The Dragon Ride
Well the Dragon Ride is now past and it was certainly a tough test. A 7 hour drive down from Edinburgh to Cardiff the day before was not ideal prep for getting the legs loose but it was time to get on with it.
Contrary to the forecasts at the beginning of the week it was [...]
About L'Etape
L'Etape is an official stage of the Tour de France. It is held every year and is open to amateurs to give them a chance to ride a stage of the Tour. It is always on one of the mountain stages to make it a proper challenge!
To find out details on the Etape the official website is here
As you will see from the website this years tour (2009) is 172km with 5 mountains. The first 4 would probably be described as large hills by the experts but the final climb up Mt Ventoux is very much a mountain, 22km at an average gradient of 7.6%.
About Edinburgh Bike
Edinburgh is the city where we started, and where we are still based. Our shop in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, has long been recognised as the best-stocked bicycle store in Scotland. You can now experience a similar offer at our branches in Aberdeen, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Leeds and Manchester.
Our Passion for Bikes
Bicycles are our passion. To quote the Pulitzer Prize-winning Californian novelist, William Saroyan, ‘The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind. I love the bicycle. I always have. I can think of no sincere, decent human being, male or female, young or old, saint or sinner, who can resist the bicycle.’About the Co-op
Co-operative is how we organise ourselves. Every full-time Edinburgh Bicycle worker becomes a co-op member, with an equal share in the business, after serving a 1-year ‘apprenticeship’. We now have 75 co-op members - a record number. We trust that this staff involvement will always manifest itself in the form of friendly, informed professional advice whenever you visit one of our shops, or give us a call, or use our secure online service.Mission Statement
The co-op's mission statement is to 'Promote cycling in the UK as a pastime, and as a method of transport by making it easier and more enjoyable to own and ride a bike.' That's why we strive to stock the widest selection of genuinely useful cycling equipment.Shop Addresses and Opening Hours
AberdeenEdinburgh Bicycle Co-operative
458 - 464 George Street
Aberdeen
AB25 3XH
Tel: 01224 632994
Fax: 01224 648081
Open 7 days a week
Winter Hours (1 October - 31 March):
10.00am till 6.00pm every day except
10.00am till 7.00pm on Thursday
Summer Hours (1st April - 30th September):
10.00am till 6.00pm Monday - Friday (late opening on Thursday till 7pm)
10.00am till 6.00pm Saturday & Sunday
There is free parking available at the rear of the Aberdeen shop - just drive down the wee lane at the side of the shop to find the car park.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative
8 Alvanley Terrace
Whitehouse Loan
Edinburgh
EH9 1DU
Tel: 0131 228 3565
Fax: 0131 229 4447
Open 7 days a week
Winter Hours (1 October - 31 March):
10.00am till 6.00pm every day except
10.00am till 7.00pm on Thursday
Summer Hours (1st April - 30th September):
10.00am till 7.00pm Monday - Friday
10.00am till 6.00pm Saturday & Sunday
Leeds
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative
140 Woodland Lane
(behind Majestic Wine Warehouse)
Chapel Allerton
Leeds
LS7 4QG
Tel: 0113 268 7463
Fax: 0113 266 8072
Open 7 days a week
Winter Hours (1 October - 31 March):
10.00am till 6.00pm every day except
10.00am till 7.00pm on Thursday
Summer Hours (1st April - 30th September):
10.00am till 6.00pm Monday - Friday (late opening on Thursday till 7pm)
10.00am till 6.00pm Saturday & Sunday
Newcastle
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative
5 - 7 Union Road
Byker
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE6 1EH
Tel: 0191 265 8619
Fax: 0191 265 4072
Open 7 days a week
Winter Hours (1 October - 31 March):
10.00am till 6.00pm every day except
10.00am till 7.00pm on Thursday
Summer Hours (1st April - 30th September):
10.00am till 6.00pm Monday - Friday (late opening on Thursday till 7pm)
10.00am till 6.00pm Saturday & Sunday
Manchester
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative
7 Wilmslow Road
Rusholme
Manchester
M14 5FT
Tel: 0161 257 3897
FAX: 0161 248 7923
Open 7 days a week
Winter Hours (1 October - 31 March):
10.00am till 6.00pm every day except
10.00am till 7.00pm on Thursday
Summer Hours (1st April - 30th September):
10.00am till 7.00pm Monday - Friday
10.00am till 6.00pm Saturday & Sunday
Recent Posts
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Featured Articles
Our Etape Charity
We have selected Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland as our charity for doing the Etape this year. Thank you all ...
L’Etape du Tour 2009
Well Roy and I have had our entry accepted and have a place for 2009. This years Etape will ...
We will be taking part in thePedal For Scotland Glasgow to Edinburgh ride on September 14th. This raises ...
Kev's Training
The Dragon RideWell the Dragon Ride is now past and it was certainly a tough test. A 7 hour drive down from Edinburgh to Cardiff the day before was not ideal prep for getting the legs loose but it was time to get on with it.
Contrary to the forecasts at the beginning of the week it was [...]
Roy's Training
New training planIn an attempt to get a better structure to my training I am following the Bike Radar site’s ‘Mega Euro Sportive Plan’ which runs over 12 weeks and will take me up to about the first week in June, in time for the Dragon ride in Wales that Kev and I have entered.
This is a [...]
Fitness
Cold, Wet and miserableI headed out to do the Kincardine loop again on Saturday with the intention of doing two laps of the Hills of west Lothian. The forecast was mixed with some slight showers so I headed off in shorts and short gloves, etc.
It became clear very quickly that it was going to be more than [...]
Diet
Getting into the science I have now started to realise that cyling a long distance requires more than a bottle of water. After some more web research and trawling forums I have decided to give the Science in Sport (SiS) energy products a try.
Very basically from what I can work out after cycling for more than 2 hours [...]
