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Which is the 'best' North East bike shop?

Before I answer the headline question let me explain something first. Whilst on holiday recently I read the the book 'The Ultimate Question 2.0 - How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer Driven World’ by Fred Reichheldwhich which explains the Net Promoter Scoring system. This is a tool used by many successful business across the globe to gain feedback from their customers regarding their products and services. It is used by the likes of Apple, Lego, BMW to name but a few.

As a Service Delivery Manager myself I was keen to understand more about how the system worked. The systems comprises of a survey. Nothing new their you might think but there is one crucial difference, rather than the long laborious surveys many businesses ask their customers to complete NPS surveys normally consist of only two questions. The first being along the lines of ‘On a scale of 0-10 how likely would you recommend a given product or service to a family member, friend or colleague’. A follow up question is then asked what the most important reason was to support the score given. According to research into thousands of surveys these are the only questions that really ever matter.

The beautiful simplicity of the system also ensure high survey return rates which ensure high quality feedback is gathered from a balanced range of respondents. This leads to NPS survey return rates well over 50% where traditional survey results hover around 10%. Traditional surveys also have a tendency to attract a negative bias. Once feedback is received scores are grouped into three categories. Promoters, Passives and Detractors. The percentage of Detractors is subtracted from the number of Promoters to give a % score. I’ll explain the three categories in a little more detail shortly but to give a quick example first, if you had a store with a Promoter score of 10% and a Detractor score of 20% then the NPS score would be -10%. The industry average for a typical retail outlet is usually around 10%. Apples Retail stores aim for a minimum of 70% whilst some of their stores reach 90%.

So enough of the maths what are we really taking about. Business consultants tell us word of mouth is far more valuable than traditional marketing approaches. If people are recommend a product/service by someone they trust/respect then they’ll take far more notice compared to advertising they may see (TV/Radio/Internet/etc). So they idea is to get people talking about your business. How do you do that? By following the golden rule of treating others how you yourself would wish to be treated. If this rule is followed great custom service will follow. In a world of social media word of mouth reaches far more ears then ever before.

OK, some of you will be keen for me to get to the punchline and I’m sure you may have already sneaked a peak at the bike shop ranking table below but to make sense of the rankings and scores we need to understand the three NPS categories. Let's start with the positives first:-

Promoters

People who score a 9 or 10 on an NPS survey feel loyalty to a brand. They feel that the products or services provided enrich their lives. These are the people that will use word of mouth to spread good messages about a business. Research shows these people bring in more sustainable repeat business over the long term compared other marketing approaches to grow a business. Bottom line, buinesses need to aim for as many promoters as possible.

Passives

These are people who have scored a 7 or 8. They’re not particularly thrilled by a given business but wouldn’t actually bad mouth it either. However, it does mean there is no loyalty and next time they were in the market for something wouldn’t hesitate to go elsewhere.

Detractors

People who score below a 7 are called Detractors. These people feel very disappointed and let down. Repeat business is highly unlikely but worse than that these people will actively tell others to steer clear of a business, effectively anti-marketing. If they are somehow locked into using a business products/service they will consume more time staff time therefore affecting profitability. Bottom line a business wants as few a number of detractors as possible. 

Whilst detractors are unwanted they offer an amazing opportunity. Research has found that if early intervention is taken after a customer has a bad experience then you can quickly turn a potential detractor into a promoter. Apple did some research, if they did not contact detractors within 24 hours of the survey they found that customer spent considerably less over the next 12 months compared to the previous 12 months. However, if they intervened within 24 hours of the survey feedback, apologised and promised to rectify the situation something suprising happened. These people actually spent more over the next 12 months than they did compared to the previous 12 months.

North East Bike Shops

So how did North East bike shop do. I sent out a simple survey via Facebook, Strava, Singletrack and BikeRadar forums. In total I received 100 responses. This in itself speaks volumes about the NPS approach. I asked the question following question ‘Overall how likely is it that you would recommend the following Bike Shops / Websites to a family member, friend or colleague. If you have not visited/used a bike shop/website listed within the last 2 years please do not select score, skip the row?' 

I asked respondents to rate the following stores and for comparison purposes added a couple of well known online cycling stores. This was not an entirely exhaustive list of North East shops but covered many of them. 

