ATG hits Ireland… causing a Chain Reaction (Cycles)!
Last week found me in the Emerald Isle to assess the Mechanics of one of the largest on-line bicycle retailers, ChainReactionCycles.com.
A lot of IBD’s this side of the water seem to be suspicious of the company, but from my experience they are mistaken to do so.
Chain Reaction started out as a small Independent Bicycle Store just outside Belfast. The company was one of the first to exploit the mail order market and soon the business spiralled beyond the small stores capacity.
To date, with the company celebrating its 25 year anniversary, Chain Reaction Cycles has two warehouses and has an AMAZING store front and workshop. They build more wheels than you could shake a very large stick at and are staffed by some of the most motivated, passionate people I have ever met in a Cycle Business.

www.chainreactioncycles.com
It was the last feature that brought me to them, and this is not the first time. Last year I qualified eleven of the workshop staff to a Cytech Level 2 standard, this year I was asked back to qualify three of the Level 2’s to Level 3, and another five Level 2’s of new starts.
Workshop Manager Dale McMullen (who himself underwent the Level 3 assessment) also showed me some secret prototype bikes, which I could tell you about, but then I’d have to kill you. Sorry.
He also obtained a road bike for me to get some miles in with him and his wife around the country lanes one evening. We were blessed with Some warm (but not hot) rays of sunshine and a gentle breeze which never really bothered us. You’ll be pleased to know I led the three of us for the whole way round, stopping for them to catch up when I didn’t know which way to go and didn’t even break a sweat… Go me
The next evening I felt a bit of a fatty through too much Hotel type food and so went for an eight mile run, which made up for the amount of effort not used on the bike ride.
Everyone passed their assessments and Dale who was racing the IXS downhill series in Innerleithen this weekend came first in the Masters category.

http://www.ixsdownhillcup.com/ixsnews/ixs-european-downhill-cup-starts-in-innerleithen-great-britain
Quick Triathlon update: Went to see the cycle circuit yesterday and plan some lines, some nice fast corners there, just hope they sort some of the potholes out!
I shall be coming round to shake a sponsorship bucket under your noses at some point this week, so have your wallets / purses at the ready!
Jules.