Massive thanks to the fantastic crew at Mitchell Cycles who gave us a brilliant Ladies Maintenance evening tonight.
We were led by Mitchell’s head mechanic, Dave Webb, with mechanics and TMC riders Martin and Joe, who made us instantly comfortable and began to impart their considerable knowledge.
We started with a detailed M-check, as well as checking brake pads, cables, chains and riding position. This was really good, as we got talking about some of the aches and pains some of us get on rides, with Martin able to come up with some suggestions on how to relieve these.
Then we split up into groups of 2, changing a tyre and dealing with punctures, suspension and shock setup, checking gear alignment and cables. This was great as we got to practice everything as we learned it, fixing it firmly in our minds.
We ended with a bike quiz, trying to spot the faults on a bike – well done to Lisa and Trudy who won a TMC mudguard for spotting the most!
Finally I want to say a huge thank you to Janice and Mrs Mitchell Snr for the amazing spread of cakes laid on! We weren’t just looked after, we were spoiled rotten, so thank you all so much. A brilliant and really helpful evening.
Thanks to all the ladies that came – we will do more of these, so keep an eye out or drop us an email ideas@swindonmtbenthusiasts.co.uk if you would like us to let you know when we have another date.