Active Cycles

Bike Hub

Bike Place

Bike Scene

Bike Sport

Breeze Bikes

Cestria Cycles

Chain Reaction

CJ Performance Cycles

Conway Cycles

Cycle Logical

Cycle World

Darkes

Edinburgh Bike Co-Op

Evans

Halfords

Hexham Bike Shop

Hobbarts

Hopkins Cycle Center

Infinity Cycles

KB Cycles

M. Steeles

Peddlers

Prudhoe / Cycleart

Ride

Sanctuary Cycles

Start Cycles

Strawberry Cycles

Westbrooks

Whiptails

Wiggle

I did not ask the 'Why' follow up question as with so many shops to rate this would have led to multiple follow up questions which would have no doubt reduced the number of responses. I did pose that question to the forums afterwards to get some idea how the scoring had been driven, We’ll come on to that after the league table below.  

The Results.

First let's put the result into perspective, the survey was announced in cyclising forums so it may be argued that those people that responded have higher expectations than your average bike shop customer (or not). Also, as I have no way of knowing who completed the survey I can't guarantee the results weren't gamed by employees of any of the shops listed above. They may well have marked their shops high and their competitors low. Only they will know if they did this.

If the results were gamed ultimately it would be counter productive. People may visit the shops based on the above table but then be dissatisfied by the service and become detractors and start their own mini 'anti-marketing' campaigns.

If any shops had less than 10 ratings I've dropped them from the table (but for the record they all had negative NPS scores).

So what do the results tell us. With an average NPS score across all shops of -41% it seems most bike shops can do better. Remember industry averages for a typical retail shop tend to be about 10%.  Bike shops seem to be disappointing far more people than they please. Personally I hadn't quite expected such a below average result. 

Only one bike shop (Prudhoe Bicycle Repairman / Cycleart) out scored the two leading web cycling online retailers (Wiggle and Cycleart). After that there are no other shops with a positive rating. Astounding.

Reasons

Whilst I didn't ask in survey the reasons for the scores I did canvas opinions in the forums, I've summarised the negative feedback received below.

Lack of empathy

Bad advice

Poor Service

Inconsistency

Service overcharging

High bike repair costs

Lack of choice

LBS higher costs than online retailers

Time spent waiting to be served.

That last reason in particular seems be quite common for low scores. Perhaps bike shops are currently a victim of the recent boom cycling and influx of new customers is placing some strain on the smaller shops. Picking up from lessons learnt from Apple they will aim to greet anyone entering their shops within 10 seconds or at the very least make eye contact to acknowledge presence. Many shops do this as it reduces shoplifting but Apple do it to reset the customers 'perception of time'. When people are greeted this way and still have to wait 5-10 minutes to be served they don't mind so much but when they are ignored for the full duration they far more displeased or are far more likely to leave a store before being seen.

For me it only took one bad experience with Evans to decide never to go back. As a customer of many years including the purchase of two bikes they refused to replace a pair of winter bibs tights which had frayed and developed holes after only 10 uses. All within 3 months of purchasing them. What was more astounding even was when I spoke with the store manager about the issue he basically told me I was lying and wasn't at all bothered if he lost my future business. Gobsmacked and amazed I've never been back. The survey backs up my experience, Evans have an NPS of -65%.

Conclusions

So this wasn't really about which was the best bike shop in the North East it was a sneaky test of the NPS system which to me has shown it's value. If I were a bike shop owner I'd do my own NPS survey with the 'why' question, listen to the feedback, contact the detractors make some changes then repeat the survey at a later point in time to see if they have been successful. This is the essence of the NPS system, a closed loop feedback system to help business improve their products and services thereby leading to increased profitability.

Perhaps as Apple reinvented the Computer buying retail experience then some enterprising soul out there can do the same for bike shops. What was an average shopping experience 10 years ago is now below average today. Bike shops haven't fundamentally changed in the last 10 years whilst many of their retail counterparts have upped their game, think coffee shops and car dealerships. When the cycling boom subsides how are local bike shops going to compete in future with the online stores and national chains to ensure their survival???

[bikenuggets]

Parkhead Station Ride

A friend of mine organised a ride up to Parkhead Station yesterday. Just under a 50 mile round trip on the mountain bikes. For those that don't know Parkhead Station is located a few miles from Stanhope in the North Pennines (England) on the Waskerley Way (a National Cycelway route). The plan was for two groups to meet up where the Derwent Way and Waskerley Way converged. 

