A superb addition to Derby's cycling facilities is the Park Bikeworks which opened it's doors to the public for the first time today. It was soon crowded with local cyclists, anxious to check out the various features which include free secure bike parking in the City Centre Cathedral Quarter, and an excellent café serving a variety of good food. There are lockers, toilets and showers, and two bike shops with the services of a mechanic. There is also a physiotherapist with a private treatment room.
The Park Bikeworks is situated in Full Street right next to the Cathedral, having good access from several directions, one of which is the traffic free riverside cycle path.
A tempting array of food on display at the counter in the café.
The café has two parts, one indoors and another out on the balcony, which looks out over Full Street and Cathedral Green. Double doors lead out onto the balcony.
Towards the rear of the large building is one of the spacious bike shops with a wide range of machines and accessories on display.
On the ground floor is the bike storage area, accessed through the double doors to the left side of the frontage to Full Street. Current capacity with these temporary racks is about 50, but this will increase to 150 when the permanent racking is installed. This facility is free and you will need to show proof of identity when you return to collect your machine.
This is the treatment room, with physiotherapist Paula giving a check up to Joe Oakley, who was not actually injured in his spectacular jump from the rail of the café balcony down onto his car.
.......................... before leaping down onto the roof of his car...............
..................... and finally back to earth (or thereabouts).
Please do not try this at home, especially if your car has a glass sun roof.
Opening hours for the Bikeworks are from 7.30am until 6.30pm on weekdays, and 8.30am to 5.30pm on Saturdays. Sunday hours are from 10am until 4.30pm. There is a charge of £2 for the showers and you need to bring your own towel. The lockers are available at £1 per day.
Thanks for the photos Les. Busy yesterday, so was unable to be there. Be great if it is successful.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that it will be successful, but I suppose it will have to eventually become self sufficient financially with profits from the café and shops paying for upkeep and staff salaries.
ReplyDeleteIt has some grant funding for two years I understand, but by then it will have become part of the scenery with lots of regular users.
The 150 bike spaces may be then be insufficient, and just think how much space 150 cars would take up, not to mention the pollution and the impending gridlock.
I think it important that bike parking is always free as an incentive to get cyclists into the building.
We are fed up of hearing how wonderful companies such as Hub Bikes, Monk Street, and Halfords are. Has far as they are concerned, they are only willing to service Bikes and E-Bikes purchased from them. And also put it another way, they will service e bikes partly and not electrical. I cannot wait for the day when some companies open up and do a service on any E Bike from anybody that is desperate for a service of any kind. That is where the money is. I paid nearly £100 for a crap service which i got rubbish brake pads and not much else for my money and that was one of the above companies i listed. I do not wish to disclose my name just in case i need an emergency service of some sort. I understand that there is a risk from doing electrical work on e bikes at the moment but surely there must be some expert and knowledgeable people out there by now that can take on this type of work? owenandkerry@yahoo.co.uk
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