Wheelbase UK Ltd - The UK's largest cycle store

Yes, it’s that time of year again, when you can get together with friends, colleagues or members of a community group, have some fun and clock up as many cycling trips or miles over the six weeks of the 2012 South Lakes Cycle Challenge.

The Challenge starts on 21 May 2012 and ends on 29 June 2012; slightly earlier in the year than previously to give teams in the education sector time to finish the challenge before the end of term rush (not that they really need any help….) The web site has also been spruced up in line with your feedback comments from last year.

We have the old favourite awards as well as one or two new ones; prizes for the oldest and youngest teams, the community team with the most trips and the whackiest / most inventive team name give everyone a chance to shine, even if they don’t have any lycra in the wardrobe. Awards for large and small organisations will be won by those in which the cycling culture extends across the workforce; prizes will go to the workplaces or organisations with the highest average of trips over the total number of employees or members.

As you all know by now, the Challenge is all about getting cyclists on their bikes, especially new cyclists, so during one week of the Challenge all the miles and trips done by new or returning cyclists will count double, so make sure you get at least one new cyclist in your team to take advantage of this boost to the totals.

So don’t delay – register your team as soon as possible at www.southlakes-cyclechallenge.co.uk

Let’s see if we can beat last year’s amazing 51,997 miles, 51 teams and 228 cyclists.

Click here for the Cycle Challenge 2012 leaflet

British Downhill Series

12th May 2012

Round 2 of the British Downhill Series took place at the UK’s only World Cup track at Fort William on 12th May. The field included 70 elite riders including many British and French World Cup riders and the current UCI World Champion Danny Hart, riding for the Giant Factory team, all of them looking to get some practise in before the World Cup round at Fort William in June.

The forecast was ominous for Sunday with high winds forecast making it unlikely that the gondola uplift would be operating. Some riders had taken the opportunity to arrive early and get some practise in during the week. With the forecast in mind the organisers had pre-warned riders that seeding runs would take place on Saturday afternoon and these could well turn out to be the final race runs.

Riders were up bright and early Saturday knowing that there would be limited time to practise the long and demanding track. The weather was dry and bright. The pits were rammed with international teams with Shimano and Hope providing free neutral service to all the riders.

Seeding (race) runs started at 3:00pm. Andy had a difficult run but still ended up 25th with a time of 5:51 beating two thirds of the Seniors in the process.

Dan was last down the hill in Youth as the current series leader was out with an injury. Dan put in a storming time of 5:25 which placed him third in category and would have put him into the top ten in Experts. Local rider Sam Herd, riding for Perth City Cycles, won the cateogry with a time of 5:22.

Danny Hart (Giant) won the Elite mens category with a time of 4:52 beating Mark Beaumont (GT Bikes/Atherton Racing) into second place by half a second and despite having to ride chainless on the pedally bottomn half of the course.

Maonon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) won the Womans Elite category in a time of 5:31 beating Rachel Atherton (GT Bikes/Atherton Racing) by 1.3 seconds.

Round three of the BDS is at Glencoe in July and Dan heads there as joint series leader. Andy will be looking to improve on a technical and steep course that should suit him. In the meantime the teamm are heading to Innerleithen for a round of the IXS European Cup at Innerleithen from 15th to 17th June.

Rob Jebb, WHEELBASE.co.uk set the quickest time at the Fred Whitton Challenge yesterday; a rapid 5hr 59min and was the only rider to go sub 6hr in very blustery conditions.

Great to see WHEELBASE.co.uk riders Steve Clarke (6.11) and Ian Palmer (6.34) inside the Top 20 quickest times on a very challenging day.

Well done to all the finishers. You’re all superstars! And a big thanks to Lakes RC, all the organisers, volunteers and the people cheering on the roadside – what a brilliant event! Here’s to next year…

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL RESULTS

1445 Rob Jebb Wheelbase M 5:59
230 Alistair Robinson Keswick Bikes .co.uk M 6:01
341 Greig Brown Dooleys Cycles RT M 6:09
30 Andy Sudell Lakes Road Club M40 6:11
1050 Robert Glaister Keswick Mountain Bikes M 6:12
753 Steven Clarke Wheelbase M 6:13
44 Grant Law Honister 92 M 6:15
773 Paul Caswell Harrogate Nova C C M 6:17
1539 Greg Ketteringham Harrogate Nova C C M50 6:17
1571 Rob Waller Edinburgh M40 6:20
129 John Wager Felt Colbornes RT M 6:24
819 Glen Turnbull PATRON M 6:24
240 Scott Smith Barrow Central Wheelers M 6:26
410 Brian Muir Royal Albert CC M40 6:30
1195 Werner Otto Sky Velo M 6:31
87 Steve Archer Tillicoultry M 6:31
494 Tom MacDonald Lomonds Roads Cycling Club M40 6:34
1569 Tim Muir Milton Keynes M 6:34
1124 Andrew Blackwood Shipley M40 6:34
1341 Ian Palmer Wheelbase M40 6:34

A new bus service is being launched to help cyclists and mountain bikers travel around the Lake District.