All did not go to plan. The weather was against us. Very cold and windy with dark clouds looming. Group A did not make it to the meeting point on time so group B set off without them.

The closer (and the higher) we got to our destination the colder it was, -3 on my Garmin but the wind made it feel far colder, more like -10. It soon started snowing (just lightly) and the riding conditions became worse. We pressed on to Parkhead only to find the cafe there shut. Downtrodden we turned back to find the wind had picked up and made the cold air feel even colder. I've been to some cold places on our planet but can't recall as feeling as cold anywhere else as I did yesterday. 

This video shows a few of the highlights of the route. It's a a great route to ride normally but perhaps not so enjoyable on a cold Februarys day with snow on the ground. Still glad I rode it though in a strange sort of way. One of those character building rides. The route can be viewed over on Strava using the link below:-

http://app.strava.com/activities/40419545

Anyway, here are few of the lessons we learnt from the ride:-

1. Layers, better err on the side of caution. Too few any you don;t have any options. Pay to be well wrapped up on a winters day.

2. Food . Carry your own. You never know when the cafe might be shut. I can highly recommend 9Bars. Always best to check cafe opening times in advance. Don't assume.

3. Drink. Just because it's cold doesn't mean you shouldn't drink, it's still very easy to get dehydrated on a cold winters day when you been out riding for more than a few hours.

4. When arranging to meet others along the way make sure you have their contact details so you can phone them. 

5. Check the weather forecast for the whole day. Be prepared to turn back. No medals for soldiering on then need to call out mountain rescue.

6. Group riding often means there are a diverse range of abilities, some will be faster or slower than others. Nominate a group leader who's responsible for keeping the group together. 

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My son's bike was stolen this week but luckily we recovered it. These are the 20 lessons learnt we leant from the incident:-

1) The bike was only two months old. My son (who was visiting at the time) had not made a note of the serial number. We've made a note now and taken a photograph! Also record the number in the manual that came with the bike. Take photos of yourself with the bike. 2) The bike was not marked, you can have your bike chipped or etched by the police or with an online service (see link below). Even a roll of paper in the seat tube, inside tyre or handlebar tube with your details would be better than nothing to the help Police return a stolen item.http://www.immobilise.com/index.php 3) The bike was left unlocked and unattended for no more than 5 minutes, never leave a bike anywhere unlocked, even your own home! Buy the best lock you can afford (relative to the cost of your bike). 4) If your bike is stolen set up alerts on E-bay and Gumtree. I kept the search generic and simple as possible to get the best chance of a match, our region and the bike manufacturer. 5) If you buy an 'obscure' brand you'll probably have a better chance of recovery. Far too many Trek, Giants and Speciliaized out there for the Police to go hunting after on eBay/Gumtree. 6) We were very tempted to meet without the police and 'sort it out' privately but that would have just made things worse. The police were great once I'd fully explained the Gumtree thing and why we thought it was our bike. 7) When making contact with the seller he did not know the frame size, simple questions like that brought a stutter from him. Any legitimate seller would not hesitate to answer. Ask where it was bought, frame size, maintenance, mileage, etc but try not to be too obvious. Tell then you live somewhere other than where the bike was stolen to avoid arising suspicion. 8) Watch for people watching you as you leave/arrive home with bike. Just because you're paranoid does not mean they are not watching you! 9) Never ever leave your Garmin/Bike Computer on your bike when you're not there. Far to easy to walk off with. Leaving your Garmin on your bike outside a cafe is asking for trouble. 10) Consider using 'secure' skewers to protect wheels and seat posts. http://atomic22.com/ 11) Some thieves really are stupid. Don't give up hope. 12) Whilst the Police were great we had to phone then up constantly to get action. Calls left weren't returned, not having a go (they are busy people) but you have to help move the 'process' along. It took over 10 calls yesterday to make all the final arrangements with the undercover squad.  13) Check local 'For Sale' noticeboards often found in local supermarkets and community centres. 14) Consider placing a 'Wanted' add locally or on Gumtree to see if the thief contacts you. You never know you might get lucky. Again tell then you live somewhere other than where the bike was stolen to avoid arising suspicion. 15) Remember that most bike insurance policies (including home insurance policies) won't pay up if the bike was away from the home and not locked up at the time of the theft!!!

