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LiDBA bike ride - Bike rider (5th Jun 2006 - 13:36:26) Just a quick question for anyone who knows....I've just got my pack through for the LiDBA ride and noticed that the 1st prize in the raffle is a £200 bike voucher from Owens Cycles in Petersfield which is great. However, how come the organisers didn't contact our very own cycle shop in Liphook to get them to donate a prize? or did they decline to donate?

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Alan (5th Jun 2006 - 14:39:03) Hi bikerider Owens in Petersfield have been a major sponsor for the LiDBA bike ride for many years. Providing both the first prize, and on the day support. They are a highly valued sponsor. Our local cycle shop have never shown any interest in offering sponsorship for the ride in any form, and they certainly know who to contact. Obviously, they benefit significantly from the increased bicycle maintenance trade in the run up to the ride. Maybe next year.... Alan

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Bike rider (5th Jun 2006 - 15:57:54) Thanks Alan for the info. That shows a lot for community spirit!

Re: LiDBA bike ride - AN Other Bikerider (5th Jun 2006 - 16:58:55) Owen cycles is by far the better shop service with a smile not a grunt !

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Boybiker (6th Jun 2006 - 17:13:10) Interesting isn't it - when local businesses unfortunately have to close, often cited as the reason is the locals buying from big superstores - yet here we are supporting a local business that doesn't appear to want to support us!

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Bike Rider (7th Jun 2006 - 15:31:32) And while we're talking about cycle shops, I went into the new one in Haslemere today, Cycleworks, near Somerfields. Friendly staff, great service...and looked like a very good selection of bikes.

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Bike Rider (11th Jun 2006 - 17:54:51) A big thank you to all the organisers of the ride today, great fun despite the searing temperatures. A lot of work obviously goes into the organisation of the ride, and I think those poor marshalls standing outside in the heat for 3 or 4 hours deserve a medal! You were right Alan (see earlier posting) about Liphook Cycles - see they were open this morning obviously taking lots of money and not a penny of it going to the local charities that the ride supports. What a disgrace!

Re: LiDBA bike ride - liphook cycles (12th Jun 2006 - 14:43:13) It is with great great interest that i read your threads regarding our business, i would be more than happy to provide a prize for the raffle but is it my job to chase the organisers of the ride to do so,i have never been approached about doing this. Iam sorry that we do not offer the service that some of you seem to require and that i was open yesterday sorting out your problems on the day, giving up my only day off to do so.In future i will seriously cosider it worth my while giving anything at all to any school or organisation who approaches me asking for sponsorship or prizes for any event if this is your attitude,anyway must get on now as we have lots to do.

Re: LiDBA bike ride - liphook cycles (12th Jun 2006 - 15:04:29) Further to my last coments, i perhaps did not make it clear that over the last year we have donated a large number of prizes to various groups, have given bikes to charities and lent equipmet to people doing charity rides,supplied parts and accessories free of charge and at discounted rates and sponsored four of the top cyclists in the country,and two cycling teams,hardly the person who does nothing for the local community.

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Harry (12th Jun 2006 - 17:27:00) I Have to agree with Liphook Cycles, surely it is not their responsibility to chase people to offer sponsorship. I have allways received good service with good prices and been helped out of sticky situations with my bike at short notice. They have been various articles in the Herald over the months where said shop has given bikes/accessories to people undertaking charitable events both here and abroad. Small businesses can not afford to have an open cheque book for these events and I think the support the retailer has shown for charitable causes, far exceeds the fact that they aren't directly involved with lidba. Hell if they weren't open yesterday fixing last minute problems there could have been a few less riders out there yesterday raising money for local charities...

Re: LiDBA bike ride - Bike Rider (12th Jun 2006 - 18:21:44) I think it is very commendable if you are supporting so many cyclists, charity riders etc etc. However, my original point was that I wondered why LiDBA went to a cycle shop in Petersfield for sponsorship for their annual bike ride and not to our local shop. The comments from Alan (who I'm assuming is something to do with LiDBA) suggested that Liphook Cycles do not want anything to do with the event. It would be great to see our local cycle shop supporting our local annual bike ride, so roll on next year! My other point about your shop being open on the day of the ride was that I'm assuming the repairs you carried out were not for free but were a money making exercise, unless some of your profits are being donated to the charities?

Re: LiDBA bike ride - willej (12th Jun 2006 - 18:33:45) I think some people have made some unfair comments about Liphook Cycles on this thread. Whilst it might seem strange that Liphook Cycles don't do more for the LIDBA you must remember that it is a very small shop, run and staffed by only two very dedicated, experienced but over-worked men. The other shops mentioned are larger businesses that have more spare funds and more staff, who can afford to spend more time, effort and money on such events and causes. Whilst Liphook Cycles may not offer the ultimate in bike shop experiences, they do offer an indispensable service to the people and bikes of Liphook and its surrounding towns and villages. I have been a customer of theirs (and other local bike shops) as long as the shop has been open and have always received exemplary service. I also think individuals, such as Bike Rider, shouldn’t make gross assumptions about a business’s charitable actions and donations on a public forum.

Re: LiDBA bike ride - LippyChick (12th Jun 2006 - 19:07:46) I am in full agreement with Willej here. I know the staff of Liphook Cycles well. They may not have the largest shiniest shop in the world, but you will never get anything but good value, and service, combined with a scarily encyclopaediac knowledge of all things cycling. I have purchased two kids bikes from Trevor and Nigel over the last couple of years, one new, one reconditioned. The prices were more than reasonable, and the quality great. I was also very confident that should I have any problems that the staff in the shop would take the time to talk to me and sort it out without the need for loading the bike in the car and hauling it down to Portsmouth/Guildford/Farnham/Petersfield (delete as appropriate). You can be completely confident that if Trevor had chosen NOT to open his shop yesterday morning there would have been cries on here of 'How disgusting, our village bike shop couldn't even be bothered to open to support the riders of this great event'. Yes, you've guessed it, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. I didn't do the ride this year, but have done previously, and know that if I'd had last minute problems Trevor would have done everything in his power to get me on the road. I would like to thank Trevor for giving up his day off to do this. If he charged, so what! Finally (this soapbox is starting to creak) I think it is deeply disingenuous for any one to criticise a business whether it be local or national for not supporting charity. I know full well that Trevor has supported many charities over the last year alone. He may not choose to brag about it, or to capitalise on any publicity to be gained as a result but isn't that a good thing?? Surely a business or individual should support a charity in order that said charity benefits, not the turnover of the business or local kudos. We have few enough local traders. Lets stop TRYING to make life harder for them and jollywell support them in the same way that they do us. Lips x (Oh and by the way, the last time I was in Owens Cycles in Petersfield they were abominably rude and I vowed never to go back there again. Well done to them for supporting the ride, but I don't have to take my trade there as a result)

Re: LiDBA bike ride - barbara (12th Jun 2006 - 19:09:57) I am not a bike rider or involved but I do not think you can force people to give prizes for charity. My Brother when he was a child and then a regular church goer, did a door to door collection for Christian Aid, and had the door slammed in his face by someone who he recognised as a regular church goer. There is so much competition out there from the internet, the business rate tax is horrendous, and all bills for businesses are higher than domestic bills, local shops struggle to make a profit. Do pub Landlords donate to Alcoholics Anonymous? Do Tesco do charity food parcels to Africa?

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