The route 800 service will be run by Stagecoach Cumbria as part of the innovative GoLakes Travel sustainable transport programme, which aims to inspire visitors to the Lake District National Park to Drive Less, See More.

The new service started on Saturday 5th May and the buses will run at weekends and bank holidays until the summer holidays when it will run every day from 16th July until 31st August and weekends until 30th September.

The ‘bike & ride’ service will see specially converted buses, that are able to carry up to 12 bikes and riders, travel through the heart of the Lakes along the A591 from Windermere Railway Station to the Whinlatter Forest visitor Centre. The buses will stop at Ambleside, Rydal, Grasmere, Thirlspot, Keswick and Braithwaite on the way.

Many visitors to the area currently use their cars to carry their bikes to where they want to ride, and other visitors are put off cycling as an option to explore the area because they think it is too difficult to get around. The bike & ride bus has been created to make it easier for people to get around more sustainably by using a combination of bike and bus.

Alistair Kirkbride, sustainable transport adviser for the Lake District National Park, said: “We hope the bike bus will become a core service for cyclists and mountain bikers visiting the Lake District.”

“Visitors will use the bike bus to get to a new area to explore by bike, getting to the trails at Whinlatter Forest with mountain bikes or for families to access the trails around Thirlmere. It will also people to cycle further distances with the comfort of knowing they can hop on the bus to get back.”

“The bike bus will really make it easier for people to get out of their cars for a day of their visit and explore the area on two-wheels – and they will see a lot more and have a lot more fun by doing so.”

Nigel Winter, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “We are keen supporters of partnerships and sustainable travel. Bike & Ride brings both together, with Stagecoach innovation and the local sustainable transport fund, delivering a new product for bike users in the lakes.”

“We have converted our buses by removing seating to allow more bikes to be carried. This service will make it easier for people to be able to leave their car at their accommodation and explore the area using the greener, and more fun, options of bike and bus.”

Stagecoach has also adapted the open top 599 route buses to carry two bikes, running between Windermere and Grasmere, creating further options for cyclists to use buses to get to where they want to ride.

The GoLakes Travel programme is a £6.9 million initiative being delivered in partnership by Cumbria County Council, the Lake District National Park Authority and Cumbria Tourism to influence people to make fewer car journeys while visiting the Lake District. It aims to reduce the area’s CO2 emissions by to 11,000 tonnes by 2015.

The programme, which has been funded primarily through the Department for Transport, along with some matched funding, is focussed on the Central and Southern Lake District, including the towns and villages of Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere, Kendal, Hawkshead and Coniston. This area has been chosen because it receives the majority of visitors to the National Park.

The programme includes nine interlinking projects which will deliver multiple improvements to travel infrastructure, such as improved cycleways, more and better bus stops, more frequent bus services, a low emission car hire network, the expansion of an electric cycle network, improved and more flexible ticketing and better transport information.

For more information on sustainable travel options in the Lake District visit www.golakes.co.uk

Comedian Phil Kay to do an exclusive gig at Wheelbase – 8pm, 26th May 2012

Free Range Comedy Festival Advert

King of madcap comedy to lead a chaotic cycling trip around the Lake District and ending up at WHEELBASE, the UK’s largest cycle store for a one-off, unique gig.

Phil Kay is renowned as one of comedy’s most energetic acts and his combination of manic energy and surreal storytelling has seen him become a regular fixture at some of the world’s biggest festivals.

On May 26 Phil will be leading a special bike ride around the Grizedale Forest during which he will give fellow cyclists the benefit of his unique brand of humor through a loud hailer.

Later, that evening he will be heading to our Staveley cycling superstore for a very special comedy gig.

Phil’s love-affair with cycling has lasted more than 35 years and he is the proud owner of eight bikes, including road bikes and mountain bikes.

His eye for comedy has left him with a wealth of hilarious stories garnered on his two wheeled adventures, which includes numerous brushes with the law, his top three crashes and how his bike got stolen twice in 15 minutes.

Phil burst onto the comedy scene in 1989 and his unpredictable, freestyle style of performance won him the prize for best stand up at the 1994 British Comedy Awards and in 1997 Channel 4 gave Phil his own show, Phil Kay Feels.

Phil Kay will be appearing at Grizedale Forest at 5pm on Saturday 26 May and at WHEELBASE cycle super store at 8.00pm.

“We’re proud to be the UK’s largest store from our base in Staveley, just outside Windermere, and what better venue to host cycling mad comedian Phil Kay’s Freerange Festival gig! We’ll be busy turning our store in to a comedy club for the night, you make sure you get your tickets early for this unique and one-off venture – we may be big but seats are limited. Be quick!”

- Toby Dalton, Director and Co-Owner of WHEELBASE.co.uk

To book your tickets call The Brewery Box Office 01539 725133 or head to www.breweryarts.co.uk