16) Post details of your stolen bike to popular bike forums such as bikeradar.com and singletrackworld.com 

17) Register with Bike Register to see if stolen bikes in your area and check if a bike is stolen before buying it. https://www.bikeregister.com/bike-checker

18) If the above advice is not followed and if the bike is recovered their is a good chance the bike could be returned to the thief! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2157093/Stolen-bicycles-returned-thieves-police-t-prove-dont-them.html

19) Some people have reported that expensive mountain bikes are now stolen to order. They are spotted at trails centres then followed home. Beware. Possibly consider taking car reg numbers of anyone following you.

20) Even bikes stored inside homes should be locked up especially so those in sheds/garages. All would be well advised to fit ground anchors (like one of these: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/squire/bpga-hi-security-bridge-ground-anchor-ec033588).

I'm glad to say on this occasion we did recover the bike. The bike was spotted on Gumtree (via the alerts we'd set-up) and then the police informed. They took it from there.

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A course in DIY Bike Servicing...

As many of my friends will tell you I was never one for servicing and maintaining my bike electing to take it to the ‘professionals’ to do it for me. Obviously this incurs a small fee and as biking becomes more and more popular a longer waiting time to get my bikes into be serviced. So in this age of austerity and just generally just wanting to know a bit more how about how my bikes work and are put together I booked myself on to a bicycle maintenance course.

The course I attended was run by the Edinburg Bike Co-Operative. They run these course out of all their stores but I attended the one at the Newcastle branch. I decided on the ‘Intensive Maintenance’ course judging the ‘Foundation’ course a little too basic even for my limited mechanical skills. The cost, a very reasonable £49. Advance booking is recommended as the courses do seem to fill up fast.

Karl was our instructor / wizard mechanic for the day and we  kicked the course off at 10am. There were eight of us in total and we buddied up and shared the four work-stands available. Phil was my fellow ‘apprentice’ mechanic, a commuter cyclist who had brought a long a mountain bike he recently been given by a family friend. His bike, a ‘classic’ Raleigh MTB from the 1990’s had seen better days a looked in need of a good service. You don’t have to take a bike but I also elected to take a bike with me, this being my Specialized Sirrus commuter bike which hadn’t yet received a service of any description. 

We started at the beginning with tires and punctures. Now, even with my limited knowledge I thought I knew this bit but how wrong I was. I’ve always been able to get the tyre off and replace a tube but refitting has sometimes been a struggle. Karl showed us the ‘knack’ and there wasn’t even a tyre leaver in sight. With limited pressure he slipped a tyre back onto the rim, it’s all to do with massaging the beading at the opposite side to where the tyre tightens on the rim. We were all soon practicing this and I was amazed how easy it was. We felt like we had somehow infiltrated the Magicians Circle and had just stolen the secret to a well guarded trick. It really was like magic!

As the morning went on we progressed to hub and headset servicing, stripping both down to the bearings and re-greasing. I’ve always been put off from ever attempting this, chain whips and messing with bearings always looked a little intimidating to me. However, like everything else taught on the day it really is simple when you know how. So with my hubs serviced (and wheels spinning freely) and nicely lubricated headset we broke for lunch.

Lunch was provided (inclusive in the cost) and we got to choose from a fine selection of offerings from the local deli. Tucking into my wholemeal tuna sandwich we talked all things bike and swapped anecdotes, the best being Marks tail of an irate motorist who had a go at a mate of his who was out cycling, the motorist pushed the cyclist of the bike who promptly got back up, leaned inside the car, took they keys out of the ignition and chucked them as far away as he could, leaving the scene of a bewildered motorist as fast as he could. Cyclist 1 Motorist 0!

The afternoon started with a demonstration of crank and bottom bracket servicing. This being the only activity Karl recommended is best performed by a professional due to the high risk of cross threading the bottom bracket which can ruin a bike. Still, it was nice to see how it was done. After that we moved on to brake adjustment which included an amazing tip that meant you didn’t need a third hand to adjust V-brakes. 

