Hi, Joe Here!

Last month I was honoured to be invited to an event in Harrogate by the Dave Rayner Fund. Dave was an extremely talented young cyclist from Yorkshire whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 27 in 1994. He was a professional cyclist and one of Britain’s top cyclists at that time. Not only that, he was a great guy and everyone’s friend. Despite his success and talent, he was not in the slightest bit cocky and was a real model of how a sportsman should be.

After his death, his friends and family set up the Dave Rayner Trust to raise money to send promising young cyclists abroad, to kick start their careers. This fund was set up way before the National Lottery invested money in cycling, which helped us win our Olympic medals. It really is a great cause in honour of a great man.

The annual event always attracts high profile guests of honour from the cycling world such as Eddie Murks, Miguel Indurain, Brian Robinson and even Sir Jimmy Saville, who attends every year! This years guest speak was Raymond Poulidor, the distinguished French cyclist who became the darling of the Tour de France as the ‘eternal second’, after finishing in second place a remarkable three times. With all of the former pro’s attending, many of whom I used to race with, it really was a treat for cycling fans and the event is another great indication of the rise of cycling as an important sport for Britain.

For more information on the Dave Rayner Fund please log on to: http://www.daveraynerfund.co.uk. Schemes like this need our support, to improve the profile of British sport as well as encouraging our kids to get out and be active.

How quickly has this year gone?! I think I say this every year but it seems like only a few weeks ago we were wishing each other a happy new year and now it’s almost Christmas! With our new M. Steel Cycles shop opening in South Gosforth, things have been so hectic that the time has just flown by. It’s all been worth it and if you’ve seen the new store, you’ll see why!  On that note, I would personally like to thank the legend that is Alan Shearer as well as the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress Councillors David and Margaret Wood for officially kicking off the proceedings.  Thanks guys, we all really appreciated it and everyone who attended thought the night went great.  (See some pictures here on our blog)

As it’s almost the New Year, we’ll be starting to think about New Years Resolutions. Getting healthier and keeping fit is many peoples goal but with cycling it is extremely achievable. Cutting out a few journeys by car is beneficial to you and the environment and so easy to do.  At M. Steel Cycles we also work in collaboration with Cycle Scheme (http://www.msteelcycles.co.uk/cycle-scheme/info_17.html) which gets people tax free bikes to ride to work which is perfect if you’re hoping to get in shape this New Year and can save you a pretty penny or two!

After the year I’ve had sorting out the new shop, I’m really looking forward to a relaxing Christmas with the family and having a beer or two! Whatever you have planned, I hope you have an enjoyable, stress-free Christmas and New Year!

Until next time, happy riding!

Our November 2008 Newsletter has been published containing all the latest news and special offers.

Read the newsletter>>

We are stocking 2009 winter bikes.  Be sure to pop in to our store for the full range!

Specialized Tricross Comp

Features

• Shimano 105 Groupset
• Carbon Forks and Seat Stays
• High Profile Cantilever Brakes
• Mudguard Clearance

Our Price £1,200

Trek XO-1

Features

• Shimano 105 Groupset
• Carbon Forks
• Bontrager Race Wheels
• Mudguard Clearance

Our Price £1,100

Kinesis Racelight TK

Features

• Shimano 105 Groupset
• Carbon Forks
• Shimano R500 Wheelset
• Supplied with Mudgaurds

Our Price £900

Trek Madone 5.5 Black and Red 54cm

• 2008 Model
• Full Carbon Frame and Forks
• DuraAce Groupset
• Bontrager Crabon Cranks
• Bontrager Race Lite Wheelset

Our Price: £1,650
List Price: £2,600
Saving: £950!

Trek Madone 5.1 Black and Yellow 54cm

• 2008 Model
• Full Carbon Frame and Forks
• Full Ultegra Groupset
• Bontrager Race Wheelset

Our Price: £1,250
List Price: £1,900
Saving: £650!

Specialized S-Works SL2 Frame 56cm

• 2008 Model
• S-Works FACT 11r Carbon Frame, FACT IS Construction
• Compat Race Design
• S-Works FACT Monocoque Carbon Fork, Full Carbon Legs, Crown and Steerer, 1.5″ Crown Bearing

Our Price: £1,200
List Price: £1,800
Saving: £600!

A local bike shop is celebrating the immense success of their VIP re-launch party, which was unveiled by one very special guest.

M. Steel Cycles, based in South Gosforth, last night threw a lavish bash to mark the opening of their new, state of the art premises. The party was attended by over 150 people, including Geordie legend Alan Shearer.

