Regular visitors to the store over the last year or so will have got used to seeing a rusty hunk of steel sitting in the corner of the workshop. It was brought in by a gentleman who has owned it from new and was gifted it one Christmas morning as young lad by his parents. My remit on this one was to make it look like it did when it was sitting under the Christmas tree in 53… No time restraint on it, take as long as needed. This was always going to be a big job and it sat for quite some time before we decided it was its turn.

Reviving a Classic Chopper from Hawthorn: A Journey of Rediscovery . So, we recently got our hands on this old Chopper from Hawthorn – a real vintage beauty with stories to tell. The journey to bring it back to life was less of a restoration and more like giving an old friend a bit of TLC.

Embarking on a full overhaul adventure for your beloved bicycle is not just maintenance—it's a rejuvenation! Picture this: a transformed bike, performing like it's brand new, with added safety and an extended lifespan. Ready for the journey? Let's dive into the exciting world of bike revitalization.

This is the time of the year when the workshop is full of bikes waiting for their annual check up. Mixed in with the bikes that we see every year are the bikes that have just been dragged out of the barn for the first time in 5 years and were put up wet in the first place. Those bikes are always interesting to pull apart and really highlight what can happen to bikes that have suffered some neglect. However, it is just not neglected bikes that have problems; any bike that is ridden regularly and hard throughout the year desperately needs that overhaul before the new season starts. Recently, we had just such a bike in the workshop.

We are seeing a good many mountain bikes in the workshop at the moment. Let’s face it, this is still a great time to be out in the dirt. As much fun as it is to be out in the snow, mud and slop it does also mean your trusty steed needs a bit more love. So, with that in mind I thought it would be a good time to look at hubs, more specifically XD hubs, I will cover the more standard hubs another time but, for now, as the XD drive is becoming much more common, I will concentrate on them. Also, they are all I have seen for the past week…

Recently we finished a project that was started almost 2 years ago. A frame, that any regular to the workshop would have seen hanging up gathering dust, is now finally turning wheels with purpose.

Hydraulic Brakes are one of those components that everyone wants to have and then, when things go wrong, they bail and become anti fluid and pro cable actuated. I will admit that there are some good cable actuated discs out there that are very good, the Avid BB7 for instance, however, nothing comes close to the feel and operation of a good hydraulic system.

Every once in a while, we have someone enter the store that has been bitten by the touring bug. The urge to travel and explore uncharted territory. To follow in the footsteps of Magellan, Polo, Cook and the like or, as in this case, to put a tick on the bucket list by touring the US for a couple of months.

The last full custom bicycle of the year has just been completed and rolls out of the store with its new owner. Anyone visiting the store over the last few months has probably seen parts of this build laying around the workshop and the frame had been hanging on a hook for longer than usual. Everything about this bike has been meticulously planned and built to create the perfect bike for the rider. A few teething problems along the way, as with all custom builds, however the end result, though slow in coming, has been worth the wait.