New Local Activity For Cycle Hire Customers

I have put a link into my web site so families and friends can have some fun on a modern "treasure hunt" called "Geocaching" of which there are several localy that can be accessed by cycle.  These are great fun and well worth having a go. CranKitUp Gear/Geocaching

MacAvalanche Mountain Bike Glencoe

Superb day on the hill yesterday helping provide first aid and safety cover for the Downhill MTB race from the summit at Glencoe Mountain ski area with the rest of the Glencoe lads.  Quite an event and full on racing with local lad Joe Barnes taking the win at 10.59 and his sister Hannah as first lady. Thankfully no injuries on the hill although a punter from the West highland way came up to the base station for some TLC after falling off his bike!  We were back up later for the ski areas end of season BBQ to round off a good day.  Due to the dry weather the customary giant bonfire at the BBQ was toned down to the risk of setting fire to the moor.  Plenty of smoke about from fires on Rannoch moor and even donkey hill in Ballachulish was alight.  Strangely Kinlochleven which is worst affected has not had its usual festival of fire surrounding it as yet.

Le Mans start and off from the summit down the main run

Looking Down Main Run

It's a Busy Easter!

Wow! What an Easter this has been for my wee business and thankyou to all who sent folk to me.  Non stop with servicing and repairs and bike hires galore.  Some great folk have come by from accross the pond, both Canucks and Americans.  They sooooo love it here. Why?  Because I believe we (Glencoe, Loch Leven and Appin) are open and friendly and give that little bit extra to guests in our area. For me my business may well be a way of financially helping my family through university, but it's not all about the money. It's about meeting people and showing them what a great place this is for history, culture and scenery and that ceud mille failte is exactly that and not just some arbitary writing on a sign post.  I have to say though that some Lochaber shops and retail outlets still have some miserable buggers serving the public and managers need to get a grip. Only folk who have traveled realise that a whole impression of a country, place or populace can be brought down by a bad encounter, or made good by honest, friendly and open customer service.

New Bikes, Hire & Servicing

With Easter just down the road it's time for me to take time out from my other jobs running off piste and avalanche training and as a distributor for Back Country Access & Dynafit and also working with Joint Services  and get things up and running here at home.  I already have some bikes needing serviced in, and can take more over the next 3 weeks.  Also the hire booking are coming in so please if possible phone or email in advance to avoid disappointment, especially over Easter weekend. I also have a big stock of spares. Please note that I also offer 3 brands of new cycle with warranty, and will discount to locals buying from me.

The "Halfords" & "Appolo" bikes are appearing as usual.  Please be aware that these cheap cycles are so poorly made and put together that in some cases they are impossible to get running correctly, and in some cases are unsafe. They are also so heavy and made of steel so rust and I can't always get them on the repair stand!  Therefore some bikes such as this I will not work on as it's an impossible task.  At only a few pounds more a cycle from a reputable brand will be cheaper and more importantly safer in the long run. Safety is especially important if it's for a child or worse with a child on the back.

Winter Season Round Up & Thank You

What a winter it's been for us.With taking on BCA and Dynafit to test the market for a winter product I had no idea how busy it was going to be. Many of the MR teams and ski patrols have bought T2's so this has kept me busy, and also the ski packs and safety products have been flying off the shelf.  With a cold clear early season and an interesting continental snowpack, ie shallow with lots of vapour transfer, then I guess it was no surprise that folk wised up that staying safe would require kit and training when it snowed. This was greatly helped by the BCA park on Glencoe Mountain.  Even recently when in the park observing a very experienced group under supervision from a guide, the need for training came through when a group member beacon auto reverted costing a wasted 20m on a false search. There is no substitute for training and getting glitches sorted in the park will save lives. Hopefully Nevis Range will have a BCA park in place for next season as we feel that the two best Scottish off piste areas should have one. Particularly pleasing in training is seeing users of the Pulse, S3 and Pieps DSP come to realise that BCA got it right on the T2 as it's much, much faster at processing and can narrow distance down to as little as  0.4 of a meter and that by using SP mode and the 3 circle or "DV" search method makes it just as usable in multi burials.

Mid season was mixed weather wise but the last dump in late March produced an epic week of skiing which we took full advantage of and it gave me the chance to shoot some HD off piste footage on my "GoPro Contour HD". Next up is a BCA festival hosted in Aviemore by UK importers Anatom and for distributors like CranKitup Gear. Next season we hope to have the BCA "Float" on sale for the UK market and will keep the Snowpulse online. The Snowpulse is expensive but this years stats in the Alps have shown the cost will save your life.  Many of the guides have adopted the remote trigger module as well.

With winter done it's across to the bikes now. Already things are busy with repairs and spares and forward bookings  right through to October.  We have 3 new trails added to the "off road gnarl" portfolio and can offer a good service to folk as we know bikes. We ride bikes, we fix bikes and we know what folk need.  Having 3 cycling children (now young adults) we also know what it takes to make a family cycle work.  Many of our customers come from local accommodation providers who clearly know how to look after folk staying with them. Glencoe Independant Hostel as an example often run folk down for a hire and go that extra mile often literally for customers needing advice on the hills or activities on their stay. Clachaig Hotel the SYHA in Glencoe are similar in having a customer orientated view going that extra bit to make a stay a good one.  I am also seeing much more custom from Appin and North Lorn providers. It's so pleasing to see that the outdoors and what we have locally in North Lorn is being promoted so well.  I am particularly fond of  Duror and Appin as a cycling area.  The roads are slightly quieter (North Shian), Lismore makes a great day trip and the cycle track has few hills. And of course there is great food at Stalker Restaurante.

A big thanks to all of you who send me custom. I won't forget you and if you need something let me know.  Have a good season.