Your once-a-week dose of retail therapy from Singletrack’s Premier Dealers, stockists and advertisers:
Tuesday Treats gives you a quality serving of independent bike retailing and a chance to WIN BIG in this week’s prize draw!
This week, we introduce: C6 Bikes
We’re taking a quick, hop and skip across the brainiac divide, leaving Oxford and landing in Cambridge this week. The much celebrated, knowledge-based hub of Cambridge is a not only hotbed of tech and R&D start ups but a locality with cycling at its heart. Thankfully C6 Bikes is the destination for riders looking to whet their MTB inspiration. C6 Directors Steve Heathcock and James Brokenshire-Dyke tell us more…
What made you make the plunge guys?
C6 Bikes is a newly established, independent cycling shop owned and run by cyclists. Quite simply we love everything MTB, proudly stocking Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain and excited to be adding Orange bikes to the line-up for 2016. Here’s a bit more about us.
We are based just five miles North of Cambridge on the A10 in the heart of ‘Silicon Fen’! We are easy to get to, have free parking directly outside, and extend our week day opening, to keep weekends free for the trails. We grew up together riding MTBs and when not in the shop are product testing! Jack Waller, our Shop Manager and Chief Torx Spinner keeps the shop and bikes in ship-shape condition.
How have you adapted your MTB offering for your locality?
Well, there’s no getting away from it that East Anglia’s MTB offering is pretty flat! Let’s say gently undulating. While local trails are potentially fast on hardtails, getting the most out of modern trail bikes generally involves a road trip, which isn’t at all bad as many of our customers like us, get to be very committed and focussed on our sport, trying out lots of new trails and the local beer offerings in equal measure.
What’s your current hottest product?
The Santa Cruz Highball 29er in both aluminium and carbon have been really popular, closely followed by the Santa Cruz 5010C. The Highballs are going out as custom builds and dripping in bling. A few of our riders will be racing them through the autumn and into next year in local XC races.
Rocky Mountain are also making some great bikes at the moment and are looking to re-establish themselves in the UK through a new distributor. We’ve had some great feedback on them when people see them in the shop and they ride superbly.
Which product/brand does every staff member have on their bike?
It has got to be Stans ZTR rims, we won’t ride without them. We’re also loving the Stans Grails rim, they’ve transformed one of our gravel bikes! Plus, we don’t like stopping for punctures.
What was the last custom build you did?
It was a hyper bike, Santa Cruz Tallboy CC.
Tell us something about your shop/staff that no-one knows…
One of our staff is a Guiness world record holder, but doesn’t like to talk about it (as it involves his third leg and not his bike). One of our staff members recently painted themselves blue and took part in the World Naked Bike Ride in Cambridge to advertise the shop, but it ended being a big flop! 😉
Is there a regular shop ride or forthcoming event you think our readers should know about?
We ride out in Thetford quite a bit, we will be arranging some ride outs on the new season 2016 bikes as they arrive in August/September. Our current favourite spot is Bike Park Wales. Pretty much everything from East Anglia is a road trip, so we don’t mind hitting the road to sample the delights of some more hilly terrain.
Lastly, what do Singletrack Subscribers get from C6 Bikes?
We offer 10% off and free postage to all Premier Subscribers, plus free builds on all custom bikes, not to be used in conjunction with any other offers.
We run demos in conjunction with the manufacturers and will be stocking Orange demo bikes. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter for competitions, exclusive offers and demo days.
Tuesday Treats Prize Draw
Click here to win this week’s prize!