Blazing Beginnings

pat-dewhurst

Shop founder, John’s love of biking may well be genetic – his mum (pictured here competing in a time trial in Brock, Lancashire), was a keen cyclist , and regularly competed in long distance races. She bought John his first ever two wheeler – it came in a box in bits, to assemble on the kitchen table.

john-wheelie

John aged about 14 on a Tracker bike made from old bits he and his brother found in a garage and put together, including a BSA frame, knobbly tyres and cow horn handlebars. It later got nicked out of his back yard and he didn’t touch a bike again for another 15 years!

barrowford-shop

John was originally a bricklayer, and then a Civil Engineer, working in the sewage works, but in 1994 he gave it all up to open a bike shop in Barrowford, a small one-man operation, and the first Blazing Saddles.

23-market-street

The shop moved to Hebden Bridge in 2001 to be in the heart of mountain biking country and we quickly outgrew our premises, so moved a few doors along Market Street and haven’t looked back since.

35-west-end

Blazing Saddles’ lovely new shop at 35 West End.