Love your bike but hate getting your hands dirty? David Wray is a monkey on a mission to keep you cycling

S O, your bike is off the road. But getting to the repair shop’s a hassle. And what are you going to do for transport while the mechanics are carefully nursing it back to full health?

It’s so obvious, really, it’s incredible that no one thought of it before. But, like car repair shops, Grease Monkey Cycles will pick up your crocked bike at your home or place of work, carry out whatever service or repair needs done on it, then deliver it back – usually the same day. And rather than leave you relying on your shoe leather in the meantime, it will even provide a courtesy bike, free of charge, so you can still get from A to B. Simple.

David Wray reckons he was the first person to introduce such a thorough service in Scotland. “Some of the other bike shops – although they have their workshops – they were always very busy and there were huge waiting lists, which was quite offputting for me, just being a cyclist and trying to get my bike serviced or repaired. I wanted to avoid those waiting lists. It just makes sense that we can come and collect it.

“There are operations where a mobile mechanic will come to you,” he adds, “but we take it into a purpose-built workshop where we have all the tools and spare parts to do a professional job.”

The 35-year-old, from County Antrim, came to Edinburgh to study building engineering and management, and worked for a building contractor in Stirling, then one in Glasgow, before settling back in the capital. But at the start of the year, a lifelong love of cycling resulted in the birth of Grease Monkey. “It’s a bit of a childhood thing I’ve never quite grown out of,” Wray admits. “It started out of necessity. As a kid, my best mate lived in the village and we lived ever so slightly out of the village, so the BMX was my preferred method of transport – in fact it was the only method of transport.”

These days, he still tries to ride as much as he can, whether that be road cycling, mountain biking or just commuting around the city. Which must mean he has taken one or two tumbles in his time? “I’ve had a few breaks,” he laughs.

“I’ve managed to break both wrists and an ankle. That was from well and truly falling off.”

Even bad weather and dark winter nights aren’t enough to deter him. “You can get lights, so there’s really no issue there, and if it’s a bit wet, waterproofs are perfect for that as well.”

Ah yes, I tell him, but only if you’re a boy. What if you’re a girl and don’t want to get your hair wet? “I was in Amsterdam last week and it was howling wet and very windy. I saw a girl on a bike and I thought it was the cleverest thing ever. She had one of those umbrellas with a hook on the handle and she had the hook under her arm and she was holding the shaft of the brolly and she was quite happily and comfortably riding along in the rain.”

He says Grease Monkey has already carried out hundreds of services. “It’s really taking off; ever since April, we have seen steady growth, week on week.” And the company has now launched its spanner school, aimed at helping people get to grips with the mechanics of their own bike. “It’s to help people enjoy cycling more; give them the confidence to actually get out and go riding in the knowledge that if they do have a mechanical issue then they can sort it themselves,” says Wray. “It starts off with the basics, like puncture-repair and putting the chain back on, but you basically get to carry out a full service exactly as we would do it.

“The city’s network of trails and cycle paths would be even more popular if cyclists had confidence in their ability to handle a minor repair. In situations where an untimely puncture can ruin a day’s riding or a morning commute, a few simple techniques and tips can save the day.”

Wray has seen all age ranges, both men and women, and plans to set up girl-specific days. “We definitely want to expand the business”, he says. “We want to roll it out as much as possible, focusing on the commuter cities to begin with – Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Newcastle and heading south. Basically, wherever we think there’s demand and people are riding bikes.”

RUTH WALKER

Services from £33.33; spanner school £49, at Grease Monkey Cycles (0845 180 1251, http://greasemonkeycycles.com, [email protected]),