Comments on: Blazing Saddles: best bike shop in Cambridge

By: Diane Pamenter

Diane Pamenter — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:05:20 +0000

Can someone help me? I am looking to buy a bike (as a surprise) for my daughter starting uni in Cambridge this October. Thought it might be easier to buy locally. Can I actually buy bikes at Blazing Saddles or is it just a repair shop?

By: Hamilton Grayton

Hamilton Grayton — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:34:52 +0000

There’ll be another railway station appearing in Chesterton in a few years. This will be really beneficial to everyone who lives around there – and be quite good for the Science Park too… Might be a good idea to set up a bike shop near where this will open.

As for bike shops and repairs I’d avoid some of the more ‘mainstream’ places in the city. Very expensive.

I’ve heard good things about the chap who resides in the Park Street secure bike area though.

By: Dominic Self

Dominic Self — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:34:15 +0000

Hah! Thank you Nick and Geoff – it’s good to know who to blame. (And yus, I’d much rather have it in the centre!)

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:07:58 +0000

Dominic – It depends on where you think it should be.
If its in Drummer Street, the original planned location, then the answer is that the university insisted that it had to be built one mile from Great St.Mary’s church.
Interestingly in those days Cambridge had the luxury of a regular tram service from the station to the city centre.

By: Nick Barnes

Nick Barnes — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 07:38:45 +0000

Dominic: The station is so far from the centre because the University didn’t want its young men to be popping down to the bright lights of London too readily.
Really.
Having said that, Cambridge has grown enormously out past the station since it was built, putting it closer to the centre of gravity of town than it was in 1845.

By: Dominic Self

Dominic Self — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:11:52 +0000

Glad to hear things went well!

Now, can you answer the really tricky question of why Cambridge station is so damn far away from where it should be?!

By: Cai

Cai — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:10:40 +0000

It’s true – whenever there’s been something easy-to-fix on my bike or where it needs a tool I don’t have, they’ve either lent me the tool, or just done it for free! Friendly too Definitely recommendable.