ABOUT
A little about me…
I have been around bikes for as long as I can remember and worked at some legendary bike shops, in Manchester. The Bike Shak, Neil Walton Cycles, The Bike Shed, Seat of the Pants Co. & Mike Howarth Cycles - you might remember me as a mechanic, wheel and bike builder.
1970’s
As a teenager in the late 70s, BMX started it all off for me. A new-found freedom on a bike led to competitions with some local wins.
1980’s
At 16, along came my first bike industry gig, working for an ex-national road champ and dyed-in-the-wool roadie, Mick Howarth. He encouraged me to get into the world of road races and race clubs. And yes, Chris Boardman well and truly beat me in our club hill climbs too.
Then, the late 80s arrived with something new and different - the birth of the mountain bike. Wow! FREEDOM and the GREAT OUTDOORS, learning to navigate with a map and also walk with a bike, when the going got tricky in places. There were no fancy trail centres around then, but I made a few lifelong friends along the way.
1990’s
Innerleithen
Into the 90s, I was the bike servicer for the Cannondale race team. Neil Walton Cycles and his bike shops were around big time on the Manchester scene, with Warburton St, in Didsbury becoming my second home. I worked as a bike mechanic for Neil for many years, building my expertise in high-quality repair and building.
By the late 90s, I got involved in building bike recumbents - working with Seat of the Pants Co. in Altrincham.
In 1994, something rather big came to Manchester - the velodrome arrived. Cycling really kicked off with local track leagues - and the rest is history.
Since then…
Into the new millennium, I turned my hand to carpentry for a while. Then a stint in professional photographic and film kit supply, still pedalling in my own time.
I have always wanted to make a go of it on my own, doing what I love, so I bit the bullet at the start of 2020 (perfect timing for all things cycling). Here I am offering a tune up service aimed at avid cyclists, beginners and anyone who would like to rediscover the joy of cycling.
Having been on the receiving end of some rather poor quality service, provided by some of the big bike retail guys, I feel I can offer something of proper, good value when it comes to bike servicing.
Win win.
Up the Galibier
