I’m sincerely hoping that we’re well on our way to longer, warmer days.  We’ll be back to the time when me and the family get straight to Felixstowe after work and be outside for the evening at the beach. We’re also looking forward to getting out with the bikes and riding round the forest on the weekend.  We’ll take a picnic and stop (more than once, LOL!) to some spend some time looking and listening…and eating.  We saw a snake, 4 squirrels and more dragonflys than we could count on one trip last year. Then later, we’ll find somewhere for and ice cream and a fizzy drink before we go home. How fab does that sound?? Me, I can’t wait.

Just getting some fresh air and sunshine, lifts the spirits and leaves you feeling energised and ready to face life again Monday morning.

In the next couple of weekends I’ll be getting the bikes out of the shed and bringing them to the shop for a “once over” so I know we can go on a moments notice. Thats the great thing about biking, you can do it with virtually no forward planning. A cost effective day out that everyone will enjoy and leave the kids knackered, so they get an early night. Mmm…I’ll add a word to that “and might leave the kids knackered”

Here at Moons we’re ready to give your bikes the “once over” too and from as little as £22.50 so peace of mind’s not a huge cost either. The workshop has started to pick up with people realising that the summer is almost upon us, but still has a few places left so get in quick.

We are also starting to see 2012 Raleigh and DiamondBack bikes in so come and see the new range, can we tempt you??

Ok, gotta go, but I’m really looking forward to seeing you in the shop.

Simon

Come the summer it will be lovely in the forest, we take the kids there on the weekends regularly. It’s fresh, it’s clean, it’s OUTDOORS! We’ll be dusting the mountain bikes down and getting out there and riding. We always stop and have a picnic halfway round. Gosh I’m getting quite excited about it already! I love the outdoors and getting out there is fab, and refreshing after a long, dark winter.

So, what are you going to do this summer? Once you have bought the bikes and helmets that is all you need, the new Raleigh and Diamondback ranges for 2012 are really good, we’re also looking at Scott this year to help enhance your choice. It is also interesting to note that parking in the forest is a tiny amount and well worth it as you can park there all day for the same price as two hours in the town center!

Alternativley take a look at those bikes that have sat in the shed for the last couple of winters, do they need a “once over”? bring them to me and I can do that for you. The workshop is always ready to take bikes in of ANY make for repair and servicing. Check out the “workshop and repairs” tab at the top of this page for a pricing guide.

Biking is great fun, good for you, and certainly less expensive that a couple of hours down the arcades!

Once you realise how enjoyable cycling is you may want to think about commuting if you live close enough to work. It’s the way forward with fuel prices going higher and higher on an almost daily basis it seems. I read an article that said we would be paying £1.54/litre by the summer, well guess what? we’re nearly there already with diesel at £1.43/litre.  Cycling will help to keep your wallet fat and your body thin unlike driving which will have opposite effect!

I know cars are important and I would be the last one to say “get rid of the car and buy a bike”. In our house we need a car as much as the next household, as it certainly makes the weekly shop to the supermarket eaiser. Running the kids about is certainly more convenient with a car than the buses ( no offense intended to the bus companies out there). But I do try to minimise the fuel costs by biking when I can.

Saving two gallons a week for half the year is quite a saving! £6.49/ gallon (£1.43/litre)x 2 =£12.98/week saved. 26x £12.98=£337.48. That’s over £300 in your pocket and not the oil companies coffers!! Wait a moment!…that saving just paid for the bike! Wow! a free bike in 26 weeks!!

It’s all stuff to think about and if you want to pop in and have a chat please feel free to give us a look, we’re always here with help and advise if you need it.

Looking forward to seeing you soon, bye for now

Simon

But I’ve seen a few brave souls commuting to work this morning, “Give them a medal!” I say and I’m sure you’d agree.

But while they continue to impress with their motivation and bravery, the rest of us “mere mortals” will be looking to the warmer times and maybe we need to unearth the trusty steed out of the shed and give it the “ol’ once over”

Here at Moons we have a fully equipped workshop to do just that and with a Safety Check from just £22.50 and Servicing from £36 plus parts we are ready to do the “ol’ once over” for you.

Why not give us a call or just drop in with your bike and we can take it from there, your bike will be prepaired for the time when you get up one morning and say to yourself “You know what?..I think I’ll take the bike today”

Oh and don’t forget we’ve got the imminent arrival of 2012 bikes in the shop, so keep an eye on the website and our facebook page for the heads up on that too!

Short and sweet this month, all wrapped up in a totally gratuitous and thinly disguised advert for the workshop!

See you all soon.

