Tour de Bog 2010

What started twenty years ago, with Rhouri Quinn TD, Barry Smith and Robin Simpson with their family cycling just for fun on their bikes from Roundstone to Ballyconneely and then along the Bog Road back to Roundstone, hence the name Tour de Bog, as it grew over the years it become too much of a responsibility for the welfare of the other riders who joined them.

This year we had an accurate account of riders of 392. The hardest part has been to find sponsors for the T- Shirts, however as luck would have it in 2009 Derry Shaw approached me on behalf of his nephew Brian McDermott to sponsor the T-Shirts for the 2009 Bike ride, with the idea to promote the new bike shop in Sandymount, Dublin 4. This was a successful event, we ran out of shirts with 330 riders.

This year Brian himself and his colleagues said that on behalf of their company www.2wheels.ie would sponsor the ride for the year 2010 as it was the 20th Anniversary Roundstone Tour de Bog with an increase of T- shirts with our logo and theirs, this year colour was green. During the ride the boys were dishing out bananas to all the riders, who certainly did not go hungry. Brian and gang now have two bike shops in Dublin.

Brian McDermott on behalf of the company has confirmed verbally that they would consider sponsoring again for the year 2011. For Roundstone this event has become a very important one as a fund raiser to be put back into the community, we are truly thankful to them. We must also thank the visitors who took care of the water stops, Ted Sherwood as MC and to all those that helped out on the day.

PHOTOS

Well done to all and their familys for the massive effort at this years 20th Tour De Bog. You can view photos from the event by clicking here

If you would like to purchase some of the pictures please contact 

The pics will only be up for 2 weeks. All images are 8X6 inches and will be framed glassed and mounted in a  10X8 frame. Photos will be ready within 2 weeks from when the order is placed. Please quote image number(s) when placing your order.

2Wheels Graduate Programme… We are taking applications right now. Ideally applicants personally deliver a cv/resume to 2Wheels.ie at either of the addresses below for the attention of Mark Rudden. They are advised to speak to us personally on arrival.

Position: Graduate Programme: Retail Manager & Corporate Consultant, 1 year contract.

Description & Duties: Managing new retail outlet, main emphasis on customer service, sales, corporate road show sales, stock monitoring, cycle events, workshop supervision, staff rosters, 8-12 hour days. 5-6 days per week.

Experience Gained: Extensive sales, inventory management, staff management, start-up outlet, extensive customer service, retail administration, corporate sales and touring logistics.

Person required: Enthusiasm (or budding enthusiasm) for cycling, dynamic thinking with fresh ideas, willingness to learn and adapt constantly, this is an expanding company experiencing constant change.

Remuneration: on application.

2Wheels Cycles
3 Sandymount Green
Dublin 4
+353 1 260 26 11

17A Monkstown Cresent
Co. Dublin
+353 1 284 6245

Check out these great videos from the Cycle Chic Fashion Show. More info on the event can be found here

Join 2wheels on the road this summer and cycle to Ireland’s two biggest music festivals. We’ve teamed up with both Electric Picnic and Oxegen to give you the chance to beat the traffic and cycle to each event. In the process you’ll be raising money for two very worthy charities – Temple Street Children’s University Hospital and Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. Click here for more information on Tour De Picnic or 2wheels 2 Oxegen

We’ve teamed up with OXEGEN to encourage fans to get on your bikes and cycle to the festival in aid of The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. Not only will fans be taking the greenest possible method of transport, they’ll also be raising much needed funds to support the foundation’s projects in Vietnam and Mongolia. The fully supported 30km cycle from Dublin to Punchestown will take place on Thursday 8th July. Your baggage will be transferred for you to the festival and you won’t have to worry about cycling home at the end of the festival as there’ll be a free bus to take you back to Dublin where your bike will be waiting. Fans will be asked to donate €50 to take part and OXEGEN promoter MCD will then match that and donate a further €50 to the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. Expressing the organisation’s appreciation of this fantastic event, Christina Noble stated that:

I am asking for your support from Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, where I am currently helping abandoned and abused children who are suffering from malnutrition, disease, sexual abuse and violence. By raising funds for my foundation we can give these innocent children the opportunity to experience a happy childhood. We can only save these children with your help. My heartfelt thanks for your support and generosity.

Celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, Christina Noble and the Foundation have established 101 projects in Vietnam and 11 projects in Mongolia helping over 600,000 children and their families.

Join one of the most exciting cycling events in Ireland this year as 2Wheels and the Electric Picnic unveil a ‘Tour de Picnic’ cycling fundraiser to this year’s Picnic. In participating you will be fundraising for a very worthy charity, Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, in return for a free ticket to the festival, as well as remaining true to the eco friendly philosophy of the Picnic. Oh..and did we mention how much fun you’ll have? The 90km cycle ride will leave Dublin at 10.00am on the morning of Friday 3rd September, with friendly experts from ‘2Wheels Cycles’ traveling with you all the way to advise and lead the groups on a protected cycle route along the quiet, scenic back roads to Stradbally. There will be mechanics on hand to help with any problematic bikes and ensure that everyone arrives in Stradbally safely and in time to enjoy the first beats from the main stage at Electric Picnic. Avoid traffic tail backs and enjoy the lovely countryside and fresh air en route to the festival. Your bags and tents for the weekend will be transported for you and will be waiting there for collection when you arrive at the specially constructed and secure bicycle parking site on the Stradbally Estate. To register, log on to www.electricpicnic.ie and enter your details. Join 2wheels on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news!

