Cycling friendly pub?

alfablue

I wonder if you could suggest some features or services you would like to see in a cyclist friendly pub, realistic suggestions preferably (I am hoping to create one). Maybe things that would make you want to stop by regularly.

Special K

How about plenty of bike parking.

Wood floor. Tiles are sliippery with cleats.

Foot Pump (on a chain)

Typical spares sold behind the bar (inner tubes, batteries etc)

Sensibly priced soft drinks (why am I paying more for fruit juice than beer?)

Pasta or rice specials for post-ride fueling? Is this a place people visit on the way home from a big one, or during?

alfablue

Great ideas!

The pub is in a small town of about 5000 people, set in beautiful countryside. It is about 10 miles from a large town (170 000) which is likely to provide some of the customers. To me it looks like an ideal mid ride stop or a stopover on a tour (there are rooms).

The food on offer is a major selling point, being a British menu with local and sustainable produce, and 100% home made (including own bread, ice cream etc), prepared by a chef trained by the worlds best. There is a restaurant and also a bar menu. There are 9 real ales, changing daily.

I guess it might suit leisure rides rather than those doing serious training runs.

Yeah, soft drink prices are a bugbear! The pump is a great idea, as are spares.

Anonymous

A secure area for the bikes, maybe contact local bike clubs saying you are cycle friendly. Smple carby food and and as the bloke said before, spares and tubes behind the bar. Also big screen tour de france, giro and tour of britain could be an idea.

guilliano

Covered bike parking with locks (not everyone carries one), bike wash if it's near MTB areas, place to stash shoes after wet/muddy rides, one of those huge dryers like you get at the water rides at Alton Towers,

cjcp

Perhaps obvious, but tea, coffee and hot chocolate if you want to warm up on those winter/wet rides.

If you're cooking your own bread, how about banana bread or maltloaf for those who don't a meal, but just something to keep them going?

geoff_ss

Decent vegetarian options and hot drinks like tea, coffee and chocolate. From a friend who used to be a pub manager apparently tea etc is more profitable than beer?

Obviously, a decent, secure bike parking area with (say) Sheffield racks that are easy to lock to. Nice if it was under cover too.

I like the real ale options too

Good luck

Geoff

simon johnson

All races shown on widescreen

shockedsoshocked

Good coffee, tea cakes and attractive staff seem to do the trick up here

Bhima

Probably the most important thing: A self-service tap for filling up water bottles!

All the obvious cycling foods - Energy Drinks / Bars / Gels / Fruit / Snacks / etc...

Track Pump / Spare Tubes / Chains / Cables / Tools

In the toilets - baby wipes/towels for cleaning off sweaty face/arms/legs in summer, or mud in the winter - i'd deffo pay for that!

Some kind of drying service for soggy socks/gloves would also be genius!

Turbo-Trainers in the corner for people like me who can't stand stopping for more than 2 minutes.

On the subject of bike storage - Depends on how much space you have - if it's a massive premesis, you could have a room somewhere inside where bikes could be left, hanging from the ceiling by the wheels or whatever... Anyone going in and taking a bike out would then be in full view of everyone, eliminating any security issues.

jos2thehua

As people have stated before hand; cannot stress how important coffee and tea are. Also, the bike pump feature has been implemented in a lot of cafes around my locals area that are dedicated to bike enthusiast and it seems to have gone over quite well, so really consider that feature. Other than that I'd suggest serving up some good hearty ale that'll be a big carb booster for those long hours spent on the saddle .

I'd also like to say that you have a pretty good idea cooking up. The best of luck to you and I hope it all tumbles into place.

agnello

as a Bath resident I'd like to know where you're setting up alfablue.

i know plenty of people who would jump at a bike friendly pub...

good luck

alfablue

Agnello, it isn't in Bath I'm afraid, it's about 40 miles away. It is my son's pub (he is chef and has a share of the business), already open, he gets a fair number of cyclists already. The pub is trying to tick a number of boxes, traditional British pub, superb food, excellent beers (including beer matching with the menu), good value, walker and cyclist friendly (it is right by a major walking route). Balancing the books is hard during these times, so it is important to appeal to a number of types of customer, without excluding others. Whilst it can't be all things to all people, it seems that several sorts of customer could happily co-exist.

alfablue

Great ideas guys, thank you. I would agree tea and coffee are my own top priorities. Pubs do seem to be getting better at this these days.

Attractive staff - already got that box ticked

Turbo trainers, could be a step too far...

Decent veg options, absolutely. I am a veggie myself, it has been difficult to come up with good veggie dishes that are British, local and seasonal - most veggie stuff I eat is mediterranean or Asian, so I have been struggling to suggest new items that fit the remit.

I like the malt loaf/banana bread ideas.

Jos2 - what is the "bike bump feature"? (I may be being dumb here).

