I was distraught when Drakes bike shop on Hills Road closed as I’d been buying cycles there for over twenty years, and I had always found them reliable, reassuring and efficient. Fortunately I’ve found an alternative – Blazing Saddles on Cherry Hinton Road.
And they are wonderful….last Friday I was cycling in to the railway station on my way to London when I finally accepted that the poor brakes I’d been putting up with for a few months had reached the end of the line. Since I was planning to take my bike with me – it’s the easiest way to get to and from City University – and didn’t want to end up under a bus outside King’s Cross I popped into Blazing Saddles intending to buy new brake blocks and do the repair on the train.
The owner took one look at the bike, advised me that I needed a new cable too and when I asked if there was any possibility of doing it for me took pity on me and sent me to a nearby cafe for a quick coffee while he did the job in 15 minutes. He even pumped up the tyres and refused to take extra for the job.
So I’m alive, my students are happy and I think they are wonderful. Next time you need your bike serviced, it’s the place to go.
It’s true – whenever there’s been something easy-to-fix on my bike or where it needs a tool I don’t have, they’ve either lent me the tool, or just done it for free! Friendly too 🙂 Definitely recommendable.
Glad to hear things went well!
Now, can you answer the really tricky question of why Cambridge station is so damn far away from where it should be?!
Dominic: The station is so far from the centre because the University didn’t want its young men to be popping down to the bright lights of London too readily.
Really.
Having said that, Cambridge has grown enormously out past the station since it was built, putting it closer to the centre of gravity of town than it was in 1845.
Dominic – It depends on where you think it should be.
If its in Drummer Street, the original planned location, then the answer is that the university insisted that it had to be built one mile from Great St.Mary’s church.
Interestingly in those days Cambridge had the luxury of a regular tram service from the station to the city centre.
Hah! Thank you Nick and Geoff – it’s good to know who to blame. (And yus, I’d much rather have it in the centre!)
There’ll be another railway station appearing in Chesterton in a few years. This will be really beneficial to everyone who lives around there – and be quite good for the Science Park too… Might be a good idea to set up a bike shop near where this will open.
As for bike shops and repairs I’d avoid some of the more ‘mainstream’ places in the city. Very expensive.
I’ve heard good things about the chap who resides in the Park Street secure bike area though.
Can someone help me? I am looking to buy a bike (as a surprise) for my daughter starting uni in Cambridge this October. Thought it might be easier to buy locally. Can I actually buy bikes at Blazing Saddles or is it just a repair shop?
Hi Bill
I agree about Blazing Saddles being the best bike shop in cambridge for spares and repairs. My gears had become borderline dangerous. Blazing saddles did the job well, for a good price, on time and had to fit an new bottom bracket (spindle) which they didn’t charge for because they had not quoted for it. Most would see it as an opportunity to charge more.
I would however recomend Cycle King in Mill road if you want to buy a new ‘cheap’ bike say up to £200. They buy up surplus stock and have a good range of the cheaper end of things.