Owner Joe Waugh, who is an Olympian and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist himself, could not have been happier with the way the party went. He said, “I was so impressed with the turn-out and the place looked fantastic. We’re so happy with the new premises and the party was just the icing on the cake.”

M. Steel Cycles, which has been serving the cycling needs of the region since 1894, is a flagship store for bike manufacturers Specialized. They sponsored Alan Shearer in the Sport Relief Super Cycle challenge, when he teamed up with TV presenter Adrian Chiles to cycle 355 miles in 36 hours from Newcastle to London and raised an incredible £430,000 for Sport Relief.  The night raised an additional £205 for the charity.

Specialized also presented Alan with a new bike, as he now cycles up to four days a week. In his opening speech, Joe Waugh said to Alan, “Forget the caps, forget all the goals, forget all the accolades, you’re now my hero. You’ve discovered a real sport: cycling!”

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress (Councillors David and Margaret Wood) were also honoured guests at the event along with supporters of M. Steel Cycles during its 114 year reign in the City.

Guests were treated to delicious food, provided by Boldon Farmhouse Pantry and were bowled over by balloonologists from It’s Time to Party. One particular work of art was a giant balloon Penny Farthing to represent M. Steel Cycles logo. They also presented Alan Shearer with a mini effigy of himself made entirely out of balloons, complete with his number nine shirt on his back and riding a bike!

The new two-floor superstore is situated just around the corner from the old one on Bowsden Terrace, South Gosforth. Owner Joe Waugh can hardly believe how much the shop has grown: “As a local independent store, we really feel like we’re one of the big boys! We can offer so much more than the larger stores and people have trusted us for decades.

Joe concluded, “The party was a complete success and Alan was a great sport - the perfect ambassador for cycling as a whole!”

Check out the video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pU6YE82haEI

Check out the gallery at http://blog.msteelcycles.co.uk/gallery/?album=2

Our October 2008 Newsletter has been published containing all the latest news and special offers.

Read the newsletter>>

Our New Shop Is Now Open!! Come And Visit Our New Shop At 6-10 Bowsdon Terrace.  (Located around the corner from our old shop.)

M. Steel Cycles is now one of only 4 shops in the UK to incorporate the Specialized Store In Store and one of 15 shops to provide the Specialized Body Fit system.  We now boast over 1000sq ft of clothing and 1500sq ft of bikes and accessories.

Click to see more photos

One of the regions most respected independent bike retailers have unveiled their lavish new look in brand new premises.

M Steel Cycles, based in South Gosforth, have served the cycling needs of the North East since 1884 and have just moved into premises three times the size of the old shop. The new shop features the latest range of professional bikes as well as state of the art features never before seen in the region.

The renovated M Steel Cycles features a Specialized Body Fit Centre, a ground breaking system which uses scientific methods to measure your body and assess the perfect fit on your bike. The Centre has already excited local bike enthusiasts, cementing the shops place at the heart of the North East’s biking community.

Owner Joe Waugh, an Olympic cyclist and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist said: “It’s been a long time in the making but we’re all so happy to be moved in. I can’t believe how good the new shop looks and we’re looking forward to continuing the shops reputation for quality, value and unbeatable biking expertise.

“We now have enough space to really show off what we’re about. We are here for the people who cycle to work or take the kids out for a ride on the weekend as much as we are here for the racers and mountain bike enthusiasts.”

For those who are already familiar with M Steel Cycles, the new shop is conveniently situated on Bowsden Terrace, Gosforth, just around the corner from the old one.

The new two floor M Steel Cycles store is now open, with an official launch party scheduled for the near future.

M. Steel Cycles gang will be visiting the Great North Health and Fitness exhibition at the Metro Radio Areana on the 3rd and 4th of October 2008.  Pop along for a chat and see what the gang have been up to.

Monday 8th September saw the launch of a brand new initiative between us and Greens Health and Fitness Centre, Gosforth.

To announce this scheme, we had a stall at the gym on the 8th and 9th September, inviting members to try their hand on our Tacx Virtual Reality Trainer. If you’ve not seen it, a bike is hooked up to a computer program which simulates a variety of courses. The particular course attempted by Green’s gym-goers was 1.5 km and we were looking for the fastest person around the track. The winner was Phil Aiston with an impressive time of 2:09.

All members of Green’s Health and Fitness Centre, Gosforth can enjoy benefits at M Steel Cycles, such as 10% off all products, excluding bikes and servicing!

The two evenings at the gym were a great success and we look forward to coming in again.