The Spirit of December Celebration

December is synonymous with festivities. Christmas celebrated on the 25th, is the heart of the month for many. From decorating trees to exchanging gifts, it’s a time of joy, love, and tradition. The streets come alive with sparkling lights, markets, and carols, creating a magical atmosphere that brings communities together.

For some, the focus is on Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorating resilience and faith. Others celebrate Kwanzaa, a week-long honouring of African heritage and culture. Across the globe, the spirit of celebration transcends cultural boundaries.

The Natural World in December

In the UK, December often brings crisp, cold air and a chance of snow. Short days and long nights invite cosiness, with evenings spent by the fire or wrapped in blankets. It’s a season for warm drinks, hearty meals, and the simple joys of winter. Nature, meanwhile, enters a slumber, with bare trees and frost-covered fields offering their quiet beauty.

Reflection and Resolution

December isn’t just about celebration—it’s a time for reflection. As the year draws to a close, many of us look back on achievements, challenges, and memories. It’s a natural moment for setting goals and intentions for the year ahead and making resolutions that symbolise hope and renewal.

End-of-Year Traditions

The month ends with New Year’s Eve, a global celebration of endings and new beginnings. Fireworks light up the skies, people gather to countdown, and resolutions are made as the clock strikes midnight. It’s a shared reminder that every end is a new start.

Conclusion

December is more than just the final month of the year—it’s a celebration of life’s richness. From its cultural festivities to its reflective mood, it offers something for everyone. Whether you’re revelling in holiday cheer or quietly contemplating what lies ahead, December is a time to cherish.

As the month unfolds, may it bring warmth, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose for the year to come.

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Cyber Monday is immediately after Black Friday. It is an online-only event, meaning you don’t even have to get out of bed to get some great bargains.

Several deals will be running throughout Black Friday. Two unmissable deals on Black Friday itself and one on Cyber Monday.

“Black Friday” was first coined not as a holiday shopping term but because of a financial crisis. The crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24th 1869. Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers; Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much of the nation’s gold they could. Driving the price sky-high and selling it for great profits. On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally came to light. Sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.

Black Friday, as we know it today, comes from America and is the day after Thanksgiving. This is on the fourth Thursday in November. Since 1952 it has been known as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is not an official holiday, but in some American states, it is seen as such by the State Government who gives their employees time off in lieu.

Black Friday has become the traditional day for retailers to give big discounts to mark the unofficial launch of the Christmas shopping period.

It was named “Black Friday” by the Philadelphia Police Department in the 1950s and 60s. Due to the high number of shoppers out to get the best deals creating traffic chaos, accidents and sometimes even violence.

Although this shopping phenomenon dates to the Great Depression in 1939, it only came to England in 2010. As public awareness grew, 2013 was a real turning point with Amazon and Asda a subsidiary of Walmart announcing Black Friday deals which have led to companies now offering bigger and better deals each year.

At Espokes we run various offers all year long. Check out our demo bike page to pick up a fantastic deal on an ex-demo electric bike.

You could wait and see what we have on offer to take part in Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but there’s no need to delay as we will be running a £50.00 discount with all ebike purchases throughout the weekend; saving our two best ever deals specifically for the Friday and Monday.

We will be keeping our deal under wraps until the weekend in question – but if you want to hear about it first, make sure you sign up to our newsletter.

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Easter isn’t just about chocolate. It’s about the celebration of the last week of Jesus’ life, his death, and his resurrection following Lent; 40 days of penance and fasting. For Christians, all over the world, Easter symbolises the dawn of a new life.

The origin of Easter dates to the pagan festival “Ishtar” pronounced “Easter” when Anglo-Saxons honoured Eostre, goddess of spring and fertility, also known as Ostara the goddess of the dawn and a bringer of light. At the feast of Eostre  an ox was sacrificed  and its crossed horns carved into the bread became a symbol of the season and this is how the hot cross bun originated (the word ‘bun’ being the Saxon word ‘boun’ meaning ‘sacred ox’).

If you are wondering where the Easter bunny fits into all this there are several different theories. One theory being that in pagan tradition, Eostre’s animal symbol is that of a rabbit. Also known for their energetic breeding symbolising fertility.

Another theory is that the Easter Bunny or Easter Hare originates from German Lutherans. At the start of the season of Eastertide, the “Easter Hare” originally played the role of a judge, assessing children’s behaviour seeing if they were good or disobedient.

If your children have been little angels this holiday. Why not get the Easter Bunny to pick up a Frog Bike from us to deliver to them. That way once they have eaten their choccies they can burn it all off on their new bicycles.

