Fitness and Nutrition Awards 2020

GHP / 2020 Fitness and Nutrition Awards 21 , Best Mountain Bike Hire Service - East Sussex Quench Cycles are mountain biking specialists dealing with servicing and repairs, whilst also offering skills coaching and training. Following the firm’s well-deserved success in the Fitness &Nutrition Awards 2020, we got in touchwith David Cole to find out more. The health bene - fits of cycling for both physical and mental wellbeing are well documented. Quench is about having fun, creating memories with family and friends, allowing people to engage while discovering the thrill of the outdoors. To start, David provides a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into the type of clients with whom it works with. “Whether it’s a leisurely ride on the easier blue graded ‘family’ route, or a more adventurous mud-spattered ride on the more challenging red graded sin - gle-track mountain biking route, Quench’s range of modern kids and adult mountain bikes including electric bikes ensure you don’t have to struggle up the hills, and you have a great time while exploring the forest and the amazing habitat that so much wildlife calls home. “An hour from London on the Kent/Sussex border, hiring bikes at Quench Cycles is a great day out and is one of the most visited attractions in Kent and Sussex, attracting several hundred thou - sand visitors a year. “For us, it’s about getting people cycling, be it on your bikes or ours. With a fleet of over 300 bikes, we deliver over 30,000 hires a year. Through a range of complimentary offers we can enhance your cycling experience, including being a sales, demo & tech centre for both Whyte and Oct20771 Transition bike brands and offer - ing a range of parts, accessories and clothing, bike servicing and repairs. Additionally, we offer health and social rides, skills and maintenance courses and cycling birthday parties, as well as loads of advice and help from a profes - sional team to help ensure that you make the right choice around bikes and kit that’s right for you. Typically, we work with numerous organisations such as the NHS, schools, collages, youth groups, the prison and probation service, as well as Sport England to deliv - er numerous community projects, all designed to engage people with the outdoors, increase fit - ness and develop other aspects of peoples’ lives.” Despite the outbreak of COVID-19 initially forcing Quench Cycles to close, the firm have noticed an increased demand for bikes with more people exercising outdoors as David explains further. “If I’m honest, we have been very lucky compared to many other industries. After closing during the first lockdown, we have been able to trade during the second one. Additionally, the government have promoted cycling and ex - ercise outdoors, which has seen an unprecedented demand for bikes and cycling. Being located within a forest with the ability to exercise, cycle, hire bikes and socially distance has meant that we have been well placed. To help mitigate the uncertainty of possibly being locked down, we looked to pivot the business and offer two new services. Whilst we would always prefer to see our customers in person and provide customers with all the benefits of shopping in-store, we also recog - nise that can be challenging right now and so launched our on-line store too.” Finally, David discusses some of the developments seen in the industry before commenting on some of the firm’s future plans for 2021 and beyond. “The biking industry continues to evolve with significant developments around the electric bike market. Whilst initially seen as cheating, the majority of studies have shown that you burn roughly the same number of calories as a standard bike and that participants also increase both the distance and the number of occasions per week that they cycle and makes cycling more accessible, par - ticularly if people are new to the sport and need to develop their fitness or have an injury. “Never been ones to sit still, we continue to grow and develop the business. Currently, we are looking at a couple of new initiatives to further grow the business and diversify it further, with some exciting new projects in the pipeline. In addition, we are developing our consultancy and business coaching which is aimed at new and developing businesses to help coach and support them to grow and avoid some of the pitfalls that growing a new business can entail.” Contact Details: Company: Quench Cycles Contact: David Cole Web Address: www.quenchuk.co.uk Quench Cycles