We need a new home

March 2014
We need to vacate these premises by 31st May 2014 to make way for the car park of the new Community Centre that is currently being built.  Please get in touch if you know of a place we could move to.

We have moved - but only around the corner
August 2013
Spindles has a new shop.  We have moved from the dingy changing rooms to around the corner into  the snooker room which has made a fantastic bike shop.  It will not be long there as the whole community centre will be demolished around the summer of 2014.  However we will enjoy being in the snooker room as its a very usable space.  The following satellite view of Corsham Community Centre shows where we are now.

Yesterday there was a veritable torrent of customers wanting bikes fixed or wanting a reconditioned bike.  I wonder if we have turned a small corner in Corsham where people are looking to use bikes for transport.  There were some people asking for bike to enable their children to get to school, some wanting road bikes, a lot of maintenance plus some donations of kids bike.  We managed to get through them all by 4:30pm.

Here are some shots taken yesterday of the work space and the shop

Spindles Bike shop - New open air space to work

Spindles - a lot more room 

We can now work inside when it rains

Some of the current collection of bikes and frames

Just in a Sirius 653 bike with Mavic changer and Cinelli Criterium Bars and stem

This Sirius bike came in yesterday as a bike that had been dumped.  Its an interesting offering from the German bike manufacturer with Reynolds 653 which is a mixed frame set of 753/531.  Its a light bike which has seen a lot of miles.  The frame is a hideous colour which dates it to late 1980s or the early 1990s.  There's a mixture of components that indicate various upgrades at certain points.  The large flange hubs are good quality Shimano however its only 12 speed with a 125 dropout.  The first job will be to strip it down and get it repainted.

This Sirius has seen better days 

653 tubing but the colour is terrible

Mavic rear changer is quite a solid piece of engineering

brakes are Shimano

The paintwork has crackled 

Cinelli Criterium bars and stem

4 Adjustable Spanners - which is best

Some time ago I lost my Rothenberger 6" spanner which was a disaster as it one of the must useful tools in the box.  I knew that the standard Draper tool from B&Q just does not do the job so I looked on line and found a Facom 6" on ebay for about £15.  This proved to be a disappointment as the jaw is very wobbly.  In frustration I look on line again  and found a Bahco again for about £15.  May be this would be better but no - its slightly better and is made of better quality steel but its just not as good as the Rothenberger.

A couple of months later my Rothenberger turned up and the Facom and Bacho became surplus to requirements but the story does not end there as at a car boot sale last week I got a very nice Alloy Drop Forged (Spain) 6" adjustable for £1!.  This was actually just as good as the Rothenberger which I also bought at a car boot sale for £10.  It's not only the quality of the jaw mechanism but its also the quality of the alloy which makes the Rothenberger and the Spanish offering so good.

From the Left - From Spain £1, Facom (£15), Bahco (£15) and Rothenberger (£10)

My Great Grandfather

I thought I had lost this photo of my Grand Father Thomas Parry that was probably taken in Llandegla, North Wales around 1890 or so.  My Mum says he died in Winsford Cheshire around 1908 of a probably heart attack.  The bike looks far too big for him but it does look like he has got a Brooks Saddle similar to the one I have.  

I quick look on Google maps and I think I've found the place where it was taken.  The building is very similar and there seems to be a new road but this is definitely it

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