[Closed] New 'bike friendly' pub in Bath-locals advice pls

sell up and move to worcestershire *selfish*

Ooh nice! What ales have you got on tap?

Get the Bath Uni CC guys to have their socials in your place. They often do evening runs followed by a quick pint. Sure you can find their details on facebook.

Not sure if it still happens but the local clubs used to have roller racing in pubs during the winter, resurrect that.

Get some secure bike storage as well!

Talk to STW/MBUK/MBR/etc about subscriber discounts.

They might even do an article on you for being a "rider owned pub" 😉

Local clubs

Bath cc
Vc walcott
Speak to the boys at cadence shop as well

That looks great. Pub dog as well, they should be a legal requirement.

I miss living in the SW!

Good luck!

Ale policy is somerset/local with the odd national guest: this week it's from bristol beer factory nova, bath ales gem, blindmans brewery, box steam brewery, abbey ales bellringer, milk street brewer in frome, plus a couple of others early next week. There's cask cider too.

Thanks for all the info guys regarding clubs, I'll get to work on google!

I was thinking a bike rack bolted to the wall with decent locks that you get the key from behind the bar for when you buy a pint/coffee etc...??

Bath Ales Gem is fantastic. 😀 Could do with a few just now!

good luck! Marking yourself out might help?

Suggestions: Hang a (genuinely) interesting or vintage bike on a wall or adapted as display might generate a bit of local chat - Chain a track pump/tools to the wall outside?

See mud-dock upstairs in Bristol (bit extreme I know as it's a bike shop, but upstairs is bona-fide cafe/bar!) or that bar/cafe in London (forget the name)..

Maybe a wordpress or simple site for browsers as well - FB is not for everyone 🙂

thanks bonchance

like the track pump idea.. was thinking of putting a vintage klein frame I have in an ornithological case on the wall funnily enough?!

Oh, and we have a website, with more info (menu/etc) coming later in the week.

http://thekingsarmsbath.com/

I'm coming to Bath on 6th to get dragged round the shops by the missus. Staying at my Aunts. Could escape for a pint under the pretence that I'm buying the wife a present!

A Raleigh chopper on the wall would look good and be interesting to those who are not bike mad. Bet you could get loads of old tdf bumpf to decorate the place with. Maps of trail centres etc. My mum lives in bath so I'll pop in next time I'm down that way.

It would be worthwhile promoting it to Bristol riders / clubs. Perhaps some promotional material on the Bristol-Bath cyclepath would create awareness.

I would certainly seek out somewhere which is bike friendly in Bath for lunch after cycling from Bristol.

Looks like it's on the way to Lansdown,sure a detour is worth it.

I've got a few friends in Bath, keen cyclists, like ale, ride with a mtb club. Two of them have run, are running a hotel-bar. One of them's a marketing manager for Bath tourism, I'll mail her a link to this. She's more of a cider girl, though! You got much of that on?

ned-we have 1 cask & 2 draft ciders plus more ciders in the fridge.

Thanks for bath tourism nudging...
🙂

philby-cheers chap, I hadn't thought of some promo stuff on the bike path, good sideways thinking!

SomerValley C C in Radstock are local .Dont forget to advertise on the 2 tunnels greenway as well

If you have just opened do you need a window cleaner ? (blatant tout for business!!)

Our village pub used to let us use the hose he used for the hanging baskets to hose down bikes/shoes in the rear courtyard.

Was a great idea except we wilted his drain up 😳

Edric, maybe need a window cleaner when the upstairs accommodation is developed (there are 8 rooms that are being refurbished to quality boutique standard).

Drop in a business card when you have a pint!

Ok will do !!

nowt to do with bikes, but if you have a courtyard, IR lamps and booths/bays with some glazing over could develop a real following.

Popular in the extreme with smokers and non-smokers alike..

Take a look at the business the Highbury vaults in Bristol does (by the Uni).

The Highbury has been excellent since I was in my teens in the 80s

That's a good heads up bonchance, I'll investigate the highbury vaults at the weekend (the hardship of claimable market research!). We have about 2/3rds of the courtyard covered already, and although the thought of my electricity bill terrify's me I'd pondered outdoor heating...

That looks lovely. I'll come for a drink next time I'm in Bath.

Prince of Wales on Gloucester road (just up from the arches) is another mobbed back yard. Highbury does it best I would say though 🙂 ..

Looks good - I'm in the office on the corner of Charles St/Monmouth St.
Will have to venture further than the Griffin (opposite!)

Change the name of the place to something cycling related. I like "Over the bars"

Bath features in lots of ride maps/ routes given the Bristol bike path, canal paths and reasonably quiet lanes- if you can get a mention in anything like that or in the Bath Cycle week for example that should help bring in the out of towners.

