Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Si
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by Si »

Have to admit that I'm a little disinclined to believe that someone would put in close on 4000 posts as a prelude to promoting a pub chain to a small number of cyclists ;-)

My experience of them ('spoons not cyclists) is that some seem quite nice others I'd not want to go near again (OK then, 'spoons and cyclists).

My local was very nice - friendly atmosphere, nice ales, good prices, OK food for that type of budget reheat menu. They had no problems with people locking bikes to the railings outside. Alas, they have just had a major make over and now have bouncers on duty at the weekends. Toilets are downstairs.

Not sure about an anti-cycling policy...last time I read the mag they had a couple of things about their pubs doing charity rides. But of course, the local pub's views need not reflect those of the chain's owner.
teamonster
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by teamonster »

There's no point popping in for a mid ride drink now, as they are stopping serving champagne !
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mjr
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by mjr »

Si wrote:Have to admit that I'm a little disinclined to believe that someone would put in close on 4000 posts as a prelude to promoting a pub chain to a small number of cyclists ;-)

That wasn't the accusation. Am I the only person here to get messages offering to pay me for posting about certain products? (which I've always declined so far) Maybe that's because most of you don't have your websites shown when I hover over "contact" (I do and then you can click "Contact" to eventually find my contact form) and I don't remember getting an offer by on-site PM.
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Cunobelin
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by Cunobelin »

mjr wrote:
Sweep wrote:I am a bit of fan of spoons for all sorts of reasons.

I hate them because of the political nuttery they fund, including anti-cycling rants IIRC.f proper Norfolk pubs or cafes rather than dull dull chains, let me know where you're heading and I'll tell you what I think are the current cycling haunts.


How far do we take the politics?

Stop buying Bell, Giro, Blackburn and CamelBak because of their parent Company's pro gun rants and the fact they are part of one of the biggest gun and arms manufacturers in the US with a £500,000 contribution to the pro gun lobby
F70100
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by F70100 »

Anyway, our local cycle group used Wetherspoons "The Willow Tree" in Stowmarket recently for a lunch stop on a recent Sunday and found easy to use. Railings round the back to secure bikes to.

Finding pubs to accommodate us on a Sunday is becoming more difficult as the good ones only want to serve a full roast, and don't want a couple of tables clogged up with folks only wanting a sandwich and a pint.
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mjr
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by mjr »

F70100 wrote:Anyway, our local cycle group used Wetherspoons "The Willow Tree" in Stowmarket recently for a lunch stop on a recent Sunday and found easy to use. Railings round the back to secure bikes to.

Finding pubs to accommodate us on a Sunday is becoming more difficult as the good ones only want to serve a full roast, and don't want a couple of tables clogged up with folks only wanting a sandwich and a pint.

1. I'm glad you agree that Wetherspoons isn't one of "the good ones" :lol:
2. Couldn't you at least order a sandwich and a pint each? ;-)
3. Or failing that, head to a cafe, although some of those have gone all silly roast-dinners-only lately too (mostly garden centre ones).
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simonhill
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by simonhill »

No one has mentioned that W'spoons are branching out into hotels. Just had a look on the web at a few and they are doing rooms from £39, which sounds reasonable. Add to that a couple of pints and a meal for a tenner and it sounds a lot more reasonable than many stopovers. No idea about taking bikes in,which could be a fly in the proverbial.

Banning champagne is hardly a big deal in a W'spoons. I can't imagine they sell much. Do they do Prosecco?

Although the decent beer revival was spearheaded by CAMRA, W'spoons have certainly done their bit to promote it and at very good prices. For this they deserve some credit.

For the record I strongly disagree with owner Tim's pro Brexit sentiments, although this doesn't stop my occasional use. I have never heard anything anti cycling about them.
thelawnet
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by thelawnet »

FWIW, Mr. Martin's political views seem to be largely confined to the euro and other aspects of being opposed to the EU.