Well done to all the Ladies who made to their way to 2Wheels Bike Store for our recent Tuesday evening outings.

Tonight, May 3^rd, was Week Three! We took in a nice 26km route, from Sandymount to Kiliney via the scenic coast road. Pedalling into the wind on our homeward journey, we cycled back through Monkstown and Blackrock, reaching 2Wheels bikestore, just before the slightly more adventurous men’s cycling group who had made it that little bit further south. Next time, Ladies!

Last week, we headed north towards Howth, again leaving 2Wheels at 7pm. Safety in numbers; there were six of us in the group. Eagerly making it through the  Toll bridge, we settled into a steady but pleasant pace along Clontarf, arriving back in Sandymount at 8.30.

It’s been great meeting other women who are enthusiastic about cycling. Our Tuesday evening spins provide a great opportunity to socialise, increase fitness levels, gain confidence cycling, and learn some basic bike-safety rules. For more information on women’s cycling in Ireland, see: www.womenscycling.ie

Come join us! All levels and all bikes are welcome.

Every Tuesday evening. Ladies only spin and a separate fitness orientated spin. 2 groups, 1 meeting point – 7pm @ 2Wheels Bike Store, Sandymount

With the summer underway, is the weather enticing you out into warm sunshine? Are you looking for something to do after work? Looking for a way to meet up with some nice people and get some exercise? Why not join 2Wheels on Tuesday evenings at 7pm. For more info click here…

2Wheels’ Brian McDermott and Mark Rudden competed in their first adventure race in Glendalough Co. Wicklow on Saturday 17th April.

After a 6am start, the lads arrived at the starting point at 7:30am to be met by the other 398 competitors and perfect weather conditions. The race itself consisted of six stages of mountain running, cycling and kayaking with distances totaling 18km, 58.5km and 2km respectively.

The pair came home in about 5hours 30 minutes and were both in fairly good shape afterwards. A very good time for a first attempt!

Thanks to the organisers and all who helped make the event great!

Sunday 11th April Route: From Sandymount to Glencullen and Enniskery. It will be a 26km climb up into Wicklow and a nice spin back. Total distance of 52km. For the map click here Focus: We have the Wicklow Adventure Race next week so we will hope to keep the intensity high and complete the cycle in 2 and a half hours.

We are constantly getting people coming into our Sandymount store looking for a cheap bike. The cheapest adult bike that we sell is the Planet Parkway for €199. It is a solid reliable run-around but no more. Bikes from the premium brands like Trek and Giant start at around €350.

People who are looking for a bargain will often comment that cheaper alternatives can be found in the likes of Halfords, Tesco and the big warehouse style DIY outlets. Let me be very clear about this: these bikes are a false economy! They are cheap for a reason and will cost much more in the long run to maintain, not to mention be average at best to ride.

The BBC’s Watchdog programme recently put some of these bikes to the test. Find out how they got on here.

At 2Wheels we only sell quality bikes from premium brands. We want you to find the right bike for your needs (or wants!) and most importantly, we want you to enjoy your bike!

Thanks to everyone who came and said hello yesterday. Thank you also to Sile Quirke in HR who helped make it happen. For those of you who saw us but did not get a chance to talk to us or ask questions, we are situated on Sandymount Green which is just 5 minutes away. We would be happy to answer any questions about bikes or the scheme at any time. Get in touch!

RTE\’s Eco Eye Minute 16:10 RTE’s Tanya Stewart gets back on a bike with the help of Kevin Hillier. Kevin is a Bike Start accredited Cycle Safety Officer and brought Tanya up to speed on road safety and basic bike maintenance.

Dublin City Council is considering proposals to create “contraflow lanes” for cyclists, allowing them to travel in either direction on streets restricted to one-way for motor vehicles.

Under a proposal agreed by the council’s strategic transport policy committee last week, the council will examine how to make getting about the city easier for cyclists in key areas such as one-way streets and wide streets such as D’Olier Street and Westmoreland Street.

It’s unclear what this proposal will look like after it has been pushed and pulled through all of the relevant committees and authorities. It will undoubtedly involve compromises but here’s hoping that it ends up actually helping cyclists in the city.

We have spoken about Danish cycling culture before but I think that this video illustrates just how integrated cycling can and should be. The City of Copenhagen prides itself on putting cyclists ahead of motorists and the results speak for themselves – 500,000 daily cyclists, 36% of the population. I’d like to think that Dublin will get there too…I just don’t know when that will be.

Copenhagen – City of Cyclists

Check out these guys – ‘Ucchie’, the last guy, is incredible!