Within Bath there are 2 MTB Wed night rides, the uni club and dozens of road rides so getting in with the clubs and shops within Bath should spread the word.

Main thing I'd say is let as many people know who you are and where you are. Awareness is your main battle I'd say (assuming the pub is nice once actually in there 😀 )

Ex Bathonian, used to drink in old Kinger when lived around the corner, but mainly walcot where there were some bike fiends working in the Hat and Bell .... Will re visit in next fortnight. Secure loops to lock bikes to outside with CCTV as deterent, target local cycling groups/shops, invite journo's from Future publishing for photo-shoot. get loads of bike memorabilia on walls - have source if it helps? Decent coffee during the day, quality ales at night. Word of mouth is what Bath is all about. Good luck

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How about bike film nights and Belgian beers, an ever-changing selection of single malts for the winter night-riders, good 'fast' food (simple pasta or baked-spud based) and an outdoor heater/kit drier : )

Bath Ales

It may not be traditional pub territory, but I'd be aiming to get customers in all day. Especially on the weekend, open early and get the breakfast, coffee punters in. Many of these will be bikers after early morning rides etc.

Are you local, do you know the local competition? I'd be looking at poaching from the cafe's on Chelsea rd, the Velo Lounge on Moreland rd, and the Society Cafe, in town.

Bath doesn't have that many decent pubs with outside space, its a good asset so worth making the most of.

Good luck.

That's a good heads up bonchance, I'll investigate the highbury vaults at the weekend (the hardship of claimable market research!). We have about 2/3rds of the courtyard covered already, and although the thought of my electricity bill terrify's me I'd pondered outdoor heating...

Possible downside - you'll alienate that section of the cycling community who are attracted by the eco-credentials of it (cycling) as a form of transport - heating the outside air being something they will frown upon more than a little.

😆

I rather enjoy a bimble down the railway path, sink a few pints in Bath and then get the train home. So +1 for marketing yourself in bristol.

Good point on marketing outside of Bath? Maybe Bradford on Avon (and that direction) could be another place to spread the word with people riding in from that direction along the canal?

Maybe get in touch with some of the other pubs along the route in addition to bike shops/ clubs as some people might start with a coffee in Bradford on Avon then ride to Bath for lunch and back or similar.

So, made a secret shopper visit over the weekend. In no particular order...

+ friendly staff

+ comfortable(ish)

+ clean, tidy, warm etc

+ Coffee/tea was good. A cheaper filter coffee, or bottomless cup option would be nice. Wasn't luck enough to sample the beer.

- nowhere to deposit tea bags. does that make sense?

+ food lovely, though dishes were a bit of a pain to eat from.

- THE DOOR, you know the score.

- decor is bland, dull and totally uninspiring. Sticking a few bikes on the wall isn't going to solve this. It really needs a branding/character injection. It could also really do with some soft features. Everything is hard, peoples ears are going to bleed when its full of people talking/shouting etc. One idea I had was to ask all the LBS for their old parts and cover the walls in old bit, ie have a whole wall of sprockets.

- blokes toilet window needs a blind. If there are people in the courtyard, it would be far to "public".

idea - Bike hooks in the courtyard, to hang bikes from + something to lock to. As close to the back of the courtyard would be sensible, less likely to get "inspection" from people passing by.

idea - tool kit / pump etc on deposit from the bar.

idea - hose to wash bike, maybe a step too far.

General point - bikers (and all sorts of punters) get up early and want breakfast and coffee. Open earlier, esp at the weekend, and offer some breakfast options.

Last but by no means least, if you want bikers you really really need CAKE!!

You could look at the magazine publishers in Bath and see whether any of them have any cycling-related titles? Just a thought 😉 See what you could come up with to appeal / get something bike-related from them. If they exist of coure.

Hey Urbanhiker, thanks for the visit, the feedback is very much appreciated. it's been a monstrous job to get it done, and there's plenty to do still over the next few weeks.

Glad you liked the staff and atmosphere, and regarding the negatives you picked up on...

-Enamel saucers en route for the tea/coffee/bags
-we are looking into expanding the crockery/plates that we have already
-The door-fixed already (I know, sorry.. :oops:)
-blokes toilet window is being sorted ASAP.
-regarding the lack of colour/blandness in the decor-all the art prints/wall decorations were stuck in customs (which came from the US), should be delivered in a few days, and will rightly add a vital splurge of colour & warmth to the rooms which were pretty cold/harsh.

Genuinely chuffed a singletracker would take the effort to pop in and come back to us with good quality feedback & advice, so thanks again.

Regarding your suggestions:

We are looking into getting early brunch/breakfast & cake offerings over the next few weeks (it's been a phased food opening to keep theings manageable) and the addition of cyclist specific stands/locks/tools/advertising is also in the works.

Hopefully these things should tempt you (and others) back. 😀