Glenn Kinning with Dean and Lee Harvey and why this photo and what it represents is the oxygen that Irish cycling survives and thrives on.
Every season we track the Irish road racing scene closely and dip in and out of other forms of competitive cycling at home and involving Irish cyclists abroad.
And every time a rider comes through and wins a big race or puts in a breakthrough performance, they inevitably thank those who have helped them along the way.
And at the centre of that gratitude are small local cycling businesses; from bike shops to clothing companies and other types of kit provider.
It is the local smaller cycling businesses that keep the sport in Ireland going.
So it was with great interest that we saw this shot of top Irish rider Glenn Kinning with a couple of young guns in the shape of Dean and Lee Harvey.
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Kinning owns his own shop – Kinning Cycles of Belfast.
And he riders under his own Kinning Cycles livery, with others also competing in the colours of the team he supports.
He also backs the Kinning Cycles Cyclocross League. Yet still he’s doing more; bringing on young lads like Dean and Lee Harvey.
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Kinning is not on his own of course. There are countless others who own small bike businesses going head to head with major international companies buying online.
Yet they still find the time and the money to tend to the local scene.
Eamon McConvey of McConvey Cycles has also put his money into the sport down the years as have countless others; Paul Fitzsimons of Fitz Cycles in Dublin, Jimmy Stagg of Stagg Cycles in Lucan, the Cassidys and the Connaughtons of Spin11.com and Cycleways, Morgan Fox at Planet X Ireland, the Kanes of Dave Kane Cycles, David McQuaid of DMC Sports, Rob Cummins of Wheelworx, Ciaran Kelly of Bikeworx, Caldwell Cycles in Omagh, iBike, Kingdom Endurance Sport, Mel Sutcliffe of Scott Bicycles and Eurocycles, Robin Seymour at Expert Cycles.
The list goes on and on and on. We are undoubtedly missing lots of names here – but the important thing is we acknowledge all those who help; whether we at stickybottle know their names or not.
And that’s what this piece is about.
The sport may be booming in Ireland but there is more competition than ever for all of our home-grown cycling entrepreneurs and businesses.
So be sure to get out and support them because we need them to be there to lend a hand, to dish out advice and a bit of free or very heavily discounted kit to the newcomers and the young guns.
If you support local bike businesses, they’ll support the Dean and Lee Harveys of this world; they've shown us time and again they're willing to do it.
Support for your local bike shop is support for Irish cycling. Never forget it...
That's how these boys roll..
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