Glasgow’s oldest bike shop has announced it will partner with one of the city’s newest and fastest-growing cycle clubs.
Dales Cycles, established in 1912, will be the principal sponsor of Glasgow Green Cycling Club (GGCC). The club was set-up 18 months ago and already boasts more than 90 riders and growing.
The club will see the store provide a unique set of benefits and level of support to the club and its members, including:
- Logistical and mechanical support at GGCC’s series of races and events
- Preferential rates at Dales Cycles’ Dobbies Loan city centre branch and East Kilbride branch
- Exclusive offers in the Dales Cycles repair workshop, the largest in the west of Scotland
- Access to events and seminars involving key figures from the cycling industry
GGCC will also train and compete during 2013 in a new range of Dales Cycles-GGCC kit from the respected Scottish cycling apparel manufacturer Endura. Club members will also have regular opportunities to test and review products from manufacturers including Specialized, Giant, Scott, Gore, Giro and Shimano, all of which are stocked At Dales Cycles Dobbie’s Loan branch (http://www.dalescycles.com/) .
Debbie Houston, managing director of Dales Cycles, said: “Cycling in Glasgow is absolutely booming and Glasgow Green Cycling Club shares our enthusiasm for making cycling easily accessible and fun for everyone.
“We already sponsor top individual riders but we also wanted to support a club which is open to everyone. GGCC has a fast-growing membership from every area of the city, from teenagers to pensioners, with a growing female membership that mirrors the Dales Cycles ethos of cycling; it’s an activity that should be for everyone.
“We are looking forward to supporting the club, whether it be racing at the new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome or providing advice to members looking for their child’s first bike. As Scotland’s largest local bike shop we believe it’s important to support our city’s cycling community and GGCC represents everything good about the sport of cycling.”
Although a relatively new club GGCC has already established itself within Glasgow’s growing cycling community, with the club’s riders a regular sight at the city’s velodrome and on its roads. The club is open to new members of all levels of experience and fitness as club training rides are divided into groups depending upon ability.
GGCC’s contingent of female riders is already one of the largest in Scotland with the club keen to welcome the growing number of women interested in cycling who might otherwise be put off by its reputation as being male-dominated.
Ray Hicks & Andy Dobinson, co-founders of Glasgow Green Cycling Club, said: “We are proud that as a new club we have gained the support of Dales Cycles, a company with a long-standing tradition and reputation for being at the heart of cycling in Glasgow.
“When we started the club, it was with the simple idea of providing our members with the things they wanted to receive from being in a cycling club. This partnership with Dales Cycles will help us deliver that as the company’s support, expertise and enthusiasm will allow us to achieve many things in 2013 and beyond.”
GGCC weekly rides always leave from the McLennan Arch on Glasgow Green at 8.30am on a Sunday. People wishing to come along and give the club a go are encouraged to visit the club’s website (http://www.glasgowgreencycleclub.co.uk/) and make contact with co-founders Andy Dobinson or Ray Hicks before coming along.