There’s an app for that

Do you remember that irritating advert where it repeatedly said ‘there’s an app. for that’ and you thought I bet there isn’t an app for it because you would not even imagine what weird questions and thoughts I have in my head, their is no way someone would have made an app for them.

Well I remember it clearly and I didn’t have a smartphone then so I didn’t have any apps, but I do now.

I openly admit the majority of my apps are really boring and practical, but not all.

Some are fun.

Image courtesy of Camille McMillan

Take this one for example, The Collarbone. The Collarbone describes itself as  ‘a photography journal for the iPad documenting the beauty and eccentricity of professional bicycle racing’.

I couldn’t have put it better myself- smart pictures taken by Camille McMillan who is a phenomenal photographer all pieced together by Scheybler and  Company (one of the fellas who started Rapha).

The app. is free and good to have.

Wren bicycle for sale

Traditionally Sargent and Co deal in the renovation and resale of classic bicycles, but you may have noted that we are selling new bicycles  of late.

We have not turned our back on our old racing friends, not for one minute. We do however recognise that their is always a future classic just around the corner.

We have recently got a Wren bicycle (London based cycle company)  and  it’s a winner.

Size: It’s small but it doesn’t ride like it is. It feels steady, it doesn’t twitch like some of the other small town bikes on the market.

Gears/brakes: It’s 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub gear, yep, great and drum brakes- keeping all the mechanisms internal really helps reduce wear and tear maintenance which I am  all for.

Moving stuff: It has front and rear racks, both removable. Flexible. I like flexible.

Comfort: Brook sprung saddle- nice on the bottom and looks the part. Self colour mudguards to keep your comfortable bottom dry.

What else: It’s also fitted with a kickstand, a bell, a big rear reflector and Schwalbe marathon plus tyres i.e. bombproof.

It’s easy to see this bike has been thought out. The ride is stable and the components are considered. It’s great to look at. It’s keenly priced. It’s £595, which I think for the specification you get is great. I like this bike a lot, but I won’t be getting one because my boyfriend will leave me if I take any more bikes home- mmm is it worth it?

Bobbins Daytripper gents town bike

Yes Bobbins don’t just make beautiful bicycles for the discerning lady they also make bicycles for gentleman (I don’t use the word gentleman lightly).

This isn’t a bike for a lout. The Daytripper (available in 3 or 5 speed) is sophisticated, but not pretentious.  It would massively enjoy a tootle down the river to the Tate on a Sunday and it probably drinks a 2 shot macchiato. It likes French films and girls with overgrown fringes. It’s not the kind of bike who wants to be polished all the time, it kinda likes a bit of dirt. It loves London, but it also loves to get out into the countryside sometimes.

It’s £350.00 and we have it in stock now.

Ladies Metropole bicycle in Olive

Styling it out in the sunshine.

Open for business

The walls have been moved, the doors have been hung, the floors have been brushed. The shop will reopen tomorrow after a week of closing  and it is bigger, ‘betterer’ and messier than ever.
We now have a dedicated lades area with ladies specific bikes, both old and new, shoppers and racers, so come down and take a look, have a test ride, live the dream (we have plenty of mens and unisex bikes to).

Sargent and Co hit the big screen

A London based film maker asked Rob if he would feature in his documentary ‘Pushbike‘. The trailer has now been released and is on vimeo; if this dreamy sequence of short clips is anything to go by then this will be a fantastic documentary.

This is the 4th film the shop (Rob) has featured in, which strikes me as a strange considering ’I prefer taking the pictures’ he protests, ‘I am not one for a fuss’ he adds. Me thinks the ‘lady doth protest too much’, I think Rob has thespian hopes.

If you do watch this video you may notice an elderly gent talking about his racing days, that’s Spud. Spud Taylor. Sadly Spud is no longer with us. Spud was one of Robs first customers, and he was a gent with a thousand tales to tell. He was a fine man and he is missed. Rest in Peace Spud, (your looking grand on the video by the way way :  )

One for the girls

Don’t worry I am not going to post a picture of the Chippendales, I am personally not a fan. I am a fan of nice bikes though, and due to our recent expansion we now have a ladies section in the shop.

Rob finished painting this morning and we have put 3 bikes in there, we do have more to put in, but the paint isn’t dry yet and all the pictures (including my favourite below) need to go up.

So girls get yourselves down here and take a peek at our lovely cycles, the sun is shining, the weather is sweet and everyone knows riding in the sun is the most perfect antidote to busy, clammy, expensive tubes and buses.

This is the Bobbins Birdie, isn’t she lovely? (£349).

And behind the Birdie is our tried and tested Metropole in Olive, she comes in at £325 (excluding rack/basket).

Both bikes are 3 speed and fitted with mudguards, kickstands, chainguards and sprung saddles.
So there you go, all you need now is a picnic blanket, a bottle of Prosecco and the sun to keep on shining.

‘I don’t want to be a twat’

An aerialist (a super acrobat) came by the other day to see if Rob wanted to buy her bikes.

She had a fantastic vintage Schwinn she had brought all the way from New York and a wonderful little red shopper she had bought in Italy. An enviable collection she had picked up on her acrobatic travels!

‘Would you like the buy them’ she inquired, ‘I am changing my life, I don’t want to be a twat, I decided to buy a mountain bike’. (I am confused to).

Rob bought them and I have taken 50% of the twat factor by taking the red shopper off his hands (I have to sell my blue shopper to make way, as we have introduced a one in one out rule at my flat).

If anybody is interested in making a twat of themselves on this bloody fine looking machine, then come in and let it be known ‘My name is …..(YOUR NAME) and I am looking to become a twat/more of a twat (DELETE AS APPROPRIATE). I have the £175  here in cash and I am looking to move fast’.

This Schwinn of Chicago has 3 gears and a back pedal brake (plus rear calliper brake). Neither myself or Rob have seen one of these before, now I am not saying we are experts or anything, but we think she is kind of rare, especially on this side of the pond.

Rough Rider sportif 2012

If you are looking for something good to do, I would say do this

http://www.roughridersportif.com/

I did it last year and it’s great, it’s a really nice route, with lots of lung busting tough climbs followed by euphoric descents, the views are amazing, the food half way round is top notch and it’s just all round good vibes.

Oh and if you look at last years’ results can you please note before chuckling at my seemingly poor time that

a) my friend had a headset issue which we spent 45 minutes trying to resolve,

b) we stopped for half a shandy,

c) we went in the Yorkshire Dales visitors centre (and bought a tea towel),

d) we got totally lost in the last 5 miles,

e) I am actually a cycling powerhouse and that time is not indicative of my abilities only of my achievements.

Bike pictures on the website

The website has been updated with images and spec’s of some of the bikes in store.

This classic British Youngs touring bike is up on the site as is a rather delicious Viking ‘Tour of Britain’ and a jaw droppingly beautiful Pinarello, (it’s a Lothario that one, I tell you), anyway go and have a butchers for yourself, Sargent and Co.