  |
|---|
Bicycle Doctors, photo Vincent Walsh/GMCC |
|
|---|---|
| Old Rob | |
| Old Rob is the other founder member of the Bike Doc co-op. Starting a bike shop isn't just opening the doors of a newly decorated, fully stocked shop, and he and Robbie spent some years making it happen. If it's got pedals, Rob is interested. He is involved with running and riding with the Twisted Wheels mountain bike collective , and also with the Chorlton Wanderers, a loose grouping of leisurely road riders who explore the lanes and pubs of Cheshire. He is also Hon Sec of Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign. His first mountain bike was home made, and rather unsuitable, but he was able to go almost everywhere on it, and got the bug badly. He has taken part in Polaris Challenge, and the NEMBA mountain bike racing circuit, usually being the last to finish. He knows an awful lot of routes both on and off road, local and further afield, and is always happy to share information. He also goes touring as often as circs allow, and has been to France and Spain several times with his partner, exploring large and mountainous areas and their hotels and bars. His most recent exploit was to take part in the 2007 Brompton World Championship at Barcelona, a race undertaken wearing a suit and tie. On the Eurostar on the way out he was delighted to find that he actually was the man in seat 61 |  |
| Steve | |
| After a lifetime of idling around as an actor and teacher, (?), Steve has finally got into gear, seen the light and realized that he has to go through the tunnel first. A returnee to the joys of cycling, he got a very flash lightweight hybrid from Bike Doc some years ago. After using it to get to work for quite some time, he discovered its potential for longer trips to more distant pubs. More recently he has been seduced into the joys of mountain biking by Old Rob, and has taken to it like a duck to water. |
 |
| Young Rob | |
| Our other new boy, young Rob, has just joined us this year. He is presently undergoing the compulsory brain transplant required for consideration for membership of the co-op. We are confident that the new organ will be accepted. He’s an Australian. What more do you need to know? His cycling background includes commuting, touring, mountain biking and “dirt riding”, an Oz discipline involving big air and crashing a lot. He says he was “rubbish, but it was fun.” |  |
| Rich | |
| Rich is the newest member of the Bicycle Doctor co-operative and comes with a lifetime's worth of biking passion. An accomplished all rounder who’s into mountain biking, long distance commuting, longer training rides and epic off piste desert touring in North Africa, usually on a Surly with just one gear. Rich is a regular participant in 24 hour mountain bike racing and frequents the challenging trails of the Sierra Nevada mountain range (and Yorkshire Dales) with a loose anarchist collective of similarly obsessive bikey mates. Far too fit for his own good, he knows the Peak trails like the back of his hand and is always available to advise on the gnarliest routes and best cafes! An obsessive need to follow the constant upgrade and testing trail means his product knowledge is vast and makes the rest of the old duffers at Bike Doc look positively Miss Marple-ish, whoever she is... |  |
| Mo | |
| Mo has been at Bike Doc since 1985. Having started as a youthful bike tinkerer one day a week, he gradually amassed a legendary store of bicycle knowledge, and increased his commitment until he became full time and a full member. His bike use is mainly commuting, though he looks forward to being released from family duties enough to get out touring again. He has also been seen doing some very silly things on a mountain bike in his time. His patience, good humour and encyclopaedic bike knowledge are greatly appreciated by co-workers and customers alike. |
 |
| Robbie | |
| Robbie has been propping up the counter since 1983 and is one of the founder members of the Bicycle Doctor co-operative. In 1999 Robbie successfully completed the Paris-Brest-Paris. This is a gruelling Audax event held every four years. Since then, he has done it twice more. Entrants have to ride 1200km in 90 hours. This has to include all stops - sleep-induced or otherwise. They also have to have successfully completed other Audax events to qualify for the Paris-Brest-Paris (or PBP). Check out www.audax.uk.net for more information on these kind of events. Robbie is also a track rider, a skill that he learned in his youth. The training and endurance have paid off and we're proud to say that in 1999 and 2001 Robbie won the Veterans Cup for the ACT track league. He also enters time trials and most years he enjoys touring around the Alps or Pyrenees. If you're interested , you can join Robbie training once a month with the Spin Doctors. Rock on Robbie |  |
| Al | |
| Al was a member of the co-op for over 13 years, she cycle commutes daily, cycle-tours occasionally but mountain biking is her first love (much to her partner’s chagrin).
She has been actively involved in mountain bike clubs, leading brilliant rides all over the North of England and Wales.
She gained the Scottish Mountain Bike Leaders Award a couple of years ago after several days of freezing fingers and crashing around the undergrowth in the Cairngorms.
Al is also CYTECH II qualified and ran bicycle maintenance classes for women, which were routinely oversubscribed, and widely admired. She has taken part in several Polaris Challenge and 24 hour mountain bike races such as SITS, finding them knackering and pointless beyond belief, but keeps being dragged back to them by her hard core mates. Given the choice, Al would be in the Sierra Nevada peddling goat trails and hanging out in tapas bars in the evenings.
She left the co-op last year to train as a physiotherapist, and we are lucky to have her still as a part timer. |
 |
| Huw | |
| Having decided after a rigorous year at Bicycle Doctor that he needed to express his young and irresponsible side, Huw has decided to make a life not wholly tied to the Bike Doc apron strings, and branch out into bicycle transport, using Burroughs 8 Freights to tote goods round Manchester. We are delighted that he is going to continue as a part timer. |  |