We also covered disc brakes and it was truly mesmerising to see Karl adjust a caliper to make sure the pads did not touch. Starting with a bike where the wheel turned maybe three times before stopping to adjusting it to one that seemed to spin infinitely without any drag from the pads. All this with just a few tweaks of an allen key and a bit of prodding with a flat spanner. I would have paid £50 to learn that alone!

In the closing hours of the afternoon we finished with gear adjustment, chain splitting and wheel truing. Gears adjustment has always puzzled me but with our newly learned knowledge we all had our bikes indexing and changing gears like new. 

Chain splitting was fun and for those of who didn’t have any we all nipped off the shop downstairs to buy some quick links. I can’t believe I’ve never carried these in my back pack in the past. How stupid!

We ended the day with wheel truing, my bike had a slight buckle in the rear wheel. Karl worked his magic once again and in 30 seconds my wheel was running true again. Whilst magical to watch a master at work the real genius was Karls ability to impart his wisdom to us mere mortals.

The day ended at about 5pm and can honestly say that it was probably the best £50 I’ve spent in a long time. The knowledge gained will easily re-coup my £50 in reduced future servicing costs, i’ll be better prepared for disasters out on the trail, met some new riding friends and had a fully serviced bike to show for it! I really would recommend this course to all cyclists without hesitation. 

For more information about the course (including booking) click here.

[bikenuggets]

Tour de France Tech: Wiggo’s Di2 Derailleur Hack bicycling.com

It’s no secret that sev­er­al of the pelo­ton’s top pro­fes­sion­als pre­fer lower gears for steep­er climbs. While the rid­ers can han­dle steep pitch­es with stan­dard chain­rings and cas­settes, many of them choose options that allow the…

Nice hack...

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Vincero Magentic Water Bottles.

Magnetic water bottles for both road and mountain bikes. Gaining rave reviews. I do like the idea of them. I prefer to use water bottles for shorter rides instead of a Camelbak especially on the road bike. Not cheap but worth the initial investment and give your bike nice clean lines. Very tempted. 

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Ingram Valley Mountain Bike Route.

The video route guide provides a taste of what this part of the country has to offer mountai bikers. Stunning scenery and rugged riding. Just over 18 miles of riding but with over 2,00ft of climbing so you’ll need to be fit. You’ll also need to be prepared, this is an unforgiving part of the country. The turning point of the route includes a climb that must be hiked. If that’s not your thing then there are alternatives but consult your map first before venturing out.

Note: The route shown on the video differs from the route mapped below. The one on the video is what we’d planned to ride but then decided to extend the ride on the day. If you want the GPS file for the video version drop me a line. Thanks to @sadoldsamurai for spotting that.

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Hamsterley Forest - Doctors Gate Route.

This routes takes you out and beyond the forest out into Weardale. It includes some nice scenery especially through the old mine workings. This is a tough route and can be hard going in places. There is a lot of climbing, 3,00ft in total and just hover 26 miles in length. Take note of the comments on the route. The river was too deep for us to cross at the 15.3 mile mark (so had to back track) and at about 17 miles the bridle path is hard to pick up hence a bit of walking on this route. Might be easier to spot in the summer.

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Hamsterley Forest Red Route - MTB Trail.

Hamsterley Forest, located 10 miles west of Bishop Auxland, is a turning into a great destination for Mountain Bikers. The forest has a wide range of graded trails that see constant development including blue, green, red and black options. In addition to the graded trails there is also a national level DH trail where insurance is required to ride. Offering 2,000 hectares of forest there its plenty to explore not to mention the option to venture out across the top into the Pennines. The map below is essentially the 'Red Route' with an added excursion to the 'mini' skills loop (see video below). It's a canny little ride which most should enjoy although those looking for more thrills would be advised to venture out onto the black graded trails.

The image above was taken from Singletrack magazine. They have an article here that discusses expansion plans at the Forest. Well worth a read. The site (and magazine of that matter) is great to if you've not come across it before. 

Note: Your need to pay to enter this forest so have your pound coins ready when you arrive. Sometimes the entrances are manned other times you need to buy a ticket from one of the parking machines.

[bikenuggets]

I like the the look of this new helmet coming next year from Giro. It's designed like a time trial helmet to be aerodynamically efficient but is also road legal. As a glasses wearer I also like the fact that it comes with visors. What do you think? Share you comments by clicking the comments link at the bottom of the post.

