thewashingmachinepost




..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

shot in the foot

gent-wevelgem

yesterday's pelotonic conversation, at one point, centred around the future of formula one motor racing. not that any of us actually watch or follow the fortunes of the world's most expensive and excessive form of motor sport, but in the light of the impending ban on new petrol or diesel engined cars come the end of the decade, we wondered whether the ban will extend to that of formula one? it would surely set a poor example if the great unwashed were constrained to purchae of electric vehicles when considering a new car, while grand prix drivers could still look forward to several more years of liquid fuel.

granted, motor sport already has formula e, the grids of which comprise 100% electric motors, but will the pinnacle of the sport be forced to do likewise come 2030? to remain powered by petrol engines would surely undermine the spurious excuse that supports formula one at present. though separated from the ordinary family saloon by a darn sight more than six degrees of separation, the professed reason for its continuation is based on development of technologies that allegedly trickle-down to the ordinary man in the street. if petrol and diesel cars are no longer in production, of what possible use can a 250mph single-seat projectile be to humanity?

as admitted above, none of us are sufficiently interested to pay attention to broadcast coverage by either sky tv or channel four, but between programme over-runs and youtube, it's hard to avoid catching a few moments now and again. those snippets not only lay bare the substantial expenditure in maintaining this year-long circus, but the financial and personnel investment on behalf of the broadcasters, with more commentators and pundits than at which you could shake a microphone on a stick.

eurosport, before becoming british eurosport (if indeed, it still refers to itself in that manner), was in the unfortunate habit of offering somewhat piecemeal coverage of international cycle-racing. sometimes live coverage would end before the finish line in order to go over to an alternative sport, as per tv schedule. every bit as common, was live coverage beginning up to an hour late, or appearing not at all because a tennis or football match over-ran its alotted time. many were the complaints asking why cycle-racing was sacrificed in favour of other sports, yet rarely vice-versa.

things have improved substantially in that respect, with an almost cast-iron guarantee that a race will begin on time, and allow sufficient space to take in the podium presentations too. and on some of the bigger races, there appears to be a rota of commentators and pundits chipping in and out throughout the extended live coverage. this even had prince bradley on the back of a motorbike during an early season classic, despite his contributions being tautologically inept. this sort of thing appears to have crept in from below at the behest of the tie-up with global cycling network.

tail wagging the dog has been mentioned by more than just one viewer since the beginning of the season. but just how much do commentators and pundits actually contribute to the cycle-watching experience?

on friday, the jumbo-visma train triumphed once again, with van aert and laporte breaking the link on the paterberg and time-trialling to a ninety-second victory, having been up on the achtervolgers by as much as two minutes at one point. due to work commitments, i was unable to watch the race live, but with a eurosport player online subscription, i was able to watch the race on demand later that same evening. and i watched not only advert-free, but commentary free too. the same occurred during my viewing of sunday's gent wevelgem, won in grand style by african rider, biniam girmay, when i believe the script called for jumbo-visma's christophe laporte to take the honours unchallenged.

though i did once again miss the kop van de westrijd and achtervolgers, progress of the race was well advised through on-screen prompts, informing the ardent viewer as to which group of riders was being shown, which riders comprised that group and the time gaps between the various groups on the road. even down to the point of having identified the intermarché-wanty-gobert matériaux rider who took victory, given that many of us would otherwise have been left wondering. you will perhaps infer from the above description, that the live coverage of a major spring classic was devoid of commentary. that fact in no way lessened my enjoyment of the race, which has me wondering, why bother?

i seriously doubt that my monthly subscription to eurosport would be lowered by any noticeable degree, even if eurosport were able to save whatever stipend they pay to their many cycling commentators of several nationalities. but following two early season classics having been devoid of commentary, does that not now place a burden on eurosport/gcn to justify why other races do have live commentary? i would doubt that both the ronde van vlaanderen and paris-roubaix will be allowed to pass without a formidable commentary/punditry team, but why were the g3 saxo bank classic and gent wevelgem thought unworthy of vocal accompaniment?

of course, i could always attempt adding my own commentary.

monday 28 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

it takes every kind of people

gravel racing

during the recent paris-nice race, having switched to itv4 for the evening's highlights with ned and david, i caught the tail-end of a programme featuring the racing of double-decker, london buses around a motor race circuit. i saw little enough of the event to learn whether this was pure entertainment or otherwise, for as two buses crossed the finish line, there was brief footage inside the cabs, before it all ended and attention was directed towards roglic tenaciously defending his slim lead over french proceedings.

