My bikes didn't get their usual services last year, as BikeShak closed down.
So after popping in to a new shop with Paul and Jeanette, I decided to entrust the bikes to Ed Stuart, who has set up this new shop on Moss Lane near the centre of Altrincham. It took him less than a week to sort out both bikes and get them running smoothly. Ed trades as Stamford Cycle Co and seems to have done a good job on my bikes, though I may have to go to a seatpost specialist to free the jammed seatpost on the red bike. His website is here. I would certainly recommend Ed, who provides a comprehensive workshop report to supplement his invoice. He is a 'Cytech Master Technician'.
People spend £1,000s on their bikes, so I wondered what mine had cost. Their mileages are low as I don't really cycle on roads, going shorter distances over rougher ground than many cyclists.
The bike on the left is a Specialised Stumpjumper FSR Comp, dating from 2006. It cost £1500 new, but my friend Dave sold it to me for £500 in 2011. Since then it has done about 4,000 miles on rough ground and including the purchase price has cost me around £2,200.
The bike on the right was at the time it was bought from Harry Hall's (who sadly closed for good in 2023), a fairly high spec mountain bike - a Shogun Trailbreaker 3, costing £329 on 28 April 1990. These days I think it would be regarded as a hybrid or gravel bike, but for me it has done around 14,000 miles - many of them over challenging ground. Including the purchase price it has cost me around £3,400.
The bikes are now probably worth very little in monetary terms, but they both hold valuable memories for me, and they continue to provide enjoyment, albeit more on the local towpaths and looplines these days, rather than the more challenging routes that require a drive to reach, though I still very much enjoy the latter.
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