During my year out from the course, I have been finding myself over-stressed, bored and restless with a tendency to not sleep. I have recently though just borrowed my girlfriend's bike so I can get out of the house, get some much needed exercise and begin to sort my smokers cough out after a bout of headaches (which I am never really prone to) started to get on my nerves.
Much gear grinding confusion and some unstable brakes and I was off. Went down paths in Harrogate I had never been down, areas of town that I had often walked by but never seen, but one thing became apparent, I forgot how much I loved biking. The fresh air, the whiff of exploration and the sweat eanred from a hard hill.
This first outing was the first of many, as I proposed my idea to some of my friends who I knew were not too lazy and motivated to find someplace new but also burn off the calories of a weekend or the gut that is becoming much more apparent.
So now Im hooked, I got out at least 3 times a week on a minimum of 5-12 miles as it depends on how much time I have to get out of the house, but one thing is for sure, my mood has taken a positive swing and it has given me drive to go out and explore what is around me rather than be lazy for the sake of it.
I thought I would check out the areas local bike retailers for a chance to look at their websites, gain an insight into their business and evaluate their clientele/customers.
The first and most renowned shop is Boneshakers in the centre of town.
Their shop caters for a wide range of biking styles; Time Trail, Road, Mountain ( Hardtail, full and half suspension ) and BMX's with some of the best names in mountain biking such as their proud affiliation with Lapierre.
The problem with most new mountain bikes ( post-V-brake era) is that their price ranges from anything from £1,299-£6,499, the more expensive being one of the best bikes in the world however, the Lapierre X-Control Team Mountain Bike 2011 with enough specifications to make a novice motorcyclist envy its kinetic potential.
This would indicate that the majority of cyclists are middle/upper middle working class with enough money to not only purchase but maintain these bikes for all the expensive parts that are needed for the product's exclusivity.
Due to the location of the shop being right next to what is known as the estate agent's quarter of Harrogate, with 'italian' coffee shops and bistros scattered around, the shops demographic could not of been met any better.
The majority of the area is dominated by white middle class/upper middle class families who live near or in the countryside that borders Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough, with a high concentration of wealth in the Duchy, High Harrogate and St Hilda areas.
So the target audience is being more than reached, its needs are being delivered with a promise of high quality goods, accessories and services that are affordable, but with the high end clientele in mind.
The website has no real visual references that give any indication of the quality of goods or services the business offers, its splash page/home page lacks the visual dignity the store in its physicality displays.
The store is well laid out, easily accessible, and packed full of helpful if not a tad pretentious ( concerning your own bike ) staff.
Although this attitude is one that is not taken lightly, as most of the staff are part of their own shop based road cycling team that perform mainly on the regional and national Road race and time trail scene but have been known to compete in cyclo cross and MTB events with 'some very good results'
Their sponsors include Boneshakers Performance cycles and TREK.
This would indicate and also support their status in their field of expertise as professional speed cyclists who hanker on finer points such as checkpoints, aerodynamics and an overall attitude of excellence.
This contradicts my cycling style which is much more aggressive, instinctual, based upon expression and fun instead of the fine tuned approach the Boneshakers team have adopted as a whole. As I found out some of the newer members of the staff were more into MTB and downhill that the road lifestyle which has dominated the middle class marketplace and mindset, which shows hope there is hope for MTB yet.
I think a website revamp would not only be a good idea, but a much better way of extending the business to the surrounding towns in the Yorkshire area, considering it has some of the best places to bike in the country bar Wales and Scotland.
There is a section for being part of a mailing list for news, updates and events which I have signed up to, but not heard much from.
The website would need more external links that describe how they function as the page leaves me as well as others with no idea what they are clicking on, except for the obvious bike brands. An inclusion or promotion of local bike parks, user routes and forums would help make the shop even more unique to the area, as well as offering younger riders with less money to enjoy the thrills in the area as well.
Ace Cycles used to be my local repair shop and hub for all my cycling activities when I lived on Kings road, being owned by a friend of a friend's dad, there were alot of regulars and Toni himself ( owner ) was a familiar face who knows most of his customers.
A huge step away from the Boneshaker's world of a professional cycling team integrated with the dynamics of practising their bike engineering and physical training, Ace Cycles focus more on families with less interest in the specifications of a bike but more on the maintenance of their bikes and a business based on personal needs rather than professionalism.
Situated in a suburb of High Harrogate/Coppice which is mainly full of working class, upper working class and middle class families that the store relies on to thrive and has done for years.
The store is your typical bike store, cluttered and cramped but well maintained with a friendly atmosphere that reflects the values of the business and its clientele.
Ace Cycles' website is nothing but a skeletal framework that looks like it could do with a serious update. Nothing too serious but a more clinical, user-friendly interface is all that is needed to give the store the credit it deserves, because presently it does not compliment the business values the store has at heart.