a far wiser person than yours truly once pointed out that whenever any form of wheeled transport arises, there will immediately be those who wish to race. why else, in fact, would cycling have such a rich heritage? though the tour de france stretches as far back as 1903, la doyenne (liege-bastogne-liege) was first run in 1892, a matter of a decade after the invention of the safety bicycle. contemporary velocipedinal matters tend to develop at a more prescient rate.

if we're willing to accept that the so-called gravel bicycle first appeared around ten years ago, then it's harder to explain why reputedly the first gravel race appeared on the calendar some six years previously. usually it requires the arrival of a specifically defined genre of bicycle before organised races begin to show face. this time, it could almost be contended that the gravel bicycle arose in order to fulfil an already pressing need. the north american rapha continental first appeared around 2006/2007, subsequently fostering what was known as the gentleman's race whereby teams of four cyclists sped over gravel tracks mostly on road bikes with 28mm tyres, and requiring all four team members to finish as one.

this method of racing ensured that each member of a team would assist in the case of punctures or mechanicals, waiting for the afflicted team member while repairs were carried out. many of these races were filmed and shown on rapha's website. whether they were superseded by the gravel-craze, or simply at the behest of a change in marketing at imperial works, i know not, but with miles and miles of gravel tracks in north america, it wasn't long before races such as the 'dirty kanza' (now known as unbound gravel) surfaced and gravel racing effectively became what it is today. it differs from cyclocross in that gravel events are rarely over a short circuit, preferring a lengthier parcours, while several other events are end to end.

until relatively recently, these events surfaced independently, with no organised series of events, but it seems that this too, soon becomes a feature of racing bicycles. whether to satisfy demand, or create it in the first place, the uci, never ones to let the quest of competition slip through their controlling fingers, have now announced a gravel world series for 2022, consisting of a dozen events all across the world (though, unsurprisingly, none take place in the uk) in which professionals and amateurs can share the gravel between them. with two distinct age groups for male and female participants, the top 25% of finishers in each group will qualify for a gravel world championships event at an as yet, unannounced location, later this year.

and you won't have to wait long for matters to begin, with the first race on 3 april in the phillippines. and perhaps cognisant of the fact that there is no specific definition of what actually constitutes a bona-fide gravel bike (though i wouldn't be surprised if aigle are working on that even as we speak), competitors can enter on gravel, cyclocross or mountain bikes. already the gravel bike market seems to have split down the middle, with some preferring to offer cycles appropriate for the bikepacking enthusiasts, while others have almost literally increased the tyre clearance of their road bikes, in preparation for those who wish only to race and offer a derogatory 'pshaw!' at the thought of festooning their steeds with luggage.

i do enjoy watching cycle racing, particularly 'cross and road racing, but in the light of the fact that there appears to be such a things as london bus racing, how long before the uci sanction commuter racing, held on inner city streets that remain open to motorised traffic?

don't say i didn't warn you.

photo: union cycliste international.

sunday 27 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

preparation is key

cycleguard insurance

it can only be pure coincidence, but as british summertime approacheth at 1am tomorrow morning, the hebridean weather has taken a positive turn, letting the central heating off the hook for a few days at least, and encouraging two of my pelotonic colleagues to reach for their bibshorts and, in onse case at least, a short-sleeve jersey. being of far more timid constitution, i refrained from such public exhibitionism via long-sleeves and bib threequarters. the spring classics have only just got underway, and i refuse to blow all opportunities to adopt a belgian stance, good weather or otherwise.

however, sartorial elegance is but a relatively superficial aspect of the cycling milieu; an enhanced state of mind is perhaps more pertinent. that said, what does not inhabit the realm of the superficial is a sound mechanical base on which to pedal through the countryside, an aspect of the velocipedinal life which was brought forcibly to my attention earlier this week (when i say 'forcibly', i mean i received an unsolicited e-mail). this missive, emanating from the self-interest of a well-known cycle insurance company, appears to presume that we are all fair weather cyclists, the evidence for which is encapsulated by the statement 'Spring has sprung [...] This can mean only one thing - it's time to get that bike back out of the shed or wherever it's been hiding over winter."