Now that (most) of the bad weather is out of the way, most people are getting back into spring cycling. With this in mind, the 2Wheels Blog is going to step up to the plate and provide it’s followers with a blog filled with news, events, reports, video clips and (hopefully) interesting articles.

We will endeavor to entertain and if anyone out there has anything to add or a comment to make we’d love to hear from you!!

Check our appearance on TV3’s Business Matters hosted by Ivan Yeates. Minute 28:27. Brian McDermott talks about starting a business in a recession and the challenges facing new start-ups in Ireland.

THE CABBY

STAR OF THE SEA with our new Cabby bike from Gazelle

We are still going come rain, hail or snow. We would just like to introduce the newest member of our team now available for any questions regarding cycling in adverse weather conditions

2wheels.ie is proud to announce the formation of our very own cycling club. Heading out on the road every Tuesday evening at 7pm, we aim cater for cyclists of all level of experience. For further details click here.

I’d say alot of you are finding that road bikes are fairly scarce these days especially in the big brands. We have recently managed to source a few of the most popular models and have them on show on the shop floor. If you are looking for any of the following; Trek 2.5, Trek 1.5 (Ladies and mens), Trek 1.2 (Ladies and mens). Giant Avail 4, Defy 4, Defy 3. They’re going quick so drop down if you want to get one before Christmas!

The Wexford Cycle, in aid of The Fr. Peter McVerry Trust and Welcome Home, is celebrating it’s twenty first year this year. It will take place on Saturday the 18^th of September. 2Wheels Cycles is proud to sponsor such a long standing and worthwhile cause.

In 1990 twenty seven cyclists set out on the road to Wexford while over the last three years an average of four hundred cyclists have taken part. It is also the charity’s longest-running event. Welcome Home is a registered charity set up in 1990 to raise funds to support the work of Fr. Peter McVerry with young homeless people in Dublin. Welcome Home raises money through a number of organised events, the biggest of which is the Wexford Cycle every September.  All money raised by Welcome Home is used to support The Peter McVerry Trust. The Trust provides accommodation and support services to young homeless people in Dublin in the form of four hostels, a drug detox centre, two drug aftercare houses and fifteen apartments which allow independent living for young people while still receiving support from the Trust. There is also a daily drop-in centre.

Cyclists are asked to raise €400 (or more) in sponsorship money. This includes a €100 registration fee. The average raised per cyclist over the last three years is a fantastic €900.

For contact and information please see details please see below.

info@welcomehome.ie.  and  www.welcomehome.ie .

2wheels are delighted to announce that we will be representing the bicycle at the Toys 4 Big Boys Show @ the RDS from the 5th to 8th of November. We will be partnering with Trek to showcase the Madone range of road bikes. We will have examples of the bikes ridden by Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador in this years Tour de France.

The other side of our stand will exhibit our Christmas Club. We will be displaying some of our extensive range of kids bikes along with our new Christmas Stockings. We have the perfect gifts for all cyclists from kids to commuters and cruisers to fitness freaks.

Please contact us for further details!

In Denmark, dedicated bike lanes and free community bikes make transportation easy on the environment and the pocket.

In Ireland, bike paths fill up on weekends with Lycra-clad recreationalists, but are often much less used during commuting hours. In Denmark, one sees relatively few cyclists obviously using bikes for pure recreation. Danish cyclists have to get to work, so they’re pedaling in suits or dresses, even high heels.

The Danes use their bikes to go out to dinner, see a movie, or visit relatives across town. So bikes in Denmark are equipped much differently. The seats are broad and comfy, not styled as a tight vee. On the back there is a sturdy welded rack, capable of easily accommodating a passenger in a pinch. Then there are the lights. The vast majority still favor the old dynamo style that grinds against your tire to generate electricity for the back red light and front headlamp.

Irish bike advocates can take much inspiration from our European neighbours, where bicycling is treated as a serious transportation mode.

Cycling to work can save someone loads of money and lots of calories – all the while, the earth, too. But bike-commuting isn’t always easy – there are many things a rider needs to know to get to work on time, safely and happily. Here at 2wheels we can show you the tips and tricks to traveling to and from work. From buying the right bike, to fueling the body, to road safety, we can get bikers on the road in no time.

Whether someone is buying a first bike or is a bicycle enthusiast,  we will show you how to: buy the right equipment; pick a route; weather-proof the ride; maintain the bike; follow traffic laws and ride safely; and enjoy the experience! We can teach bikers how to make a difference in their bodies, wallets, and communities – and get to work – today.

If you have any queries, please do  not hesitate to contact one of our team today!

The world has changed dramatically in since 1950 but cycling and the principles of cycle safety remain the same…as this short video proves…watch it for the craic…you know you want to…

A sign I came across on a cycle the other day. ‘yield to weaving cyclists’ sums up attitude to cyclists in Dublin at the moment!

Under the National Cycle Policy Framework we are currently lobbying to turn Sandymount into the first cycle demonstration town in Ireland. Sandymount is one of the few villages left within Dublin’s city limits. It has a great family atmosphere that lends itself to cycling and walking. This project will involve a cycle safety school, new signs and cycle paths and reducing the speed limits in the area.

We will keep you posted!