Author Archive | lotten

 Top tips for the season ahead.

OK – we’re finally heading for some nicer weather and it’s time to get ready to ride. But where to begin? Here are some of our top tips to get you and your bike ready for some action!

1/ Give you bike some love! We’re not just trying to sell you some new parts or a service in the workshop, but one of two things happened over the winter. Your bike got used and abused in allsorts of terrible weather OR it got left to its own after last summer and hasn’t turned a wheel for some months!
Either way, it needs a bit of TLC. Chain wear? Time for some new pads or cables? Suspension performance gone down? Grips worn out, tyres cracked or wheels bent? A little service goes a long way and makes your riding more fun, easier and much less frustrating when something goes wrong that could have been avoided. //Bobby

2/ You! Not been keeping up with the training programme? Been ski-ing/skating/drinking instead?! Don’t be too hard on yourself – take it easy on the first ride out, break yourself (and your butt) in gently on that first ride. Riding is all about fun (at least we think so!) try to remember that. PB’s KOM’s and the like are all great, but so is a smile and a muddy face. //Neil

3/ Lube. Little and often. Lube your chain and moving parts of the drivetrain as and when needed using the right product. Your bike will love you for it. //Lotten

4/ Try something new. Make your riding fun. Learn something new. Can’t hop over that fallen down tree on your favourite trail? Learn how to!! Basically you’d be amazed how much fun it can be just to go and play in the woods! Not sure how to do it? Keep your eyes on our FB page for ‘Skills courses’… we might be able to help! //Neil

5/ Go somewhere different. There are loads of trails in and around your local area and you’ve probably ridden them a hundred times. Explore a little. Try a day at a bike park, join a ride in another town, go with another group and see your own trails differently. Take a left instead of the usual right… //Lotten

6/ Motivate yourself with something new! OK… blatant sales pitch… old helmet a bit stinky/not that cool anymore? Shorts seen better days? Shoes ready for the bin? New stuff is always nice, but the first bits of the season just seem to be that bit nicer! //Lotten

7/ There’s no such thing as bad weather! (just the wrong clothes!) or maybe just the wrong frame of mind… rain gives slippery trails which means better bike handling. Mud means harder work which gives more strength. Wind means… oh wait a minute, there is such a thing as bad weather! //Neil

8/ Experiment with setup. Try a lower tyre pressure (or some different tyres) Change of saddle position or stem length. Cleat setup. Suspension settings… maybe everything is perfect with your setup already… we bet it’s not!! //Bobby

9/ Training? Why not go for a ride? Training is all well and good, but fun with friends is too. Stop for a coffee half way around, cook some korv in the forest or maybe even (dare I say it…) have a beer afterwards! You’ve earned it! //Lotten

10/ Just get out! We’ve sort of covered this, but we all ride a bike for different reasons, just getting out and doing it in whichever way suits you is better than not doing it at all. I know this isn’t everyones favourite, but I find Strava a really good tool for motivating me. I find new trails, I can use it with friends (not racing, I promise!) I get to have a new gadget for my bike… what’s not to like!? //Neil

NEW WORKSHOP – The internet won’t fix your bike…

We’ve had a lot of projects on over the winter, but none as big as the new workshop. Our old store room became the new workshop, giving us more space to incorporate all of our services in one purpose built area.

A lot of time, effort (and money!) went into this and it’s the heart of the store. We’ve already acquired a great reputation for what we do and this only helps us to take things to the next level.

The new space gives us room for upto 3 bikes to be worked on at any one time (great for frame swaps and custom builds) dedicated work space for suspension service, wheel building, brake bleeding, hub work, cleaning and skate sharpening/repair.

Our well stocked spare parts store is right next door and we’re more efficient than ever with a fully computerized booking system and calendar.

It’s not just the workshop itself that got a revamp either. Over the winter we’ve been working hard to keep ourselves updated with new technology and service procedures. We’re proud to say that we’re now officially recognized as a SHIMANO SERVICE CENTER – this means we have an in depth knowledge and understanding of Shimano product and technology, keep genuine parts in stock and can deal with most aspects of the Shimano brand. This has been a big undertaking from us, but it’s not just a one hit thing. We are also enrolled in a Shimano TEC programme, which means we regularly (weekly) sit at the computer and ‘go back to school’ in order to complete a vast (and ever growing) technical course designed to make us fully aware of all Shimanos latest technologies and service procedures.

As if this wasn’t enough – we’ve also recently been accredited as a FOX FACTORY SERVICE CENTRE. One step further on the suspension servicing ladder. This adds to our Rock Shox servicing recognition, Cannondale Official service partner and most recently – Cane Creek suspension service. All this investment in skills, knowledge, tooling and spare parts means we are well covered when it comes to looking after your bike!

Have a look under the workshop tab for more information about our workshop. We’re proud of it and what it can do.