if you're anything like me, you'll quite rightly take that as an implied insult to your manhood or womanhood, for have we not been braving the vicissitudes of the winter, riding through torrential rain, freezing temperatures, and, in my own case, gale and storm force winds? since november, the velo club has cancelled only one sunday ride due to extenuating windspeeds. throwing the above quote in our direction in a vaguely disguised entreaty for our business, strikes me as a tad counter-productive. are we really going to insure our bicycles with a company that thinks we leave our bikes in the shed all winter?

however, the principal thrust of their communication is that, having dragged the bicycle kicking and screaming from the bikeshed, there are but ten aspects of its wellbeing that may be in need of some tender loving care. disappointingly, they only continue to advertise just how out of touch this particular insurer is with at least a portion of its prospective client base. i feel this can be adequately demonstrated by the first of those ten things: '...make sure that you tighten your bike seat before you get riding again. A loose bike seat isn't just uncomfortable, but it can also cause trouble when you're out on your bike.' embarrassingly enough, i have one or two bikes that have spent several winters in the bikeshed, about which i am more concerned that the seatposts may require brute force and ignorance to move. to place all in the context you may be desperately searching for, the e-mail continues, 'If your seat cover has been worn out after not being used in a while...'

their salient advice proceeds to advise having a professional mechanic take a look, lest its moving parts have suffered greatly from having been stationary for several months. and apparently if your gear mechs are misbehaving, it is sneaker pimps to adjust them with a philips-head screwdriver. when i sold bicycles in the early nineties, i was originally in the habit of leaving in situ, the little booklets affixed to the gear levers in the event that the new owners had need of adjusting the gears as the cables bedded in.

it only took a few return visits from customers for me to put a stop to that habit. the amount of time it took to unravel the mess many of them had made while attempting not to follow the instructions, was a lesson well-learned. the thought of hundreds of naivetes loose with a philips-head screwdriver will give me sleepless nights for weeks.

for those of us who adopt the posture of the cognoscenti, with our smug grins and knowledgeable demeanour, the remaining pointers to readying the bicycle for a spring and summer of saddle-based fun are too obvious to discuss (ending with prompts to check the kiddie seat), though it's interesting to note that #5 dealing with brake adjustment, sports no mention of disc brakes, a feature pertinent to many present-day commuters, but apparently unrecognised by a company keen to have you send your insurance money in its direction.

perhaps it would be pertinent for this brand at least, to research its prospective customer-base a tad more closely before clicking the 'send' button. (and yes, i am being unbearably elitist)

ten tips to get the bike ready for spring

saturday 26 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

the space between the notes

classic armwarmers

a friend of mine in new york, whose career as a professional drummer appears to be in its twilight years, was a great proponent of the 'space between the notes', as being more important than the notes themselves. bill bruford, retired former drummer for king crimson and earthworks, amongst others, defined those spaces as being the very encapsulation of rhythm, a contention against which i'd be hard-pressed to argue. of course this depends greatly on the style of music in which the drummer is providing rhythmic accompaniment. i tend to think that the stratosphere inhabited by percussionists such as virgil donati and chad wackerman offers little in the way of empty space of which the drummer might take advantage.

however, many strains of rock and pop music can benefit greatly from practised restraint on behalf of the drums. let's face it; if your band features a keyboard player, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, bass player and vocalist, a flailing drummer would hardly be considered a suitable bedfellow, leaving little in the way of opportunity for the others. add in a brass section and the latter could be far more of a hindrance than a help.

drummers such as the late charlie watts and levon helm were the poster boys for leaving plentiful spaces between the notes, defining the so-called 'pocket', while allowing their fellow musicians additional space in which to proffer their own musicality. jazz might be considered a special case, but in practice it benefits every bit as much as other genres. of course, there are many drummers who consider it not necessarily their specific responsibility to keep time. why should not the others share the responsibility amongst them, perchance leaving their own spaces between the notes?

on the whole, i'm inclined to side with my american friend, not only in accepting the drummer's vocation as time-keeper, but in solid agreement that spaces are to be regarded as a 'good thing'. however, spaces are not necessarily always to be considered in a beneficial light, particularly when allied to the subject of velocipedinal sartorial elegance.