Blurb from Giro....

Until now, you couldn't really have all three of these attributes in a single design. Aerodynamic efficiency was compromised by ventilation. Weight was compromised by cooling or the added weight of longer, aerodynamic designs. The Air Attack ends the compromise. The Air Attack™ is whole new form of helmet, combining a compact aerodynamically-optimized design with a revolutionary ventilation system that matches the cooling power of strategically-placed vents and internal channels with enhanced airflow via the Roc Loc® Air system. The combination of light weight and aerodynamically-efficient design plus highly-effective cooling means that a rider's body not only encounters less drag, but also has more energy available for generating power, enhancing the rider's overall efficiency. For road racing, criteriums and long solo efforts, the Air Attack™ slices through the wind* with 97% of the cooling efficiency you get with our ultra-light, ultra-cool Aeon™ helmet, and 11% less wind averaged aerodynamic drag. For triathlon and long-distance time trials, the Air Attack™ Shield offers 28% more cooling power with only a 11% increase in the wind averaged drag compared to our Selector™ helmet, which has the lowest drag of any production aero helmet with an optical shield we've tested (in fact, less drag than a bare headform). The result? A helmet you can use for more types of riding, and that allows your body moves through the air with less resistance, and a more efficient engine, giving you a boost of free speed. It's a revolution in helmet design and performance, from the leader in helmets, Giro®. Available in Spring 2013.

[bikenuggets]

Hi, Stu got any routes for Chopwell Forest?

Yes, I'be just published a blog post discussing it. Take a look. Click the 'Routes' on the top bar and then click 'Chopwell'.

[bikenuggets]

Chopwell Forest - Mountain Bike Rollercoaster.

Chopwell Woods is about 10 miles North West of Newcastle city centre. It’s a great place to go for a mid week ride if you live in the North East. It’s no Kielder or Hamsterley (due to it's size) but it’s a lot of fun thanks to the local trailbuilders who have created some great sections. Whilst this ride is short at just over 7 miles it packs in a punch with over 900ft of climbing and two great downhill runs (hence the route name). If you’re feeling fit why not try a couple of laps! I also recommend using the Strava Explorer to see many more of the great trail sections this forest has to offer. 

The video at the top showcases the Powerline DH trail. The trail is graded Red/Black depending on the route you take. The Black including a short north shore section which I warn you is lethal in the wet.  The video below highlights one of the 'ungraded' trails which is great fun strewn with log jumps. 

Happy biking.

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Rothbury Super Loop MTB Route - Video.

This is one of my favourite rides in Northumberland. The video proves a taster of what's on offer (apologies for the sound and general shakiness). The climb up out of Harwood forest offers some amazing views and first descent off the top of Tosson is legendary. DH boys, don't get your hopes up it's not that kind of downhill just a naturally fast flowing rocky track that demands concentration. On this extended 'Super' route, we then headed out to Harbottle Forest then headed back east towards Thropton crossing, what was at the time, a very swollen river. The climb out of Thropton up the Carrigaeway will get your lungs working but (if you opt to) the technical single track on the way down is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. This track is very technical (I'd probably grade it Black) with some big slippery rocks on a very steep incline. It is rideable just be careful and hold your nerve. If this all sounds a bit much for you the whole section can be bypassed by sticking to the bridal-path. You can see this section at the 31.5 mile mark. Just when you think it's all over the climb out of Rothbury up to the car park will really make sure you've given your legs a good work out for the day. 

I've linked both the 'Super' route (36 miles) and regular (29 miles) loops below. Take your pick their both great rides and offer a refreshing alternative to any of you weened on trail centres. If you are new to this type of terrain go prepared, with plenty of food, water and warm clothing. If you wanted you could easily do a mini version of the ride by turning right at the bottom of the first big descent, next to Hepple Whitefiled and heading back on the road up to the Forest car park.

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Bewick Moor MTB Route.

Last year I rode another of Derek Purdy’s rides, the Bewick Moor route. I’ve never ridden there before so wasn’t sure what to expect but was in for a pleasant surprise. In Derek’s guide he nominates this route as possibly the best Northumberland has to offer as it showcases a little of everything, stunning scenery, great trails and fantastic views including those of both the Cheviot hills and nearby Farne Islands. 

