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How many of you could join us for some shop rides in South Yorkshire?
I've yet to plan the routes so I'm also on the hunt for what you want to tackle on a shop ride for both road and MTB.
Would you want the main part of the ride to consist of having fun and end at a pub with pint/orange juice in hand and a bowl of chips to share? Or do you want some intense competition? or do you want a bit of both? One week put the hardwork in, the next we let our hair down and have a beer? (Latter is sounding better as I've just just read it back to myself).
We're already running rides from our Sheffield branch, road (tuesdays) - 30 miles, good pace so certain level of fitness required, and mtb (fridays), if you are interested in either, email me on andylivo@jejamescycles.co.uk
Provisionally I'll be setting something up for the roadies, then it's onto the MTB rides. Similar to Sheffield [b]BUT[/b] don't worry, both Sheffield and our lot should have enough riders to adapt the group so everyone can get involved irrelevant of fitness level/experience, so if you're new don't be scared to get involved... 8)
Anyway - your input would be massively appreciated as always, cheers.
I think the only reason id go on a shop ride is to sus out the staff before letting them have my business.
I already know the local trails / pubs so you'd need to bring more than that to the table.
What you actually need is a better workshop / customer interface. One of the main reasons I won't use your place (Sheffield) is you ask one of the staff behind the counter something and they point you to the workshop where you either wait for 10 minutes to stop being ignored or go up the steps and get shouted at because you're not insured.
the opportunity to try some bikes out too on the shop rides would be good. But i do agree with what Podge says to a greater extent
thepodge, you can put this forward to the sheffield lads if you get out and ride with them maybe? Working at the Rotherham branch i don't have any hold on what goes off over at Sheffield and I can't speak for any of the guys across there really, but i'm sure your concerns will be treated as a matter of urgency if you email them me over to stforum@jejamescycles.com and i'll forward them onto the Sheffield Manager for him to address.
I think the "trying" out bikes is a good call and something we can definitely do! Although it will be mostly demo MTB's we have, I don't think we have many Road bikes but i'll look into that one.
I already know the local trails / pubs so you'd need to bring more than that to the table.
Tell us what you want podge? The main idea for this over at Rotherham to be honest is to simply get people who have got a bike, on an enjoyable route with a group of like minded people. We get so many customers coming into the shop who ride on their lonesome, so hopefully this will give them an opportunity to ride with others too.
Long term we want to build up good relationships between customer and staff, but initially we're just treating this as a cheeky opportunity to get out on the bike after work and meet some other riders on a social level really.
i like idea of mixing up the pace of rides - some of us get up early for work, so wouldn't be too keen killing ourselves on a fast ride mid week.
and maybe explore some of the less obvious mtb trails - we all know about Blackamoor, houndkirk, etc. but i'd be keen to see something a bit different...
(this could work very well over at Rotherham - it's not as hilly, but there's some great open country not far away)
but i'd be keen to see something a bit different...
Would you want everything on a plate for when you arrive? As in "come on lad's this way".....or would you like to get involved in maybe finding a route with us, and then trying it out over the following weeks?
I don't think I'm the best person to suggest ideas as I know a hell of a lot of Sheffield side south yorks / peaks and I like riding solo but I know the girlfriend would be interested in an all female shop ride where she doesn't have to worry about boys especially if it involved a bit of a skills session, even if its how to ride down some steps you encounter on your ride and some maintenance help so she doesn't feel overwhelmed by jargon when she brings her bike in for a service
Sorry i forgot to add to this thread in the first post that these rides will be leaving from our Rotherham shop once organsied, not Sheffield. An all female shop ride would be good but we don't have the female staffing presence at Rotherham to organise such an event, i will put it forward to our Sheffield lot though as an idea to see if they get any interest?
Cheers tp.
where in Rotherham would oyu be riding on the mountain bike rides? I can't think of much from the door on Erskine Road - but I'd be interested if i knew where you were thinking of
Not sure yet Pook - most of my miles are eaten up on the road tbh mate, so if I was the one to organise the off road MTBikey stuff - which is highly likely at this stage, then i'd be looking for some input from the riders coming along, i.e the likes of yourself. That's why I asked ahwiles whether he'd prefer to turn up on a ride and be guided from start to finish, or whether you'd like the adventure of finding some routes for the first few weeks, then get them set in stone and take it from there. It's all pretty much at the [u]idea[/u] stage right now so i'm open to suggestions from all really.
jejamescycles.co.uk - Member
or would you like to get involved in maybe finding a route with us, and then trying it out over the following weeks?
that does sound like fun. yes.
Where are you based ahwiles?
he's in Crookes, Sheffield unless I'm mistaken and not wanting to steal any thunder but...
I've looked for BW stuff round the Rovrum area and as noted its thin on the ground (no pun intended) so you'd be opening it to the possibility of non legal riding, which id think would be a no no for a shop ride.
Would it not be better to combine with the Sheffield shop?
Not really podge - not everyone would be interested in riding over to Sheffield to go out on a ride, and then ride back to our neck of the woods every week.
We need something more local, I'm sure we can find somewhere to ride (legally).
Could be interested in this. I live between Barnsley and Rotherham (from Sheff originally) and to be honest i have bugger all idea of what there is locally!! I have the trans pennine trail at the bottom of my road and would love to be able to use this to link stuff together.