on sunday morning, until 1am, we all need to remain awake to move our clocks forward by one hour, welcoming in british summer-time. that's a description that should probably be taken with a pinch of salt, given that a quick perusal of next week's weather forecast pinpointed a smattering of snow in the early hours of thursday morning, accompanied by near freezing temperatures. hardly the stuff of which summertimes are made. but if we take everything at face value, and accept that spring has indeed sprung, then it's surely time to take stock of our weekend mode of dress.

banished to the bottom drawer will now be bibtights, goretex jackets, long-sleeve baselayers and belgian-style winter hats (applicable everywhere apart from scotland), leaving space for short-sleeve jerseys and baselayers, casquettes du jour and the bibshorts mentioned only yesterday. the above can be occasionally accessorised with knee and armwarmers when temperature demands, and it is the aforementioned accessories that have the potential to undermine a united presentation to the public at large.

knee-warmers are less likely to give cause for concern, given the portion that remains 'neath the bibshorts, but i cannot be the only one who has winced at a fellow velocipedinist displaying an unseemly gap between and betwixt a short sleeve and the top of an armwarmer. there may be many who spurn velominati's rule#82 which deals with this potential problem, but though legend has it that the rules are predominantly tongue-in-cheek, i think it highly likely that this is one of several rules that ought to be forcibly observed. the only exception i can see to this rule, would be when the armwarmers have been rolled to the wrist in warmer weather, prior to offloading to the team car. (every sunday ride has a team car, right?).

though it's hardly the ideal solution, i have seen it practised by the professional classes, whereby preventative measures in the shape of safety pins holding the armwarmers in place, have been noted. this probably only applies to armwarmers on which the elastic has seen better days, and in which case, they really ought to have been binned and replaced. we may not any of us have a professional contract in a jersey rear pocket, but that hardly allows for laxity in one's sartorial appearance.

i will be checking.

friday 25 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

short stories

rapha bib shorts

the world of cycling is fraught with indecisions, unknowns and every so often, weirdness that makes you question whether you actually understand that which you've been immersed for more years than to which you can readily admit. the bicycles themselves are an exercise in perpetual change (with apologies to the 'yes album'), providing all manner of benefits and iniquities at the same time, several of which have been dealt with in these very pixels over recent times. but in the early years of deciding whether the name 'cyclist' actually applies, confusion often reigns.

a double-page feature in yesterday's guardian newspaper dealt with another, predominantly male pecadillo that often remains unadmitted: that of the railway modeller. rapha bib shorts i am insufficiently well-informed to know whether there are as many female model train enthusiasts as there are the male of the species; perhaps they're just better at keeping it a secret. however, the guardian's feature brought to the fore the not entirely unknown fact that singer, rod stewart, is every bit as obsessive about model trains as he is about claiming scottish heritage. and pete waterman, one third of stock, aitken waterman, purveyor of pop hits by rick astley and kylie minogue, has also devoted a large part of his leisure time to playing with model trains, albeit on a far grander scale than most.

though 'tis perfectly acceptable within certain circles to be considered a cycle commuter, where there is purposeful intent, it seems there may be a certain, dare i say it, nerdishness about admitting to a predisposition encompassing both carbon and lycra. that said, joining a cycle club would place you as one amongst many, where laughter is more likely to be directed at those who have not yet realised the joys of the saddle. however, for the great pretenders, secretly checking eurosport schedules for the next spring classic coverage, not everything can be regarded as plain sailing. i will, however, admit to the fact that it is possibly less of an admission nowadays than in yesteryear.

rapha bib shorts

that said, getting hold of a road bike in the first place is merely the preamble to the rest of the equation. after all, there's only so long that you can ride around in gym shorts, t-shirt and a pair of trainers. stage two, however, is harder to uncover and subsequently adopt; what kit do i really need? will i look a total prat in a pair of bibshorts? and, more to the point, how do i find out more about this sort of stuff? given the nature of the hebrides, bibshorts were certainly not my first port of call. in fact the very notion of bibs of any sort was left on the shelf for several months, unsure of whether bib-anythings ought to be chosen according to my height or waist-size.

my first pair of cycling tights were somewhat of an abomination, very much akin to an explosion in a paint factory, and hardly the sort of attire one ought to have been wearing if intent on keeping a low profile. and due to a complete lack of knowledge and pertinent knowledge, that first pair featured no chamois insert, thus benefitting my nether regions not one whit.

