Capital Cycles
Suit your Commute with your Capital Companion

A customer recently told me how important it was that people knew ‘who’ was behind Capital. The reason - he had never experieced a more personal service from an online shop and felt it was important for other people to know. 
Hi, my name is Freddie Bourne, I am 26, and i am the founder, owner and Managing Director of Capital Cycles Ltd.
I answer all your emails, take your telephone calls, process your orders and handle every one of the requests, problems and questions that you may have about us, our bikes or our service.
I set up the company in January 2008, launched on 9th May and in that time i have sold over 600 bicycles. The ‘Capital Cycles’ brand is something completely new. I realised that if i was going to make cycling genuinely affordable then there was no point in buying other people’s bikes - as they are all so expensive, have too many unneccessary gears and suspension and had a pricey stigma attached to them. Instead, i was going to have to go to the roots and start from the beginning. I went on a mission to find the manufacturers who make the other people’s bikes and asked them to make mine too. This gave me control over the specification, design, accessories and colour of the bikes - it meant that i had a say in every decision. Capital represents simplicity, reliability and affordability. As the person behind it, i represent responsibility, customer care and most importantly - the face behind the business.

My aim for 2009 is to open my first shop, so fingers crossed for the future.

If you have any questions or want to ask me about something, just contact me and i will be happy to help you out.

It was revealed today that uneployment figures could become higher than predicted.
If employers are tightening their belts, then that is a solid sign that WE need to do the same. Eliminate all unnecessary outgoings and reduce all excess expenditure. Here are just a few ideas:

• Check through your direct debits and standing orders. This is often a good way to clear out any potential money waste
• For what you would spend on one meal out, buy a cook book and start cooking more at home. For what it costs to buy one bottle of wine in a restaurant, you can buy better wine, food and treats for two to have at home.
• Going to the pub is essential, but costly. Perhaps consider reducing your trips and instead get friends over to yours for a drink or a meal. Or, if you do go out, set a limit. We all know what can happen!
• Are you paying interest on your credit card? Look for cards that offer 0% balance transfers and 0% interest on balances transferred. Then, don’t use the card - simply pay it off as and when you can afford to.
• Visit uswitch.com and see if you could be saving money on gas and electric. Also, consider wearing an extra layer and turning down the thermostat - at least until the prices come back down.
• Sell anything you don’t want - online or at a car bot sale. Ebay is expensive, so also try preloved.co.uk, gumtree.co.uk and freeads.co.uk.
• Try your hand at DIY instead of paying vast amounts for labour.
• Look around for cheaper travel insurance, life insurance, car insurance, home insurance etc.
• Quit the gym - the world outside is free.
• Leave the car - AND CYCLE!

Experts are predicting that a new bicycle code may be in order, if the volume of people taking to two wheels continues to increase. The London Paper today wrote:

“Cyclists in London will have to take compulsory tests proficiency tests and pay for MOT certificates if the bike boom continues.
Cycling on major roads has risen 91% in the past 8 years and the trend is set to continue as people save money by turning to two wheels.”

Well, i think this is a bit extreme, but perhaps some of middle ground might be reasonable. Bike MOT’S - dreadful idea. The whole point in cycling is that you avoid ALL costs associated with cars and motorbikes. Do you have any views?

It is National Bike Week! Get out of the car, onto a bike and save money, get fit and see things you would never normally see.

I was recently riding one of our Clearance Bikes (£99 inc delivery) across London, and as i crossed Wandsworth Bridge, i noticed for the first time some of the architecture which is being placed on our river front. Some of it is great, some is not so great.

But more importantly, with the cost of fuel rising to £1.20 a litre, aren’t you tired of being ripped off? Just for this week, see what happens to your outgoing costs if you switch every short car journey for a bike ride. The weather is great too, so no excuses there!

With the ‘credit crunch’ that we are all tired of talking about, you might be helping yourself a little more than you originally though. PLUS, with our clearance bikes you only need to spend £99 to get on the road!!! That price includes free UK mainland delivery and all the extra accessories you could dream of. All that is left to buy is a lock and a helmet.

Come on, give it a go - enjoy.

Boris Johnson appreciates the potential value in getting even just a fraction more of Londoners on bicycles. It’s not that we are purely environmentally motivated, but as you will read from previous blogs - we loathe public transport, we detest the way we are fleeced every time we go to the petrol station and we despise even more that we are charged to drive to and from our own home and the shops!!

Bikes are not just cheaper- they are quicker, healthier, more fun and SO MUCH more convenient if all you re doing is going to work.

Koy Thomson, LCC’s Chief Executive, said “Boris Johnson has said that he would go for a higher cycling target than Ken which we applaud, as we do his promise on a mass bike hire scheme, tough action on bike theft and adequate cycle parking. We also think he is right to say that small cars should not be excluded from the congestion charge. We should aim to encourage car drivers onto cycles irrespective of the size of their engines.”

We at Capital say - GO BORIS.

Roll up, roll up - it’s time again for the World Naked Bike Ride UK. 

“On June 8th and 9th 2007, around 1,500 UK cyclists and skaters in five cities participated in the fourth worldwide naked protest against oil dependency. On all the rides, full nudity was permitted by the police. There were no arrests.

The ride draws attention to the elegant simplicity of the bicycle, highlights the vulnerability of riders in traffic and celebrates the power and individuality of our bodies. It’s as ‘bare as you dare’, so full nudity is not required.

On Saturday 14 June 2008 the ride will return to the streets of London allowing riders to see the many sights of this remarkable city from the comfort of their own bikes/skates. The ride is easy and upbeat, and riders decorate their bodies and bikes with messages of protest against oil dependency and car culture. The 3pm assembly at Hyde Park Corner (to be confirmed) and traditional city centre route are again planned.  The assembly location is north of the statue of Achilles. Please assemble in the open meadow area bound by trees (north of the Achilles statue and beyond the horse riding trail - but between the Lovers Walk and the Broad Walk). A map illustrating the start location can be found here. DO NOT RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE GRASS OR PATHS AT THE ASSEMBLY AREA. Keep all paths clear. There are loos within easy walking distance of the ride start and finish.”

http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org/uk/