talking shop .......................................... Photos by Adam Bronkhorst Rule 5 Bikes Two wheels good .... 90.... What is Rule 5? “Harden the f**k up.” Cycling personal goals are. The more knowledge you gurus the Velominati have a whole set of rules have of someone’s situation, the more you can that cyclists should follow and most of them are help them, and I’m in the shop all the time so very tongue-in-cheek, but in a lot of situations, customers get to speak to the same person each whether it’s because you’re hung-over or you’re time they come in. With bigger shops, you’ll cycling up a hill that’s too steep, the answer is probably get a different person each time, so if Rule 5. I’ve even had people tweet it at me if I’ve you’re having a problem with your bike, they’ll moaned on Twitter about being ill. have to start over with trying to get to the bot- What’s the best thing about working in a tom of it each time. bike shop? People never come in in a bad mood. What do you look for when selecting prod- Bike shopping isn’t like grocery shopping, which ucts to stock? I support local brands as much as you do because you have to. Cycling is a hobby possible. I mainly stock Kinesis bikes, which are and people come in because they want to spend designed and prototyped in the South Downs, money on their bike. There’s a great cycling so if you want a bike to ride around this area you community in Brighton - that was what drew me really can’t get much better than that. Morvélo to move here a few years ago – and everyone has are a local cycle-wear brand based in the centre been really warm and welcoming towards me. of town, who produce clothing which keeps you I’m really lucky to be in a trade where I get to visible and safe, but looks good too. And they’re talk about something I like all the time. part of the cycling community; people know What can you offer to customers that they who they are, so they’re not just a faceless com- wouldn’t get from the national bikeshop pany. But the key thing I look for in a product is chains? I get to build up a rapport with my something I’d be happy to use myself. customers. Once somebody has visited me a Paul Hambridge interviewed by Rebecca Cunningham few times, I can remember their bike, any work that I’ve done to it in the past and what their .... 253d Ditchling Rd, rule5bikes.co.uk, @rule5bikes 91....