Let’s face it, petrol/diesel is going to rise even more this year and I think people are actually considering a bike as a viable alternative. It’s not for everyone of course as there’s the school run, the shopping and if you live in a village then a car can be called a necessity. But for some of you who live close to work then commuting does actually become a serious consideration.

We’ve all seen the maths (I did it in Novembers blog, See: Rising Fuel Costs… ) so I wont bother you with it again, but what sort of winter are we going to have? Not seen much snow yet have we? And I think that the temperature isn’t that bad either, sure it’s a bit chilly in the morning and overnight, but we had snow and ice this time last year…

So while you read this, think about it, could you cycle to work? could you rise to the challenge? As for the benefits, well regular readers will know I’m always banging on about the benefits of cycling! Not just the health and well-being benefits but the all important CASH benefits. Go back a read that Blog post “Rising Fuel Costs” and you’ll see what a large amount of money you can put back into your pocket and not into the oil companies bank accounts.

The workshop is currently doing half price labour for all repairs through January, so there’s never been a better time to get your old bike serviced and prepped for the rest of the year! I’ve got some space left so get it to me now and start saving your money sooner.

I’ll sign off now, but think about what I’ve said here, cycling isn’t all that bad, and we could all use a bit more money in our pockets…couldn’t we?

See you soon?

Tell me what did you get the kids for Christmas this year? Let me guess… A games console? A laptop? A mobile phone? These are not unusual presents going by what I’ve heard from people.  Also factor in that that’s was just the hardware, the games are £30-£50 at time too!!

This means the quality bike has become a bit of a problem in so much as it’s not expensive enough to be a main present but it’s too expensive for a stocking filler. Oh how times change! Anyway kids don’t need to jump on their bike to go and see their friends anymore as they can talk to/message them online all day, on the “istationbox” can’t they?

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that not everyone wants to ride a bike at this time of year, it’s cold and usually wet. Heck, I sometimes have to think twice(or even three times!) before I venture out.  But the bike is the bike and once you’ve got it, you’ve got it and it can provide hours of fun and enjoyment.

Now, I could carp on about healthy kids are happy kids, and saving money by not running them anywhere in the car,  but at the end of the day if your little darling(s) don’t want a bike then they don’t want one and thats fine with me.

But if you are stuck for a present, then remember a bike on christmas day will always raise a smile because deep down we all love riding our bikes… AND it’ll be the biggest present under the tree!!!!

Well, enough of my meanderings, I just thought I’d put down some idle thoughts before I wish ALL my customers (past, present, and future) a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. God bless and see you all in 2012!

Ok, Eating properly is important, we should all be conscious of what we put in our bodies as the food we eat is the fuel for our lives.

After all you wouldn’t knowingly put bad petrol in your car.

Now I believe all food is good from the aspect that it provides energy, but there is food that’s good and food that’s “not so good” so cutting down on the “not so good” stuff is desirable. A diet is an eating plan for life not a fad for a couple of weeks to drop some weight quickly after Christmas or before the summer holiday!

Now  here’s the bit that the diet people don’t push with as much vigour as their product or system.  Any weight loss program absolutley requires exercise AS WELL!!!! No exercise? No weight loss! Sorry, but thats true. You will drop some weight to start, with but sooner or later the loss will stop as your body simply adapts to the lower calorie intake. If you want to maintain your weight loss then you have to keep you metabolism going and the best way is exercise.

“But I don’t have time to go to the gym!” I hear you cry! I believe you, as I don’t either, with a business to run and a busy family life too it’s difficult, so why not bring the exercise to your daily life? Just cycling to work will help keep that metabolism running enough to ensure that your desired weight loss is maintained.

If you live and work in the town then, during rush hour, I reckon you cant get to work significantly quicker in the car than you could on a bike. Now you’ve added that all improtant exersize to your daily routine with only a small sacrifice of your time.

Here at the shop we have bikes for all sizes and wallets!! Every bike we sell is fully serviced and checked before you collect, so it’s ready to ride home.
We are a Cyclescheme provider, and also run an all year round savings
club.

So think about it, could you ride to work? Try borrowing a bike of someone and trying it for a week  to see how you get on. Take it steady and don’t push yourself and you may find that it’s not as bad as you think it is.
Read my earlier posts on winter cycling for some hints and tips on
how to stay warm.

It seems the “demand from the fast-growing economies of Asia” will cause a boom in oil prices and the knock on effect is that Petrol prices will sky-rocket….again!

The article says that the price of a litre of fuel will rise from 134 pence to 154 pence by 2015, to put that into perspective the cost to fill a Ford Mondeo (70l tank) will cost £107.80!!! (Wow!)

Couple to this that next year the government intend to slap TWO rises in fuel duty, one in January and again in August!  Next Summer we could be paying 145/litre!! (Double Wow!!).