From 2002: https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... opeanunion

Apart from drinking beer, he seems to like playing squash, going to the gym, dogs, walking, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tim- ... -8vv3x5qkn and visiting his pubs. I do not think he is a cyclist, but there is no evidence that he has some sort of antipathy towards cycling, nor that he is some sort of Clarkson-style Mr. Toad blasting cyclists off the road (he drives an old (2005) Volvo).
mongoose
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by mongoose »

Our cycling group, all retired, regularly stop at different Wetherspoons on our group rides. We find the service is quick, the food reasonable, the coffee [ with free refills] brilliant and very good value. Some of the group, particularly the ladies, would not have dreamt of going into a Wetherspoons before they joined our rides, but we never have a complaint when that is suggested for a stop.

On local rides we have visited Wetherspoons in Andover, Alton, Guildford, Poole, Winchester and Worthing. Further afield on rides we have tried Barnstaple, Okehampton [and stayed overnight at that one], Southport, Glossop and Doncaster and all OK. We are booked in overnight at the one in Ripon when we are up that way in September.
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Sweep
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by Sweep »

will reply to some of the points tomorrow, I fear there may be a flurry of posts from me as I never got my head round the multiquote thing so there will be lots of separate ones.

Happy that the thread has taken a more positive/constructive turn.

May offer one liner assessments of some I have visited/sat in on my cycling travels.

For now, it's clear that I am not the only outdoor pursuits fan:

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/maps/pub ... poons.html

If anyone by the by wants an uptodate gpx of their outlets - handy for dropping into a garmin or OSMand, PM me,
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Sweep
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by Sweep »

The queen of iceni in norwich is handy.

Outside seating area, bike can be locked to railings alongside the river. In clear view.

Had a nice local pint of woodfords wherry there while waiting for a train.
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661-Pete
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by 661-Pete »

I should, perhaps, point out that my earlier comment was inspired, to some extent, by Sweep's attempts to moderate his/her own thread. Here, and here. Of course I didn't mean to seriously impute that Sweep is a paid agent of the said organisation!

I would feel tempted to use the word "boycott" to sum up my own attitude to same organisation. But you can't "boycott" an establishment which you've never patronised in the first place, can you?
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pwa
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by pwa »

I use Wetherspoons as an eatery sometimes, when I just want some decent food without a high price, and I find it reliable. But I don't remember any that were particularly good for bike parking, which is what I look for when cycling. Something to lock the bikes to, with the bikes not in anyone's way, and a good window to watch the bikes from.
Ben@Forest
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by Ben@Forest »

I've used them only in the company of others who've suggested going there. Last year on a cycle tour we variously used them in Hawick, Kilmarnock and Motherwell. On the whole they were OK and I had a very good and inexpensive steak and chips plus pint in Kilmarnock, but the bloke I was with, a Spoons veteran, said the quality of the food could be variable.

Some here will appreciate the irony(?), delight(?) or sheer effrontery(!) of the Spoons in Hawick being the former Conservative Club.
pwa
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Re: Cycle friendly Wetherspoons

Post by pwa »

661-Pete wrote:Well I beg to disagree.

Our local W***ersp***s is set up right adjacent to one of our sets of town centre cycle racks, and routinely sets out tables and chairs outside their boozer in such a way as to obstruct these racks. The aforesaid tables and chairs, of course, are there purely to accommodate their cancer-stick-smoking clientele. Not only do I have to endure the noxious fug that hovers around this area, but I generally have to shove these aforesaid tables and chairs out of the way, simply in order to lock up my bike (luckily the area is overlooked by CCTV not under W's control, otherwise I'd never risk my bike next to all those lowlife...)

W. cycle-friendly? Come off it! :evil:

Is this thread a 'plant' by any chance....? Mods?


Sounds like an issue with the manager of one particular Wetherspoons, Pete. I share your annoyance at the racks being obstructed. It would bother me too. But the Wetherspoons in Tewkesbury happily doubles as an Audax HQ, with bikes leaning against every possible supporting surface in the garden. You can have an early breakfast before the ride and a meal when you get back. Or just pop in and get your card stamped.
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