rapha bib shorts

but today's apparel purveyors are noticeably more pro-active in describing and promoting their wares, as evidenced by rapha's recently unveiled bibshorts campaign concentrating on, as they say "the most important part of a cyclist's wardrobe." and, in common with many cycle clothing manufacturers, rapha offer several variations across the range, arguably adding to the confusion. for surely bibshorts, are bibshorts, are bibshorts? you'd really like to think so, and to a certain extent, that's actually the case. however, though you'd be unlikely to lose a finish-line sprint wearing version a, rather than version b, there can be comfort advantages in choosing one over the other.

that said, whichever bibshorts you opt for, the guiding light has to be ensuring you choose the correct size. and to answer the most frequently asked question, it's better to choose on the basis of height as opposed to waist size, though most incorporate subtle changes in the latter as you move from xs to xxl. as the days become longer, and hopefully warmer, most of us will be moving from full-length bib-tights, through bib-threequarters and onto bibshorts, possibly accessorising with knee-warmers in lower temperatures where desirable. in which case, taking a concerted look at rapha's campaign and video might not be such a bad idea.

rapha bibshorts video | rapha bibshorts guide

thursday 24 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

cycling the ruta via de la plata - john hayes. cicerone publishing. 220pp illus. £16.95

the ruta via de la plata - john hayes

the archetypal touring scenario, which possibly says more about me than it does about the genre in general, is that of a narrow-tubed steel road bike, festooned with cotton-duck panniers and a handlebar bag. shorter, more localised ventures could probably survive with but a couple of rear panniers, or if you're credit card touring, just the bar bag, as long as it's big enough to hold your credit card. that may have been the state of play in the heyday of publications such as cycling world where every article or feature was compulsorily accompanied by a photograph each of which 'had' to include the style of touring bike described above.

however, since the advent of the gravel bike in the early part of the last decade, things have been slowly, yet seemingly inevitably changing. however, i take exception to the author's description of '...the new approach'. describing bikepacking luggage compared with the more traditional set of panniers, he states, "Panniers can carry more, but for look and feel, the new approach has a lot going for it." i'm afraid i'd contend that the photo facing the introductory page and that shown on page 27, for me at least, flies in the face of that assessment.

however, there's little to deny the fact that panniers are a less forgiving style of luggage when ploughing through the undergrowth.

the ruta via de la plata - john hayes

the riding of spain's 'ruta via de la plata', is certainly the first book i've come across that gives equal billing to both on and offroad approaches, which must have taken quite some writing and planning. however, the graphical system that has been devised to combine the two differing options is worthy of particular admiration. depending on whatever floats your boat, in many instances it would appear possible to combine road and offroad over the course of a single day's cycling. that would, of course, assume that you're on an offroad bike in the first place, for the description of more than just a few offroad sections scarcely commends a road bike as principal choice of transport.

in common with all the cicerone guides i've reviewed, the narrative follows a logical pattern, beginning with an overview of the route, which, for those unfamiliar, runs from southern spain to its northern plains (or vice versa if you prefer) constituted as a two week cycling tour along an historic trading route that pre-dates the roman presence in the country. however, the author acknowledges that it was the latter civilisation that "put real infrastructure in place". mr hayes does admit, however, in describing the options available to the different cycling disciplines, that "...a group (of road cyclists) with a back-up van would be able to complete the route a lot faster than the schedule proposed in this guidebook."

the ruta via de la plata - john hayes

apparently the best months in which to schedule such a spanish undertaking would be either the second half of april into may and june, or september and august, principally based on the observation that the months of july and august tend to be a smidgeon on the hot side for our fragile velocipedinal complexions. and very much in its favour, "Spain is a superb country for cycling. The weather is good, the food and drink excellent and accommodation is great value."

whichever style of bicycle on which you choose to travel, the option is frequently whether to take your own, or dispense with travel vicissitudes altogether and hire on arrival. either way, and on whichever style of luggage you decide, as the author points out, the idea is to keep things light, especially taking into account the fact that this is a two-week ride.

the guide is well illustrated, both with imagery and detailed maps (though gpx files are also available to the book's purchasers). each section is described not only via turn by turn instructions, for both on and offroad sections, a section profile and a précis at the commencement of each, highlighting the town of departure, the total distance, ascent and descent for both route options and an approximate completion time. included along the way, are frequent box-outs describing points of interest to be seen along the way.

