Irish cycling may have been hit by race and sportive suspensions of late, and bike-related businesses closing their doors due to Covid19, but the tentative green shots of recovery are now visible.
We brought you news earlier of the Donegal Ultra 555 pressing ahead with its event on August 28th, and now it's the turn of biking.ie.
The well known Dublin-Wicklow off-road biking business has re-opened for the first time since being forced to suspend operations temporarily due to the lock-down.
It has two sites; at Ballinastoe mountain bike trails in Co Wicklow and at Ticknock mountain bike trails in Co Dublin.
It offers bike rental at both locations as well lessons to budding off-roaders and tours. There is also a workshop and café at both sites.
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And though the 5km rule means very few will able to take the bikes out for a spin for now, when the distance is extended to 20km in coming weeks that should change.
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Niall Davis, a accomplished off-road international racer and a man who has made an impression on the cyclocross scene in recent years, runs the business with wife Tarja Owens.
She needs no introduction; an Olympian at the Sydney Games 2000, multiple national champion off-road and the first Irish woman to ride the women's Giro.
Davis told stickybottle that since re-opening in recent days some riders had come to the business and he expected trade to pick up in the weeks ahead.
“It's great to be back open, at least
on weekends for the moment. It was very quiet, just a hand full of bikes out so
far,” he said.
“But hopefully that will pick up
when the 20km limit comes in. And we're open in Ticknock Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday too.
“To be there on the hill as a social
hub for the MTB community is really important for us, it's our main motivation
at the moment to be honest.
“The tourism season has been wiped out so just keeping the business alive this year will be the aim."
- If you have a story about your bike business opening again, your business booming or your events going ahead after August 10th drop us a line here.
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