Alan's Dad dropped us off in Stockport , and we rode to Edale , stayed over , and then rode home .  A big adventure .
 We did some riding together those first few years , but then two things I suppose . I got married , and we had a baby , and Andy went away to Uni . Either way , we lost touch for a good while . I never stopped riding . Even through the ' Dark Ages ' . Early 90s . At some point in the later 90s , ( '96 / 97  ? ) Andy was out again , and we've been riding ever since . There's a healthy scene nowadays , and with the internet , and all kinds of messaging capability , it's easy for us all to keep in touch . Through Andy I met another group of guys , and it's great . Good friends . Good times .


Courier resprayed yellow already . Must be '88 . Elf hat . Brand new .

Andy . '88 , then . 


In very recent times , it's been maybe less - healthy . Lots of reasons . Some guys have done the baby thing . I know how that is . Life / work / etc . Things get in the way . We had a regular thing going on , with big rides every month . It's all kinda petered out . It is what it is . I'm as guilty as the next man . I got a bit pissed off with loading up the car , driving to ride never appealed , and by degrees , we all just stopped meeting up , except maybe the odd time .
I don't think anyone has totally hung up their spurs , though . A few guys have road bikes now , and do a bit of that . Sportives , and such . Roadbikes are great for just GRABbing and GOing , so make a ton of sense if you only have limited time .
I've been riding with another old BMX er . Tony . I guess we met through Alan , but I remember him as a local BMX celeb'. We've been riding from local mostly , no car , up to Rivington and district . Like I always did . Good challenging rides . Sometimes it's just like it was in the 80s , messing about dropping through the woods . Whatever . It works . I'm often transported through time .


So here we are . So it goes .

Andy phoned me a few months back . Just yacking . He said did I realise it was 25 yrs since that big ride in the Peaks ? Well , I did .
And that we should " do something for it " .
On vintage bikes .

Ooh me 'ead .

I occasionally do this type of thing anyway . Look in this blog archive for ' vintage ride ' for instance . I'll take out that aforementioned Courier , or the Axis , or that Carrera , or ....
My modern bike's , like , 10 yrs old anyway .

So , obviously , I'm up for that.
It was on the back burner of my mind for a while . I thought I'd just grab one off the rack on the day , y'know ? And I would've done , too , BUT , what happened was this ...
 Late one night I was browsing that addictive ' Retrobike' forum . A guy on there had restored a Muddy Fox . Some other guy on there had done his stickers . So , I asked could I have some .
They came , following a transaction , and I skipped to the shed .
The phrase , you cannot polish a turd , springs to mind . Whilst my Courier was perfectly passable , and functionally OK , the stickers were brand new . And looked it .

I realised I would have to , at least , give it a lick of paint . Which I did .
Here is the story of that ....

http://www.stealbikes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/never-actually-finished.html

I'm lending Andy the Carrera . It's a '90 model . ish . Saved from the scrap heap . The bike , that is .
Here .
Andy . Not '88 . 



The 25th anniversary ride is this Saturday . Hopefully there'll be a good turnout . Guys from more recent rides , I've not seen in a while .
Hopefully , we can all get together a bit more often . It's difficult sometimes , and I still get pissed off not riding out of my back gate , but , hey , it's mostly worth it .

Thanks for the memories.

TIM .