What should we have in our bunkhouse

[Paulatic]

I will second dick , take a visit to Penrith and stay at the Wayfarers. Still No 1
Check out Wayfarers Independent Hostel on TripAdvisor
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Revi ... ml?m=19904
Everything is spot on. They do mix sex on dorms when they have to. I stayed there while at the Birthday Rides last year and shared with a Lady cyclist also doing the rides. Neither of us found it a problem.

[alibh]

WOW! Thanks so much for the replies!!

I'll address a few of the points below and welcome any other suggestions too. What you've given me has been so helpful. I'm not a cyclist (I find those crazy seats that you all have do not fit my derrière!) But I'm going to try the C2C as research. Will def check out wayfarers too, thanks.

The ethos I'm going for is group accommodation but I want it to be as luxurious as possible without pricing ourselves out of the market, and also considering that some people want a bed to turn up to late and leave early. I am aiming at the £20 per night price. We'll try and keep the rooms as flexible as possible, maybe having the rooms all bookable by the room except one by the bed. I need to allocate them for the booking tool on the website but will put a phone number on so we can be flexible.

The Bunkhouse Word... We have got bunks but I have had them built in as 'cabins' rather than standard bunks. Each one is a generous sized enclosed cabin with curtains to close for privacy, a cubby near the head that will fit in a bag and essentials as well as a light and socket (with USB) so that if people arrive late it causes minimal disruption. We've bought high quality mattresses and good bedding will be included. I will have a think about the name and try and get away from the YHA image.

Big Smiles all round! We already have glamping on the farm and love having people here so you will always be welcomed.

Drying Room - There is a heated drying room with lockers. I'll put up a washing line and we can take in washing in the laundry room. Love the spinner idea.

The kitchen has kettles, toasters, pans, crockery, free tea & coffee etc and we'll put a vending machine in too. We will include a breakfast of cereal, porridge etc for those who want it and there is a cafe 1/2 mile away that does full brekkies.

We'll provide a 'tinkering' area, we can help with most tools on the farm too. Will put in a hose and sink outside.

Seating - comfy chairs and sofas around a wood burner, tables and chairs in a dining area too. We will add in picnic tables and a heater outside too. We are converting a shipping container into storage for bikes and will have the ability to lock bikes in it as well as have a code lock on the door.

The website is in production, I'm waiting for the barn to be finished to get photos for it. There will be an access statement for disabled guests.

We'll try and get an alcohol licence (my husband likes this idea!).

I'll get a vending machine to stock with gel packs, ear plugs etc.

Will add in towels too.

Thank you again, it's really important to me to understand exactly what you want.

Alison

[MartinBrice]

that lot sounds expensive, you might want to add the frills in a year or so when you have some revenue in the bank. making a big thing about "secure bike storage" on the website is important but in my experience your sort of operation is so far out in the country that crime is almost zero. but to those of us living in the south east, this is important.

[eileithyia]

It all sounds very good to me.

You do not mention wifi, a lot of people see this an essential, especially if it is any distance to the local pub etc., that might have wifi. Remember those going out to seek wifi elsewhere are taking their pennies with them and not using on site vending machines / drinks facilities etc.

Towels is a good idea, they are dreadful bulky things to carry if you are travelling lightweight.

Individual lights on bunks... make sure they are positioned over the bunk; i was in the top bunk at one establishment, I always like to read before i finally settle for the night and if i am awake early. But the offset light shone down towards the floor and disturbed the person on the bunk underneath......

[Vorpal]

I think your bunkhouse sounds brilliant

I will second most of the above. Flexibility is good for the rooms, if you can manage it. I travel with a family & there aren't so many low cost places with family accomodation & beds for everyone.

The only thing I will add that others haven't said... a place to take off wet and muddy outer clothes where it won't make a mess for everyone else. If the drying room is big enough, for that, it may be enough, but if it isn't, you might want to consider that. If there is are some things to help clean up after ourselves (broom, rags or towels, floor squeegie, etc.) most people will do so. Children who have been cycling or walking in the rain can be very messy

[jgurney]

We'll try and get an alcohol licence (my husband likes this idea!).

Getting an alcohol license will be complicated and expensive. It may require alterations to the premises. It would mean a higher level of supervision of guests and potential problems, as once you had a licence it would be illegal to allow any drunken person to enter or remain there (even if they had done their drinking elsewhere). If a guest, having checked in, etc, goes out for a walk, calls at the local pub, and comes back somewhat merry or unsteady, the operator of a non-licensed B&B, hostel, etc, can let then back in at their discretion.The licensee of a licensed one must turn them out, or face prosecution for allowing an intoxicated person to enter licensed premises.

It would also mean that you would be required to prohibit guests from consuming any alcohol other than that bought from you while on the premises. This has proved a problem for the YHA, especially in areas with local specialty drinks which they don't stock (e.g. in some West Country hostels which offer bottles of Magners or Strongbow, some guests have not liked being told they must not drink the much superior cider they bought at the local farmhouse).

[simonhill]

I think a bit of care is needed re the communal area. A nice fire, a few beers are great, but if you re trying to sleep a few feet away, it can be a pain.

There is a fine balance between a nice friendly place and a noisy one.

Not trying to be too negative, but if having mixed groups, it's something to think about.

[PJ520]

Perhaps you could have one of these under a lean to or in a shed.