STEFANOS4784

Is it going to be in Midsomer norton :?:

If so biiiiiig bouncers :roll:

alfablue

Ha ha

no, it is to the East, and I think the town lacks any of the "vibrancy" of MSN!

knedlicky

- The covered bike parking, which others mention, should be either easily visible or else lockable
- As well as tea/coffee, apple juice, mineral/spring water and herbal teas should be available, and all cheaper than beer
- Provide at least one cheap cyclist-specific meal option like spaghetti with tomato sauce or pesto, also a simple soup (vegetable) and cakes of the Dundee-cake type. (If the cooking has to be British, you can always make the pesto from herbs grown locally, cheddar cheese instead of parmesan, and ground hazelnuts instead of ground pine nuts)
- The food which can be bought to take away should include not just energy bars, but also cheese or ham filled balm cakes, rolls, etc
- Have a selection of local detailed maps available to peruse, also maybe maps pinned up on walls
- Have hand-out cards with recommended routes for cyclists
- Provide not just a range of tools for basic repairs and maintenance, as others mention, but also a sheltered space where repairs/adjustments can be done
- The basic bike items available to buy should include a range of spare tubes and also lamp batteries
- A drying room of some sort would be good (the room where the boiler is could be modified to include racks for wet clothes)
- Have a list of nearby bike shops, with addresses, tel nos and opening times, and also a list of other nearby cyclist-friendly pubs, B&Bs, etc
- Have up-to-date local bus/train timetables, and taxi tel nos, if for whatever reason riders cannot cycle further
- Your opening hours should suit cyclists (so no afternoon closing)
- Train barmaids/barmen to double as masseuses/masseurs
- Rename the toilets, doping control booths
- Pin up warnings saying customers who poke fun at lycra will be ejected from the pub

STEFANOS4784

Sorry, just read all posts properly :oops:

robthehungrymonkey

I like the idea of some kind of communal locks (with keys behind the bar?), i'm sure a lot of people would happily choose that as a place to stop in preference to carrying around a lock.

Common spares (every weekend that i go into a bike shop, always a lot of people buying inner tubes etc), i'm sure that would attract a lot of people when they became aware.

shockedsoshocked

You might also want to get some chairs that can be easily wiped down. Our local cafe is really cycling friendly, especially in winter when we come in after 3 hours up to our eyes in mud and salt.

alfablue

knedlicky wrote:

- The covered bike parking, which others mention, should be either easily visible or else lockable
- As well as tea/coffee, apple juice, mineral/spring water and herbal teas should be available, and all cheaper than beer
- Provide at least one cheap cyclist-specific meal option like spaghetti with tomato sauce or pesto, also a simple soup (vegetable) and cakes of the Dundee-cake type. (If the cooking has to be British, you can always make the pesto from herbs grown locally, cheddar cheese instead of parmesan, and ground hazelnuts instead of ground pine nuts)
- The food which can be bought to take away should include not just energy bars, but also cheese or ham filled balm cakes, rolls, etc
- Have a selection of local detailed maps available to peruse, also maybe maps pinned up on walls
- Have hand-out cards with recommended routes for cyclists
- Provide not just a range of tools for basic repairs and maintenance, as others mention, but also a sheltered space where repairs/adjustments can be done
- The basic bike items available to buy should include a range of spare tubes and also lamp batteries
- A drying room of some sort would be good (the room where the boiler is could be modified to include racks for wet clothes)
- Have a list of nearby bike shops, with addresses, tel nos and opening times, and also a list of other nearby cyclist-friendly pubs, B&Bs, etc
- Have up-to-date local bus/train timetables, and taxi tel nos, if for whatever reason riders cannot cycle further
- Your opening hours should suit cyclists (so no afternoon closing)
- Train barmaids/barmen to double as masseuses/masseurs
- Rename the toilets, doping control booths
- Pin up warnings saying customers who poke fun at lycra will be ejected from the pub

FAntastic ideas, the last 3 are hilarious!

Crapaud

Bhima wrote:

Probably the most important thing: A self-service tap for filling up water bottles! ...

This is a great idea - I hate trying to fill bottles in the toilet because the sinks are usually too shallow to get them under the taps properly. Also, I always feel that there's something unhygenic about filling them in a toilet.

Take-away sandwich options would be good esp. if there's a possibility for passing tourists.

alfablue

Good ideas Rob and Shocked. Inner tubes is probably the most important spare to carry. I know I get anxious if I have used up my spare one, always buy another at the first opportunity (despite also carrying puncture kit, in the rain they can be tricky to fix).

LittleB0b

knedlicky wrote:

- Have hand-out cards with recommended routes for cyclists

Great idea - your could also do a series of downloadable pdf's from your website that detail rides from or stopping off at your location - a range of easy and hard routes. Make sure your logo and details are fairly prominant

I also worked in a bar that A4 laminated maps of bits of the lakes as table mats - the walkers loved them! cheap and easy to do (print on to thick paper and laminate).

having worked in a bar popular with MTB's - I asked why - it was apparently because we did the best value baskets of chips - £2 for a large basket - and cos we were on a nice route, with lots of space outside for sitting on the grass.

Weather reports never go amiss either - a blackboard with todays, and tomorrows weather on is a nice touch.

Stewie Griffin

Reading between the lines of the replies, I think you should close the pub and open a bike shop BUT get a Licence to sell alcohol and food 8)

shockedsoshocked

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Reading between the lines of the replies, I think you should close the pub and open a bike shop BUT get a Licence to sell alcohol and food 8)

My God, imagine!

spen666

Trained mechanics available to repair bikes / service them whilst you have your food/ drink :twisted:

jellybellywmb

Strippers!!!

Just in case youv'e bonked

jos2thehua

alfablue wrote:

Jos2 - what is the "bike bump feature"? (I may be being dumb here).

Sorry about that. I meant bike "pump" feature. A lot of cafes around my area have the bike "pump" feature outside chained to a railing/bench of some sort. Gets a lot of use because going throughout the ruff roads of downtown in my area provides lots of flats.

APIII

Controversial, but I'd just like a sign saying 'cyclists welcome'. I like pubs, so being made to feel welcome while in my lycra would be enough for me

Jez mon

Open fire in winter.

Not sure if it would be at all suitable, but you could try and offer a B and B service for touring cyclists (or walkers even!).

Try and get the local CTC rides to stop for elevenses and lunch!