The route is quite short at just over 10 miles and there isn’t a lot of climbing either but much of the route is technical single track which was very enjoyable to ride. The area is criss crossed with bridleways so it is easy (as we did) to extend the route and create mini loops within it. We added an extra 5 miles by doing this.

Because of the plethora of walking trails and bridleways it can be easy to venture ‘off-piste’ accidentally. Even with my Garmin this happened to us on several occasions as we were so busy enjoying the trails to take any notice of the map. A little backtracking and route improvisation soon got us back on track.

The area is littered with interesting features such as hill forts, old abandoned houses, marked stones and several crags making the entire route very enjoyable. We were lucky with the weather allowing us to see for miles. With the recent good weather the trails were mostly dry making the going easier but if it had been raining or you decide to try this ride in the autumn or winter it will be very hard going. In the dry the entire ride is rideable but in the wet I suspect some sections would have to be walked. Northumberland moors are notoriously boggy.

The 15 mile ‘variation’ route we took 2hr 47mins start to finish but this included 50minutes of stopping for navigation, rests and attending to mechanical issues (blew the lock-out valve on my suspension fork). So, on a good day this route could quite easily been completed under 2 hours but on a bad one perhaps 3hours would be required.

All in all a very enjoyable ride with plenty of options once you get going and as with all the best routes it finishes with a nice descent. Just watch out for the puddles, you’ll know what I mean if you watch the video! The GPS track we took can be viewed here on Garmin Connect.

Happy biking.

[bikenuggets]

Alwinton Mountain Bike Ride. 

I’ve just got around to putting up a video together for a ride a I did up at Alwinton late last year. I’ve only ridden up there a couple of times but really should try to get up there more often, the rides are excellent. If you want solitude you can’t beat it. You’ll very seldom come across other bikes (or walkers for that matter).  

Northumberland can be unforgiving at times if the weather decides to get nasty so it’s not a place to go unprepared. We were lucky, only a drizzle of rain. The route we took was inspired by one of the many detailed in Derek Purdy’s guide to Northumberland. It was a slight variation of his ‘The Middle’ route. If you’ve not got a copy of his guidebook it’s regarded as a bit of a classic and well worth tracking down.

Whilst relatively short this route packs in three BIG climbs, the last one being a real killer. If you can ride it you're a better man (or woman) than me. Enjoy the video, I hope it tempts to you to pay this wonderful part of the country a visit.

You can view a coupe of my Garmin rides below:-

Happy biking,

[bikenuggets]

Strava Rapha Tour De France Climbing Challenge.

Next week the Tour De France enters the Pyrenees where a week in the mountain beckons. To celebrate Strava are running a challenge to see who can match the 22,575ft of climbing the pro's will do that week. The prize, the kudos of receiving a Rapha Rising Roundel and a chance to win a Trek Madone 6.9 road bike (very nice). The challenge runs from the 15th-22nd July providing just eight days get those legs climbing.

I'm going to give it a shot, as it happens on the last day I'm taking part in the Wiggle Northern Angles sportive, that will bag me 5,024ft of climbing meaning I have another seven days to net the other 17,551ft. I've mapped a local ride that has 5,600ft so I'm planning to do that ride twice, once on the Sunday and again on the Friday. That will bring another 11,200ft off the total meaning I somehow need to fit in 6,351ft during the remaining days. I don't want to be riding on the Saturday before the sportive so need to fit the rides in between the Monday and Thursday averaging 1,587ft per day. To help with this challenge I've created a local Strava segment, which I simply call 'Water Tower'. It has 787ft of elevation so two of those each night should do the trick. Will me legs be able to take it? We'll soon find out! Fingers crossed the weather does not scupper my plan.

[bikenuggets]

Strava Club

I have a Strava club for all you cyclists in the North East of England. You can join it to see the road and mountain bike routes I’m riding. It’s a great tool for showcasing some of the best off-road tracks and also challenging road bike climbs. The club can be joined by clicking the link below. if you’re not already on Strava you’ll need an account but you can use your existing Facebook login as an option. I warn you, being on Strava can be very addictive. You’ll see what I mean when you understand what a segment is!

http://app.strava.com/clubs/north-east-bike-addicts