the ruta via de la plata - john hayes

"There is more to Mérida than its Roman legacy, but that legacy is epic and on an almost overwhelming scale.The Roman remains are among the largest in Spain and have UNESCO World Heritage Site status."

it strikes me that for the more intrepid amongst you, it might be possible to ride on the road from south to north, swap to a gravel bike, and ride south again following the offroad route. twice the fun and twice the value. this guide must surely be regarded as something of a triumph, following the high quality of its peers while effectively squeezing two books into one and at no extra cost. arguably the only other accessory you'd need would be a spanish phrase book.

wednesday 23 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

why would you?

bike shop

blockbuster video had a lengthy and apparently profitable run before the advent of digital downloads and ultimately digital streaming services. in the days when we eagerly awaited the release of a film on vhs video, or subsequently on dvd, persisted until the early part of this century. the accountants at blockbuster may or may not have seen their ultimate destiny in time, but either way, it seemed a tad illogical to put the business up for sale. why on earth would anyone buy a business from a group of people who cheerfully admitted that they were selling because, as a trading concern, its days were undoubtedly numbered?

that's a state of affairs that has essentially been repeated locally, though admittedly at a far lower economic level. for many a long year, a local couple operated a business near bruichladdich village, offering coal, gas and logs for sale to local residents. only last year, they decided to sell up to a larger concern the head office of which is based in castle douglas, near the scottish borders. considering sales of household coal are due to be banned (in england at least), by 2023, it hardly seems a strategic move to purchase a business with a finite sales strategy.

and given the parlous state of the uk economy, would anyone in their right mind consider opening a bicycle shop as energy and retail prices enter the stratosphere? i'm sure that many of us would see the operating of a small, traditional style bike shop, as the ideal means of employment or career. after all, we go out riding our bikes as frequently as time, work and home-life allows, so wouldn't standing behind the counter facing a shop floor full of the very items that keep us happy, not be a worthy ambition?

perhaps one of the startup questions that you ought to ask yourself, should you be planning to replicate this very scenario, is whether to specialise in analogue bicycles, or opt for the currently (pun intended) more favoured e-bike. as pointed out only a few days past, nearly all present day transport schemes and initiatives seem to favour the ubiquitous e-bike, whether or not there is a demonstrable need for batteries in the first place. perhaps it would be advantageous to opt for a mixture of the two, perhaps choosing a supplier who manufactures both variations?

this is the point where care needs to be exercised; as my late father was frequently heard to advise, 'you should never mix business with sentiment'. if your preferred velocipedinal choices include aerodynamic carbon fibre and bendy bars, you may find a storage area filled with commuting e-bikes to undermine the very reasons you thought a bike shop would be fun in the first place. however, if the chosen geographical location would favour e-bike sales rather than those currently inhabiting the professional peloton, you may find yourself pulled between staying in business and retaining a healthy sense of enthusiasm for that very business.

and then there's the more long-term prospects of continued sales and servicing slightly prejudiced by the recent decision of specialized to go down the route of direct online sales, a decision that many shops find less than favourable. obviously enough, you could simply opt for an alternative supplier, but there's nothing to state that the competition might opt for a similar sales channel, particularly if specialized's decision proves to be a financially successful one.

reminding ourselves that the internet can't repair your bicycle, the majority of cyclists are dependent on bicycle shops, particularly in the light of increasing component complexity. servicing our own velocipedes is always an option for some, but with the ever-present likelihood of the major component manufacturers heading down the possible line of warranty invalidation where fitting or servicing has not been by authorised personnel, the authorised dealer suddenly gains renewed credence.

the catch 22 would surely be that, as the world recognises the increasing importance of so-called active travel, the market for bicycles ought theoretically to be on the increase, surely meaning greater sales for those in the business and thus the ideal time to enter the fray with a nice new bicycle shop. a 2017 report in bike biz claimed that the bike shop closure rate was the highest since the 1960s and in 2021, halfords closed 60 stores despite allegedly booming bike sales.

the only thing we can be reasonably sure of is that, in the face of rising fuel prices and higher awareness of climate change, the bicycle itself is a fairly sure bet. whether that justifies the effort and financial outlay of opening a new bike shop is one that still remains between a velocipedinal entrepreneur and his or her bank manager. hopefully it's a situation that will continue to make financial sense to somebody.

tuesday 22 march 2022

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................