Read Online - Viva Brighton

talking shop
..........................................
Photos by Adam Bronkhorst
Rule
5 Bikes
Two wheels good
....
90....
What is Rule 5? “Harden the f**k up.” Cycling
personal goals are. The more knowledge you
gurus the Velominati have a whole set of rules
have of someone’s situation, the more you can
that cyclists should follow and most of them are
help them, and I’m in the shop all the time so
very tongue-in-cheek, but in a lot of situations,
customers get to speak to the same person each
whether it’s because you’re hung-over or you’re
time they come in. With bigger shops, you’ll
cycling up a hill that’s too steep, the answer is
probably get a different person each time, so if
Rule 5. I’ve even had people tweet it at me if I’ve
you’re having a problem with your bike, they’ll
moaned on Twitter about being ill.
have to start over with trying to get to the bot-
What’s the best thing about working in a
tom of it each time.
bike shop? People never come in in a bad mood.
What do you look for when selecting prod-
Bike shopping isn’t like grocery shopping, which
ucts to stock? I support local brands as much as
you do because you have to. Cycling is a hobby
possible. I mainly stock Kinesis bikes, which are
and people come in because they want to spend
designed and prototyped in the South Downs,
money on their bike. There’s a great cycling
so if you want a bike to ride around this area you
community in Brighton - that was what drew me
really can’t get much better than that. Morvélo
to move here a few years ago – and everyone has
are a local cycle-wear brand based in the centre
been really warm and welcoming towards me.
of town, who produce clothing which keeps you
I’m really lucky to be in a trade where I get to
visible and safe, but looks good too. And they’re
talk about something I like all the time.
part of the cycling community; people know
What can you offer to customers that they
who they are, so they’re not just a faceless com-
wouldn’t get from the national bikeshop
pany. But the key thing I look for in a product is
chains? I get to build up a rapport with my
something I’d be happy to use myself.
customers. Once somebody has visited me a
Paul Hambridge interviewed by Rebecca Cunningham
few times, I can remember their bike, any work
that I’ve done to it in the past and what their
....
253d Ditchling Rd, rule5bikes.co.uk, @rule5bikes
91....