​1st Octber 2022
​CHANGE IS COMING...........

We have some changes coming in to our business in the coming weeks, with fresh new stock, fresh new concepts and fresh new people working here.
Ray & Tina will still be around for the coming few weeks, but keep an eye out for the great changes that are coming on board.
More mechanics can only be a good thing
If you have outstanding credit or vouchers, please contact us asap to get those loose ends tied up
The most important part of this announcement is our opportunity to thank you all for all your support over the past 22+ years. We have loved every minute, and opportunity you have given us. Our time in the shop has always been filled with opportunities to meet like minded people and people that were brimming with life, which in turn always made for a positive vibe in our shop. We will be in the shop until the end of September and continue to assist with the new team after that from time to time.

Having recently read a few quotes online from the fabulous Marie Kondo, I've been having a little clear out in the shop. Time to get the shop freshened up and the first place is by removing the bits that are sitting here and in the way... why not offer them to others so that they can make use out of them.

Marie asks you to ask ourselves if something sparks joy in us, unfortunately in a bike shop, most things will spark joy in a cycling enthusaist like us, so we ask, is it likely to be needed in the next 6 months? If not, let someone else get the use out of it.

It's also given me the chance to look at the stock ordering system most shops have, many use the "just order it to have it" system rather than order something when you NEED it. Both options have obstacles, one requires a magic crystal ball so you know what the trends are going to be,  & a big bank account, the other needs patience, you will have to wait for the delivery to arrive.
You need to actually look at your clientele and know your audience, rather than ordering 15 X 130mm stems for a road bike with an overdrive system, maybe see how many of these you actually need and then order accordingly. 

This mini clear out has allowed the space to be designated for the necessary items, and I don't need to stress about the stocktake in a few weeks :)

If you're in town & would like to grab a bargain, pop in. We love making others happy with bargains.

​Thank you for reading <3

Yesterday evening was a time for yet another Covid announcement. We watched and waited to see what would be said about retailers, and bike shops in general.
"Phew" was the general feeling after Micheál Martin gave his speech....
We will continue to open and serve our customers as best we can, with a limited number of people allowed in the shop, and a hectic hygiene schedule.
We're grateful to be able to remain open.
We're grateful to you our customers for your continued support & understanding.
We're grateful to our suppliers for their support.
We're grateful to our own family for understanding when we are keeping our distance to ensure their safety.
We're hoping to continue to do what we do, but know that we will only keep doing it, while we feel safe enough to continue.

Thank you all,
stay safe.

Ray, Tina, & Niamh.

Does Nostalgia motivate you as a masters athlete?

Looking back on massive goals that were achieved, do you use those to motivate you?
Can you see what path you had chosen previously and follow similar routes (taking the aging process into account)?
We have so many customers that have been competitive in one area (e.g. GAA), and have now focused their energy into their cycling. We love hearing about their past achievements, and there is always a common tread. They are mostly able to self motivate out the door at 6am in the dark to pedal, to be committed to family life enough to not let it affect their day, and the majority are able to see the bigger picture.
Thanks for keeping it real. Being around these people allow us to stay on course for our own goals!

Have you set yourself a goal for 2018?
Have you written it down?
Have you broken it down to smaller, achieveable goals?
Have you got deadlines set and paid your entry fee for them?
These are the the questions all trainers/coaches ask, and the guilt you will feel if you haven't done that is palatable! You might even tell a white lie and say yes.... you might suck in your belly a bit and tense up your quads to make it look like you're definitely getting your 'leg day' done in the gym..... but don't! They need to know where you really are. They can't help you if you're telling fibs.
Before you contact a PT in whatever discipline is relevant, go for a lone walk or cycle, talk out loud to yourself, and make a deal with yourself that you will do your best to achieve your goal, you will sacrifice enough (family time, nights out, new handbags, bags of chips), so make sure you do it right and for the right reason.

I use the free app "my fitness pal" as a guide to see what I'm eating and the nutritional value I'm taking in, just so I don't go too far off track. There are so many gadgets for nutrition tracking but they are only to be used as a guide and once you do it for a couple of weeks, you will realise we eat pretty much the same foods regularly.
Use this along side setting your goals when going to your trainer. And for the love of God, be honest! Don't tell the trainer you eat salmon/spinach/kale whatever is the newest superfood if you can't stand the stuff. There's no point.... the trainer will know within a week that you're telling porkies.

Now for the hard bit.
Getting off your backside.
Yes. That's the way to hit any goal.
Not on social media.
Not on Telly.
Not in a coffee shop.

Use the goal. Find some ally's if that helps. (Personally I'm a lone shark and prefer my training alone)
Get your trainer --- please make sure they have a scientific education behind them, not a few weekend courses and they know how to take a good Instagram picture. Your trainer should live the life you want to be part of.
A cycling coach for cycling.
A running coach for running.
A swimming coach for swimming.
A triathlon coach for triathlon.
A horse riding instructor for horse riding.
A hockey coach for hockey.
You get my drift.....

Finally after my rant- Please eat real food. Drink water. Use supplements when necessary. Use gels and protein powders if you need to. They're not all evil. Bought from a fully trained shop you can get the right information and they can be very beneficial.

If you have been smashing your goals for 2018, I take my hat off to you. Well done. Keep up your hard work. You will reap the benefits for years to come.
Please tell us if there are any pointers you would add to this? All input really appreciated.

