Manchester/Salford beginner help

Specialized Needs
Specialized Needs Posts: 802
edited October 2009 in Commuting chat
Hi

I have offered to post here to try to help a colleague who works in our Manchester office. I'd introduce her to the world of Bikeradar, but I'm not sure she's quite that obsessive about cycling (yet :wink: ).

She has started cycling in to work from Salford to our office in Manchester (near Piccadilly Gardens). She has borrowed a bike for this and is getting frustrated with her inability to carry out basic maintenance or to know much about cycle commuting. She may puchase a bike if she feels she gains confidence and competence.

In most London boroughs the councils, often it seems jointly with the London Cycle Campaign, offer assistance to inexperienced cyclists along the lines of basic maintenance courses, accompanied rides to gain confidence, buddying etc...

Is there anything similar in the Manchester or Salford area that any of the contributers on this board know about? Also, are there any recommendations for beginner-friendly LBSs either in Salford or in the middle of Manchester that she might use? I'm happy to do some research, help or chasing on her behalf (in fact, some of the maintenance tutorials on this site might be a start - duh :roll: ).

Thanks in advance

Comments

  • gb155
    gb155 Posts: 2,048
    duncedunce wrote:
    Hi

    I have offered to post here to try to help a colleague who works in our Manchester office. I'd introduce her to the world of Bikeradar, but I'm not sure she's quite that obsessive about cycling (yet :wink: ).

    She has started cycling in to work from Salford to our office in Manchester (near Piccadilly Gardens). She has borrowed a bike for this and is getting frustrated with her inability to carry out basic maintenance or to know much about cycle commuting. She may puchase a bike if she feels she gains confidence and competence.

    In most London boroughs the councils, often it seems jointly with the London Cycle Campaign, offer assistance to inexperienced cyclists along the lines of basic maintenance courses, accompanied rides to gain confidence, buddying etc...

    Is there anything similar in the Manchester or Salford area that any of the contributers on this board know about? Also, are there any recommendations for beginner-friendly LBSs either in Salford or in the middle of Manchester that she might use? I'm happy to do some research, help or chasing on her behalf (in fact, some of the maintenance tutorials on this site might be a start - duh :roll: ).

    Thanks in advance

    IIRC Manchester Council only offers a cycle education program to children, Sorry I have no idea about Salford Council though.

    I heard Evans Deansgate were at some point running classes in the evening (Tuesday I think) might be worth asking them, they are very very good.
    On a Mission to lose 20 stone..Get My Life Back

    December 2007 - 39 Stone 05 Lbs

    July 2011 - 13 Stone 12 Lbs - Cycled 17851 Miles

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  • Thanks Gaz, I've passed that on.

    My colleague has had one good experience with the Deansgate Evans Cycles already: her rear brake jammed on the way to work yesterday so she pushed the bike to them and they adjusted the brakes and inflated her tyres gratis (she obviously has a nicer smile than me :oops:); so she is quite happy to go and ask them for ideas. Thank you for the pointer.
  • http://www.bicycledoctor.co.uk/

    on Dikenson road at the bottom of the Curry Mile in Rusholme, bit out of the way but nice friendly people to know and get tips from. not sure about specific training courses tho.


    Theres a bike training agency near Oldham - the details are on my laptop so I'll have a root later and post their details. You could suggest she looks in the classified and 1/4 page ads section of Cycling + and similar, there's often ads for workshop training and weekend courses.
  • Google: not the one I was thinking of but similar idea. http://www.bikeright.co.uk/services/bik ... /Courses1/
  • andyxm
    andyxm Posts: 132
    Search for Manchester Cycling Campaign, lots of useful links & info
  • Thank you WF, SBiB and andyxm.

    I'll pass these all on. The gmcc site looks a good'un as does the ibikemcr (got that from the bikedoctor site) - lots of contacts and encouragement. The more formal courses (edinburgh cycles and bikeright) might be good if she isn't too daunted by the idea; after all, the one day courses at both places cover the type of thing she'd find useful.

    Thanks again all.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    If you/she works in or near piccadilly, there is a bike shop at the top end of Tib Street called GBH cycles, they don't have loads of flash new bikes in there but they are seriously good at fixing anything and are really good at unbiased advice
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • I work in London, but she has recently moved from London to our new site in Manchester - hence my lack of personal knowledge or the ability to help her directly.

    I'll pass on the info about GBH cycles, they are not too far from our Manchester Office by the looks of things.
  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    Specialized Hardrock Pro/Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid/Specialized Enduro/Specialized Tri-Cross Sport
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  • AndyManc wrote:
    Well, whatdayaknow! That's winging its way to her inbox now :)
  • Bhima
    Bhima Posts: 2,145
    The IBIKEMCR organisation sometimes does free maintainance classes.

    Tell her to get down to critical mass so she can meet some other cyclists.
  • Thanks for that, Bhima, good to know. I was quite intimidated by the size of the IBIKEMCR and GMCC sites initially to do a random trawl - so I'll dig through now to see whether there are any indications of up and coming free maintenance classes.

    I'm not sure critical mass is really her kind of thing - perhaps perceived as a bit radical. But you never know ...
  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    duncedunce wrote:

    I'm not sure critical mass is really her kind of thing - perhaps perceived as a bit radical. But you never know ...

    It's not , I'm going this Friday, it's the Halloween special.

    Individuals from cycling groups across Manchester will be there, I reckon the turnout will be 200-300, if the weather is decent it will be a great event but I guess you have to some degree of 'enthusiasm for bikes' to want to be there.


    .
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  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    Where does critical mass go? Does it not p155 drivers off?? And possibly fast moving cyclists?
  • AndyManc wrote:
    duncedunce wrote:
    I'm not sure critical mass is really her kind of thing - perhaps perceived as a bit radical. But you never know ...
    It's not , I'm going this Friday, it's the Halloween special.

    Individuals from cycling groups across Manchester will be there, I reckon the turnout will be 200-300, if the weather is decent it will be a great event but I guess you have to some degree of 'enthusiasm for bikes' to want to be there..
    It would be an issue of her perception rather than the actuality, I'll pass on your reassurance :) . But if someone else from our office in Manchester goes along, she may well too - especially as her fiancee is away and it sounds like a fun, halloween event for her to join in with.
  • mrchrispy
    mrchrispy Posts: 310
    I have a love/hate thing going on with critical mass.
    On the one hand I couldn't agree more that we need more support out there on the mean streets but I'm not convinced that CM go about it in the best way, they are not exactly designed to get people on side are they?