A New Job and A New Shop

Back in March I heard that my local independent bike shop might be changing ownership. We've been customers off and on for several years and they supplied us with spares when P and I did our LEJOG in 2012. Not long after this I received an email from the manager of the new manager asking if I'd be interested in coming to work with them in the workshop. We then spoke at length about the plans for the shop, particularly the approach to women's cycling and making sure the shop had a full range of bikes and clothing for women and organising specific ladies night events and rides.

The opportunity to work with a team I know, in a shop very local to me, with such a strong focus on women's cycling was tempting enough to say a very positive "yes".

Couple this with a net reduction from 4 hours a day commuting to and from central London to approx 25 minutes total commuting across the woods behind where I live...No longer needing the folding bike, no longer needing to shell out for season tickets and deal with the vagaries of the rail network...and I can use the Cross bike through one of my regular training runs every single day... 

I think the phrase needed at this point is "no-brainer".

This meant that I spent a few weeks at home catching up on things and getting some good riding in, but on the 12 of June, I went in for the first time to the new shop to build stock and we opened on Monday 16th June.... 

So, Ladies and Gents, allow me introduce you all to......

Griff's Cycle Lab 

The first two weeks have been busy and productive, the workshop is getting booked out fast and we are seeing a great range of bikes come through.

The shop has a great mix of road and mtb bikes from Trek, Genesis, Ridley and Saracen, and our location in Crowthorne, Berkshire means that we are not too far from the Surrey hills and just down the road from Swinley Forest and I'm very much looking forward to our proper "formal" opening night event in a few weeks as well as some of the other things we have planned for the future, not least the range of Cyclocross bikes we will be bringing in especially the Treks and Ridleys (but I may be a little biased there)

If you are in the area, please do pop in and say hi...

A Ridley Liz and Trek Lush in the window

Pride of place in the front of the shop for the women's clothing and accessories

Oh, and I really love our logo...

 
Coming next .... Report on my last 2 rounds of the Newbury Summer CX series....