How can we beat this increase?, well unless the global buying public stop buying fuel for a month or some other such drastic action, “it ain’t gonna happen baby”.  However there is another way… It’s called “vote with your feet” if you don’t want to spend £100 a week in petrol then use the car less! Now I realise that for some people a car is an essential part of life, those that live in rural areas need a car to get to the shops and kids to school and so on. There are also many other reasons why some folks consider a car an essential item, please believe me when I say ”I can except them all”

But consider for a moment, could you save a bit by using a bike? I’m not talking about green issues or health issues here (but they are a side effect if you like) I’m talking about putting more money back in your pocket because the car is using less petrol. Even if you only save 2 gallons a week, at next summers price of 145p/litre thats a £13.16 saving…a week! Over a year thats an incredible £684.63! That’ll help at Christmas won’t it?  It’s a small lifestyle change that will reap big benefits!

There are many ways to purchase a bike now, but one way we’re finding popular is the salary sacrifice schemes that employers run in conjunction with HMRC. With savings on cycles and equipment of up to 40% it’s the best way out there to get hold of a bike. I know, I know it’s getting cold and wet and who want to ride a bike at this time of year? Read my earlier blogs to get advise on winter cycling, it’s not as bad as you think it might be.

Petrol is costly there’s no doubt about it,so just sit and think objectively about cycling some of the time, you may find you enjoy more than you think. I would love to be able to say to my wife in 2012 ”here you are darling, I’ve managed to save us an extra £600 for christmas this year”.  What about you? Whos christmas 2012 would you like to enhance?

Thinking?

I’m hoping to get some hard copies in the shop in the next couple of days, if you want one then pop in.

click here:- http://bit.ly/rts321

As I said in last months news blog, the simple action of getting your bike checked is easy and relatively inexpensive. It could also save a lot of aggravation if the check shows up something that’s about to go wrong!! After all you don’t really WANT to push your bike home on a cold and rainy evening…Do you?

From as little as £19.50 we will check over and perform minor adjustments to you bike, whilst keeping an eye open for potential problems. Even if you don’t have the work done there and then at least you could be pre-warned of anything that could arise.

Also, at the moment, if you have the Safety Check done, we will give you 10% off any winter clothing that you buy when you collect your bike.

We can also perform Servicing from £36 plus parts or even a Complete Overhaul from £75 (check out the Repair Menu for more details)

The weather is changing and, I’m sure you’ll agree, quite rapidly, so why not get your bike checked before it becomes a problem, after all prevention IS better than cure!! Give me a call on 01473 464611 and I can get you and your bike sorted, ready to face the winter season without too many worries.

“But what can I do?” I hear you cry well as I said simple changes and a little investment can make that commute more enjoyable. I’ll list the basics :-

1)  Get your bike checked.

We’re doing winter bike checks from as little as £17.50 at the moment, we’ll check the bike over and carry out minor adjustments, so you’ll know the bike isn’t going go wrong unexpectedly. We’ll also report on any other more major work that looks like it will need attention, but we won’t carry out any major work until we’ve spoken to you first.

2) Think about Mudguards and Lights.

If your bike already has mudguards fitted then great but if it hasn’t then consider them seriously. They’ll stop the “black line” up your back and reduce the amount of splashing immensely!!! Lights almost go without saying really but a reasonable set of bright lights that won’t go through batteries like mad will cost from around £30 inc batteries and brackets, but we can do a “more cost effective” set from around £15.

3) Clothing.

In an ideal world you’ll have waterproof jacket, trousers, gloves and shoes. But this is the real world, isn’t it?, so get only what you can justify. Jacket and gloves I would suggest as a minimum first purchase, then buy the trousers later if you want to. The Jacket and Gloves will keep your body and hands warm and , hopefully, keep the rest of you warm. Here at Moons we can advise you on different jackets and gloves and show you whats available. Also if you have a Winter Check @£17.50 then we’ll give you 10% off any winter clothing you may want at the time of the service.

Waterproof shoes are a high expense item and probably most people won’t bother but it should be, at least, considered because starting the workday with freezing feet isn’t nice!

4) You.

The final change you can make is a simple one, an old school friend told me this a couple of years ago and helped me immensley. Think to yourself “Winter weather is normal, Summer weather is a bonus!” Once that is taken “on board” then the cold and the wet  become easier to deal with!

Think about what I’ve written here, riding through the winter isn’t all that bad and be very enjoyable in the crisp morning air, of course if the weather is REALLY bad then don’t ride. I wouldn’t ride in minus temperatures or in the snow. But cold and wet? yeah! no problem!!!!