Chain Reaction Cycles held the official opening of their brand new flagship store on the Boucher Road, Belfast, over the weekend where Olympic medalist Wendy Houvenaghel cut the ribbon to mark an exciting new chapter in the Northern Irish company’s success story.
Many local cyclists got the chance to ride alongside Wendy – one of the country’s greatest riders – on the roads in and around Belfast, followed by photo opportunities and a Q&A session in the store. Cool FM was also out in force, providing entertainment and giving away free concert tickets and spot prizes.
CRC Events Manager Simon Cordner said: “It was a pleasure to have someone of Wendy’s calibre to open the brand new store, and to offer local riders the chance to ride alongside a rider of such quality was superb. Who better to open the new store than an Olympic medalist? We look forward to hosting many more events at the store, including the upcoming ride-out with Garmin Cervélo rider Dan Martin on October 22nd.”
During the celebration, which was attended by local clubs, cycling fans and CRC staff riders, Managing Director of CRC Chris Watson spoke of his delight to be back on the 'high street': “This is a special day for CRC, we have wanted to provide a personal face-to-face service for our customers for some time. Although we are in a challenging economic cycle there is a positive and continuous trend to a healthier and more active society and we at CRC hope to be able to meet those cycling, running and swimming requirements.”
Jim Berkeley, Head of CRC Retail added: “With 10,000sq ft of space and free parking on the Boucher Road we stock a wide range of products for cyclists, runners and swimmers. We have integrated the shop with the website and can now offer all our customers the same excellent value and service as they would get online. We are showcasing over 180 bikes, thousands of components, clothing and accessories. We will be providing a truly unique shopping experience.”
The company was established in 1984 when George and Janice Watson opened Ballynure Cycles in the small village of Ballynure, Northern Ireland. In 1989 the shop moved to the local town of Ballyclare and was rebranded as Chain Reaction Cycles, offering specialist brands with everything for sale via mail order. With an ever-expanding stock list, the operation moved to a bigger, better warehouse in 1998. ChainReactionCycles.com website launched in 1999, and the company moved again to new premises in 2005 in order to accommodate a growing product inventory and workforce. Chain Reaction Cycles announce a £13.3m pre-tax profit in 2010.
Chain Reaction Cycles sponsor a number of professional athletes including CRC/Nukeproof downhill and 4X racers Matti Lehikonen, Matt Simmonds, Joe Smith, Lewis Buchanan, Lukas Mechura and Michael Mechura; Irish triathlete Bryan Keane; Team CRC BMX riders Dan Lacey, Scott Ditchburn and Ben Hennon.
We’ve always been involved with the sponsorship and backing of racing and charity events, and in 2011 we started our very own in-house Events Team. Highlights so far include DirtMasters in Winterberg, Germany; The 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship series; Ride Around London sportive and Alpine Challenge. We continue our partnerships with local charity events and support initiatives to provide better cycling provision in the country.
Awards and accolades in 2011
Queen’s Award for International Trade; Telegraph Top 1000: Britain’s Brightest Businesses; Ranked 14th in The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 100; Ranked 67th in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100; Experian Hitwise Most visited cycling website; Fourth in Tamar’s Britain’s Best Loved Digital Brands of 2011.
Chain Reaction Cycles Showroom