It's a bike stand with the tools needed for the most common repairs and a bolted down track pump. I came across this one in a park in Oregon. Don't know if they're available in the UK.
For anyone having derailer problems they'll be a Godsend.

Edit. I should have said adjustments rather than repairs. Repairs might need parts and special tools and/or skills - for these have the number of the nearest decent bike shop(s)

[thenorthwind]

Hi Alison,

I think others have covered the important things, but thought I'd say well done for asking the question in the first place. A lot of accommodation providers don't seem to have given the needs of their customers a second thought!

Will be following with interest - I live in Newcastle and it's nice to see new places like this opening in Northumberland. I have an inkling where you are, but I'm sure it'll become apparent in time

Dave

[Flite]

I've seen a tool stand similar to the one in the photo above at YHA National Forest, so they could probably know the supplier

[PJ520]

We'll try and get an alcohol licence (my husband likes this idea!).

Getting an alcohol license will be complicated and expensive. It may require alterations to the premises. It would mean a higher level of supervision of guests and potential problems, as once you had a licence it would be illegal to allow any drunken person to enter or remain there (even if they had done their drinking elsewhere). If a guest, having checked in, etc, goes out for a walk, calls at the local pub, and comes back somewhat merry or unsteady, the operator of a non-licensed B&B, hostel, etc, can let then back in at their discretion.The licensee of a licensed one must turn them out, or face prosecution for allowing an intoxicated person to enter licensed premises.

It would also mean that you would be required to prohibit guests from consuming any alcohol other than that bought from you while on the premises. This has proved a problem for the YHA, especially in areas with local specialty drinks which they don't stock (e.g. in some West Country hostels which offer bottles of Magners or Strongbow, some guests have not liked being told they must not drink the much superior cider they bought at the local farmhouse).

This makes sense to me and there's another reason for staying away from an alcohol license: it will put you in competition with the local pubs who have enough on making ends meet. It's always good to stay well in with the locals who live there all year. You can get a really good symbiosis going with local pubs: you send them there for a pint and perhaps a meal and they send weary cyclists to you.

[andymiller]

I've seen a tool stand similar to the one in the photo above at YHA National Forest, so they could probably know the supplier

Here's the manufacturer's website:

http://www.bikefixtation.com/products/public-work-stand

These guys look like they might be the UK distributors:

http://www.cyclehoop.com/product/public ... air-stand/

Googling 'public workstand bike' produces quite a few links.

How much they cost, and really whether they are a priority - don't know, depends on the budget I guess. You could save on the cost of a lean-to or shed by attaching an umbrella to one of the cables.

[Vorpal]

TBH, I think the fixed toolstand thing is probably an unnessary expense. Lots of cyclists, even people who work on their own bikes don't bother with a proper tool stand. And if the OP wants to provide some tools and a place for cyclists to repair bikes, there are plenty of less expnsive options. Public toolstands have to be built to resist weather, tampering, and theft. The extent to which things provided by a rural bunkhouse have to do that, is entirely up to the owners, but a suggested tool / spare parts list might be of more value than information about public tool stands.

So, here's my attempt:
Tools
*Hex keys: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8mm
*T25 torx
*Philips screwdrivers
*Flat screwdriver
*Box wrench 8, 9 and 10mm
*Spoke wrench 3.2, 3.3 and 3.5
*these items can potentially be included in a multitool
Tire levers (have some separate ones to hand, even if they are part of a multitool)
chain tool
chain grip
patch kit
pump(s) for presta and schrader valves
Spares
inner tubes in a few different sizes
screws and nuts
cable ties
tyre boot material

[PJ520]

TBH, I think the fixed tool stand thing is probably an unnecessary expense. Lots of cyclists, even people who work on their own bikes don't bother with a proper tool stand. And if the OP wants to provide some tools and a place for cyclists to repair bikes, there are plenty of less expnsive options. Public toolstands have to be built to resist weather, tampering, and theft. The extent to which things provided by a rural bunkhouse have to do that, is entirely up to the owners, but a suggested tool / spare parts list might be of more value than information about public tool stands.

You could well be right Vorpal However that bike stand does do a couple of things:

a) it tries to keep the bike repair in one place hopefully away from the clean stuff. IME A favourite grouse of motel owners is tourists who work on their bikes in their rooms. I'd also suggest a notice "If you need to oil your chain please do it at the bike stand". The nicest people can be staggeringly inconsiderate with this kind of thing. I've even had a motel manager ask "Please don't use the towels to clean your bike". Yes, she confirmed, people do that.

b) the ugly tool-on-cables arrangement means that no one forgets to return anything and encourages (a)

c) a stand is really nice. I did without one for decades. When I finally got one it was like scales were cast from my eyes. The OP is trying to attract people remember.

[andymiller]

Planet-X Jobsworth toolkits seem to cover most of the bases (I haven't compared it with Yorpal's tool list) and a pretty reasonable price.

This one looks like it might be just the ticket:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJW30PCTK ... c-tool-kit.



Although one thing it doesn't have is a set of Allen keys (it has a multi-tool instead).

The toolbox with a place for everything should mean you can check at a glance whether everything is present and correct, just in case anyone absentmindedly forgets to return a tool to the box.

And when it comes to what to put in the vending machine you could include disposable latex gloves, wet wipes, and puncture repair patches.