Hello

Welcome to the first Spokes Newsletter.
We will be producing our Newsletter monthly.
Every Newsletter will include offers, articles, videos, and much, much, more.
Over the coming months we will be adding many more features and deals,
So stay tuned!

How can you SAVE money by buying a £4,000 bike?

It was the winter of 2013 and I had just committed to the biggest challenge of my life. A couple of months earlier I had participated in Challenge Henley as part of a relay team, completing the bike leg of an Iron distance triathlon. As our marathon guy came in, we were given the same medal the heroes that completed the full distance event received. I did not feel like I deserved this medal and so I ambitiously pledged to come back and complete the full event the following year!

For those that don’t know, an Iron distance triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon. This was a huge undertaking, especially as I could barely swim and had never done a triathlon!

I used to work for one of the leading independent bike shops in the UK in Reading. I met many interesting people during my time there and I had a chance encounter with a guy that was doing the same event as me.

We bumped into each other at a sprint triathlon the shop were sponsoring in Green Park a few weeks later. Our times were virtually identical and so we started to train together - I had a training buddy! Simon introduced me to a couple of great connections, one of whom was to become my business partner.

Coincidentally the very first day I met David, he had put an offer in on a property in Bagshot and he stood over the road with the estate agents, looked across and said this would make a great bike shop! I had created a business plan a few years previously to open my own store. Simon introduced us and we feverishly bounced ideas off each other and agreed to meet and discuss properly.

As soon as the triathlon was finished, I knew that the really hard work was about to begin as we went full swing into building Spokes.

There were many more twists and turns to this tale with some real coincidences and synchronicity - but the bottom line was that we were opening a bike shop!

After a lot of blood, sweat and tears (quite literally in some cases!) we opened on 14 March 2015. I had a feeling we were onto something special and successful, as we had already sold several bikes months before the shop opened. We had even done a bumper deal with a holiday resort in Zante, through a connection, for 10 bikes and all the gear. Our first workshop manager, Olly, even got to fly out there for a week to set their new cycling facility up (not a bad way to start a new job!).

Momentum quickly built, as did our customer base and reputation. The selection of products and brands we stocked grew exponentially. We had already struck a deal to become a major Giant and Liv retailer which was a real win early on, as they are the biggest producer of bikes in the world.

Since opening, we have achieved some really amazing things, including supporting a successful British Human Powered Lands Speed Record, supporting a World Record (most countries cycled though in 7 days) and winning several business and industry awards. We have also supplied bikes to the British Army hotel chains, schools and even a prison! We have built a great community and enjoyed helping countless people achieve their goals, which has absolutely been the greatest bit about Spokes - we love the people that have made us happen!

Thank you for your support over the last seven years, we have enjoyed some really special moments with you all. Here’s to the next seven!

Happy Cycling!