On my first day in secondary school as I walked into the yard of The High School in Clonmel I bumped into the late Patrick Kennedy, the grandson of a neighbour from Grange. It was good to see a familiar friendly face and he brought me over to meet a few of his friends. He introduced me to Raymond Clarke , his neighbour from Marlefield and we found we had a common interest in cycling.

Each day at break time we would meet up and discuss Sean Kelly’s latest victory, the speed of Rays Raleigh Pulsar, the weight of my Dawes Jaguar or the number of spokes on a pair of Mavic GP4 wheels. After school we would go training together with a group of lads, all meeting at the GAA Centre on the Western road.

From second year on Ray and I would always sit next to each other in class, usually down the back in a corner where we could draw pictures of bikes, take a sneaky peek at cycling weekly or spec out our dream bikes in peace.

We socialised together, opened a shop together, were each others best men at our weddings and over the course of 15 years a really solid friendship helped grow an idea for a small bike shop into a now thriving business.

I, however,  have always had a problem with ‘itchy feet’ and restlessness. After 15 years in a bike shop I felt like I needed a change. Just like always I had a chat with Ray and we discussed what to do. Together we agreed that I would step away from the shop in order to pursue other goals that have been festering in my mind.

It wasn’t the easiest decision of my life by a long shot but I decided to take the plunge and see where it leads. Along with having more time to write and blog, I have an opportunity to develop a sector of the tourism industry that would be especially beneficial to cyclists along with a few other projects which should keep me well occupied.

To work alongside my best friend day in day out for the past 15 years has been a privilege very few are lucky enough to have. I will really miss the great atmosphere and sense of satisfaction in the shop and meeting the customers who really became good friends too.

‘Thank you’ seems very little to say for all the support, help, encouragement and custom that everyone has given us over the years.

I have enjoyed every minute of my time in Worldwidecycles and know, that now he has full reign over the business Ray, with the very able help of John, Jack and Eric will bring it to even greater levels of customer service and satisfaction.

See you all on the road,

Barry

Today in the shop Ray, John and I huddled around the small screen of an iPhone hoping that no customer would walk into the shop for the next five minutes. Commercially this is not a good attitude to have, we depend upon our great customers to make a living but normal everyday life was now suspended for the next five minutes.

The reason for this escapism was a bike race taking place thousands of kilometres away in Italy that was now being beamed into a bicycle workshop via the eurosport player app on an iPhone. This was no ordinary bike race, it was the Tirreno Adriatico, one of the first really big pro races of the season. An added dimension of interest was the participation of Sam, the local lad from Carrick.

It would have been fantastic to watch the race on the small screen and catch the odd glimpse of his NetApp Endura jersey. It would have been a bonus if he managed to get a mention. This alone would be incredible for a rider just weeks into his first season at the highest level of World cycling. But this was Sam, and he was never going to be there riding just to finish.

What actually happened was the inclusion of a familiar name within the commentators repartee as the finish loomed close. Who would it be to win the bunch sprint was a question posed. The answer given was a number of names like Cavendish, Kittell, Greipel, and there included in the list was ‘Bennett’, which led to a shiver of excitement going down my spine.

Inside 3k to go as the tension mounted there was the dreaded word ‘Crash !’ We searched for Sam within the carnage and did not see him. After watching Marcel Kittell launch his bike ‘hammer thrower style’ into the air the camera went back to the bunch and we searched again for Sam. And there he was, fighting, pushing, shoving, taking no shit and giving no quarter. Sam was well up there and our heart rates were right up there with his.

Inside the last K and Sam is boxed in, he has to stop pedalling, readjust and go again. And go he surely does. Making up ground and places. Inside the final 200 meters and he is still there fighting, giving it everything and more. He gets switched again but that does nothing to alter his determination. He readjusts and goes again. The line is now on screen and Sam launches the bike at the line and we launch into fourth, third, fifth !

Sam was confirmed fourth which was just as impressive as his win last week in Spain. Yes, just in case you were visiting Mars last week Sam won the Classica De Almeria which was right on the back of a third on the final stage of the Tour of Oman.

It has been fantastic watching Dan Martin and Nico Roche for the past few years, winning at the highest levels but to watch Sam, the local lad from Carrick adds another dimension altogether.

I still remember Sam’s first road bike. His Mam Helen had ordered the Orbea Larrau from us in plenty of time for Christmas about 10 or 12  years ago. It probably wasn’t a Santa present but his younger brother Scott would have been at a borderline age so Santa may well have been charged with its delivery. We ordered it from our supplier and as the weeks passed by and Christmas came closer we were starting to get a little nervous but were assured that we would have it in time. Then came the week before Christmas and we were told that it would arrive up North on Friday but as Christmas day was the following Tuesday there was no guarantee that we would have it in time. This left only one option as I skipped the Sunday spin and drove the 300 mile round trip to Newry to pick it up and ensure that it would be ready for collection by Santa the following day. Now you know why I’ll always remember Sam’s first bike.

When the previous local hero Sean Kelly was at his peak winning all around we used to have to wait for the following days paper for results and the following weeks cycling weekly for pictures. Now we have it all instantly on twitter, Facebook and Youtube so here it is again just incase you were in a 3G blackspot for the afternoon

Well done Sam. Here’s looking forward to many years of you giving us heart attacks !

Barry

www.worldwidecycles.com