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news
The Freewheel (source Facebook)UK's "first cycling pub" opens in Kent - but history suggests otherwise
What is claimed to be the UK’s “first cycling pub” has opened near Faversham, Kent. Formerly called the Four Horseshoes, and renamed The Freewheel, the hostelry in Graveney doubles up as a bicycle workshop.
The pub, which had been closed for a year, reopened last Monday with a party thrown by new licensee Adrian Oliver, who is the co-founder of cycle training company CycleAge.
He told the Kent Messenger: “When I went to view the property there were cyclists going past even then, so I saw the potential.
“The pub is ideally located two minutes from the national cycle route, which runs all the way through Kent, so there was no better opportunity for me here.
“On Monday, we had a barbecue serving the poshest sausages from a local farm just down the road and lots of local beer.
“We had loads of bikes on show and our seven-seat monster bike even made an appearance.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming in our new customers during the summer,” he added.
Whether or not The Freewheel is in fact “the UK’s first cycling pub” is perhaps a matter of interpretation.
The Y Talbot pub in Tregaron, Ceredigion, has a page on its website dedicated to cycling and specifically mentions facilities for cyclists including secure bike storage and a drying room.
Meanwhile, during the 2012 Tour of Britain, Team Sky – including the reigning world and Tour de France champions in Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins, respectively – visited the Strickland Arms in Cumbria.
A signed yellow jersey from Wiggins now hangs on the wall of the pub, which is located near Penrith.
In Brighton, The Cyclist – which on its website describes itself as a “refreshment room” rather than a pub – is as you’d expect from the name into all things two-wheeled.
And still in the South Coast city, Brighton Mitre Cycling Club was founded in 1894 in the former pub of the same name.
National cyclists’ charity CTC gave its official seal of approval to bike-friendly pubs and other establishments more than 125 years ago.
From 1887, cast-iron plaques – later replaced by enamel signs such as the one shown here on the outside wall of The Black Bear in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire – appeared on establishments approved by the organisation.
They served as the forerunner to similar plaques later erected by motorists’ organisations such as the AA and RAC.
Do you know a pub that goes the extra mile to support cyclists? Somewhere that has secure bike parking, sells energy bars, or has a track pump and a supply of inner tubes behind the bar?
Let us know in the comments below.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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16 comments
Tom welcomes us to come in in lycra & shoeplates & fill their courtyard with bikes while they fill us with truely cyclist size portions of home cooked food. They brodcast all live cycling on a big screen & welcome local clubs to use their spare room for free for meetings & other gatherings. They also give all Bath CC members a 20% discount on their already low food prices.
What more could we ask?
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The Three Tuns in Ashwell, in north Herts, is the unofficial clubhouse of my club, Cycle Club Ashwell. We hold lively monthly club nights and our AGM in a large private room there. All our club rides start outside the pub and often end in a refreshing malted recovery drink afterwards too. Particularly popular is the beer garden when the the weather's warmer.
Very welcoming to cyclists.
The Prince Regent in Dulwich road in Brixton is a good cycling pub. You get a broad mix of commuters, bearded hipsters on fixies, a few couriers, riders from Herne Hill velodrome round the corner and BMXers from the nearby track as well.
The beers are ok and the food isn't bad either.
The Crown on Grove Road, at the entrance to Victoria Park in London is not really a cycling pub, but it is the best pub on a roundabout. Death defying feats of bravery by cyclists navigating the roundabout are visible most days. All road traffic life is here.
The Pickwick Bicycle Club was formed in 1870 at the Hackney Downs Hotel social room / bar in North London. Flats now though.
The Hope and Anchor near Bath has become an essential watering hole for cyclists since the opening of the Two Tunnels. They're very welcoming towards two-wheeled visitors, although admittedly they could do with a few more stands. Great beer and food though.
Also on the Two Tunnels loop are The George (which, unbelievably, has no stands at all), The Bathampton Mill (worth visiting for a pint but give the food a miss) and The Angelfish Cafe (worth visiting for a coffee but give the food a miss). Oh, and once you're in the centre the Hop Pole has a "secret" back entrance with bike stands just off the cycle path.
Not quite a pub, but Newcastle has The Hub.
The only issue I can see is that the place will be full of bloody cyclists all drinking halves of shandy and moaning on about how best to clean their chains.
Hell on earth, really.
The New Inn at Appletreewick did this aeons ago, of course
In Cambridge, when the Haymakers in Chestertion reopened they did so with a large area of Sheffield stands.
Which was quickly found to be nowhere near enough, so they converted a couple of car parking spaces into even more.
The newly built Queen Edith's is rapidly expanding its cycle parking too, and a few pubs have had on-street parking installed by the council (where they don't have either a car park or a beer garden accessible from the street). Of course, none of these are much good if you're going lightweight and don't have a lock.
I certainly wouldn't go lightweight in Cambridge!!!! Although I usually don't bother when I'm out in the country and usually stop at a pub rather than a cafe, so secure cycle parking is not that important. Bit much to expect a pub to stock inner tubes as well (I'm referring to the article not your comment). I think you're supposed to take those yourself. Personally, I've never found any pub to be cycle-unfriendly. They're all desperate for customers. Best cycling pub I know is The Affleck Arms in Dalham, Suffolk. Set in a beautiful village (most thatched cottages in England) and all beer £2 a pint!!
Honourable mention also for The Rusty Bicycle in Oxford.
Can't wait to pop in—have ridden past here a few times.
It's on the way to Whitstable and close enough to be able to enjoy a pint on the way without having to ride much further.
Lovely to see pubs like this popping up. It's always nice riding in France and going into a bar to find it's filled with cycling memorabilia.
It looks like they could do with a few Sheffield stands out the front
Route 2 in Topsham, Devon - named for the eponymous national cycle route, and doubles as a cafe/gastropub and bike shop.
Also the Topsham Ten is a great pub crawl, not sure you could cycle afterwards!