As long as the pace isn't stupid on a night (like ahwiles said some of us have early starts and heavy work at times) it sounds like it could be fun.
As for getting people interested, how about some sort of discount for regular riders? Not just a turn up once and get x% off, but ride regular and get a bit back?
(like ahwiles said some of us have early starts and heavy work at times)
I'll not be leading out on a MTB fella that's for sure, my experience on a MTB is limited - technically speaking anyway. Initially it would be good for us all to treat it as a bit of fun before we all find our feet and then take it from there.
It looks like the biggest barrier to get over is a route to find.
I'll leave this here and bump the thread up later tonight to see if any of you are around.
If any of you want to get intouch to discuss anything,
Daytime Email - andylivo@jejamescycles.co.uk
Evening Email - andy@romsterbikewear.com
Cheers and speak laters.
Well how long have you had the old fire station? I bought my Diamondback in there in 95 so it's been a while. No excuse for not spotting the local riding by now. You can cross the road and fiddle your way round the cricket pitch to be down on the canal towpath in seconds, then there are ways and means of finding a path through Aldwarke. Then do you want to head up towards Wentworth and on towards Elsecar, or back over and head for the likes of Thrybergh and Conisbrough Parks, Dalton and Ravenfield.Not huge numbers of bridleways, but plenty of paths on the ground, and no ramblers or rangers to complain if you go cheeky 😉
Fair play to you for having a go to reconnect to the customers. You could try halving the amount of stock in the shop but keeping your range of sizes, and dedicating a back room for mail order stuff so shop staff could prioritise the people in front of them too.
No excuse for not spotting the local riding by now.
I've been here for approaching 10 years, so you're right no excuse but I've got no experience of MTB'ing around these neck of the woods, mostly because my time is spent on the road, so although riding a Mountain Bike isn't new to me, riding around the Rotherham area is, i have experience of the woods around the Roche Abbey/Craggs area out towards Maltby, infact noticed a few nice little trails on some recent walks but don't know if this would be a "cheeky" ride? Anyone?
I'm going to be getting some idea's from the MTB lads over the coming week though so I'm sure we can between us sort something out. 8)
I'd be interested in road or MTB rides from the Chesterfield shop.
I'd be interested in road or MTB rides from the Chesterfield shop.
Send me an email to stforum@jejamescycles.com and I'll send it over to Dean at chessy to see if they're running anything over there at the moment for you?
Shop rides in Sheffield?
I wonder what has given you guys that idea?
More than welcome to head out with our lot - I think some of your staff already do!!
Sig we've been running shop ride's from our sheff shop for approaching ten years or more, not sure if any of the lads get out on yours tbh fella but they haven't really publicised our rides in anyway other than word of mouth. My main idea here is for the roth store to start getting out. 🙂
Only pulling ya leg!!
We're only heading off road, there's not enough aerobic capacity between us to do anything onroad!!
Have fun with it!
Oh, and if you have a spare mechanic, let us know!!
"i have experience of the woods around the Roche Abbey/Craggs area out towards Maltby, infact noticed a few nice little trails on some recent walks but don't know if this would be a "cheeky" ride? Anyone?"
Nah, its all rubbish, you wouldn't want to ride round there at all. Stay away I reckon ..
It'd be 'cheeky' yes, though as pointed out before, theres not many about, let alone anyone that seems to have a clue, certainly not those with MX bikes or those letting there 5 year old shoot across the footpath ..
The biggest problem with rides from Rotherham shop would seem to be decent riding doable with a mixed ability group, especially legitimately
Hmmm i thought as much about Roche Abbey. Great place to walk on a Sunday morning but not overly bike friendly huh. I'm sure we could find somewhere to ride, surely everyone around The Old Fire Station doesn't go out of the town every time they go out on their bike? It's pretty straight forward for me to arrange somewhere for us to go on the road bikes, but it looks like arranging the mtb outings are going to take some time. Saying that though, the liked idea of maybe just meeting at the shop and actually going out and testing the water on a few routes sounds like the best way of getting somewhere with this one?
"not overly bike friendly huh"
No, no problems (even past the roche abbey people), just technically cheeky, plus they're nice and quiet as they are ..
"surely everyone around The Old Fire Station doesn't go out of the town every time they go out on their bike?"
I've never got the impression there might be a particularly high proportion of those 'around the old fire station' who go mountain biking tbh
What do you mean technically cheeky? Forgive the oblivious-ness to what you're on about.
well there are no bridleways, byways, BOATs, RUPPs or 'other routes with public access', just footpaths and unmarked paths
Where are you from James? Where do you do most of your riding then it sounds like your pretty local to me if you know the abbey as well as you do. . . .
meh, and I thought it was leaving from Sheffield for some roady rides.... ;( not for me then ...
There is jon, every tuesday mate, meet at 6 usually and set off about quarter past. Get there for about quarter too if you plan on buying a spare tube or a go bar! 30 miles pretty fast pace so decent level of fitness is an advantage. Usually finishes at top of froggat and everyone goes their seperate ways. 🙂
a couple of miles away, I don't know it that well, I haven't sussed every path out (yet)