We have recently become an authorised stockist of these egg-cellent kids’ bikes. Designed with the child in mind; they have lighter frames, shorter cranks and small drop handlebars. This is to ensure cycling is a positive experience for younger riders. Check out our Frog page for more information or pop into our showroom.

Now onto the chocolate egg. In England the first chocolate Easter eggs were made by Fry’s of Bristol in 1873. John Cadbury was already making ‘French eating’ Chocolate since 1842. Though it was not until 1875 that the first Cadbury Easter eggs were made. These were made of dark chocolate with plain shells enhanced by chocolate piping and marzipan flowers. 1905 saw the launch of the famous Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate Easter egg which established them as seasonal best sellers. These were often filled with sweets and given to children at Easter.

In 1883 Faberge produced their first Gold Eggs eggs. They were made as an Easter gift for the Empress Marie of Russia from her husband, Tsar Alexander III. It featured a small gold egg in an outside shell of platinum and enamel. It’s possible they made as many as 69 of which 57 survive today.

If you’re feeling as generous as Tsar Alexander III and want to treat your other half to an electric bike for their Easter Gift, check out our range online or visit our showroom in Basingstoke.

We do still have a couple of ebikes left in our Spring Sale, so there is no reason for you to miss out on cycling in the sunshine.

I’ve just checked my weather app and it looks like we are in for a gloriously sunny Easter with highs of 20 degrees. So treat yourself and your whole family to new bikes this Easter, and enjoy the outdoors.

We will be open as usual over the Easter period; Friday & Saturday 10 am – 4 pm Sunday & Monday Closed. If you require an appointment outside those hours or days please call us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

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“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples” Mother Theresa.

Women’s day dates to February 28th, 1909 originating in New York. The Socialist Party of America, celebrated this day, in honour of the garment workers’ strike in 1908. Women picketed and marched, demanding improved working conditions and equal rights.

Inspired by the Americans, renowned German Socialist Luise Zietz established ‘International Woman’s Day’ in the general meeting of the Socialist International in Copenhagen in 1910 and on March 19, 1911, International Women’s Day was held for the first time in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. Over 1 million men and women joined in rallies for women’s right to vote and have equal rights and opportunities in the workforce.

During World War I, women in Russia celebrated International Women’s Day in February 1913 and again in 1917. They protested and called a strike for “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February. According to the Gregorian calendar, this fell on March 8.

To express solidarity In Europe, women held protest rallies from as early as March 8th, 1914 and so it became that during late 1975 the United Nations took up International Women’s Day on March 8th.

We at Espokes would like to join hands together to support, raise, inspire and motivate women. We know that mountain biking is a favourite of many women and to celebrate the achievements of Katy Winton the Scottish pocket rocket known to be fast and fearless, we honour this remarkable contribution to our society by offering at a very special price the Lapierre Overvolt HT eMTB; a high-performance off-road hardtail, powered by the YAMAHA PW Centre Drive Motor which perfectly adapts to your pedalling pace offering an optimal degree of assistance depending on the lay of the land and together with a 36-volt 400wh lithium-ion battery, enables you to ride stronger and longer allowing you to experience hills, trails and nature on two wheels.

Mountain bike trail centres have grown in popularity over the past few years and offer a great safe environment to get you started. If you are nervous going out on your own check out your nearest HSBC UK Breeze mountain bike ride on the British Cycling’s guide.

Don’t miss out on our superb eMTB offer, book your test ride today 01256 353465

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The snowdrops and crocuses have risen to join the early daffodils. The days are getting longer and warmer. Now is the time to get the bike out and give it a little spin. Not too far to make our limbs hurt. Maybe into the village to the nice café with seating outside. Or around country lanes to appreciate the spring lambs and to get that fresh glow on our cheeks. Everything is right with the world and for that moment whilst on two wheels, we feel happy.

Wait! Don’t jump on that saddle, ‘what should a cyclist check before starting a spring ride?’

The bike has been in the shed for a few months so make sure it is in tip-top condition before heading out. You want to avoid having to do any roadside repairs or if you’ve got an electric bicycle any breakdowns or flat batteries.

Ideally, you or your bike shop should have given it a full service but at the very least give it a good clean, (We recommend Pedro’s Green Fizz) inspect the frame, lube the chain and make sure all your gears and brakes are working properly. Check your tyres for any nicks, cuts and road debris. Also, make sure they are pumped up to the correct pressures, these can be found on the side wall of most tyres. Check the batteries in lights if you have any and either replace or recharge as necessary. Hopefully, you have all been taking your ebike batteries indoors over the winter. They like to be kept at a consistent temperature of about 20 degrees. If you haven’t done so you should charge it and make sure it is working.

Don’t want to ride solo? Ride with a friend or two. It has been said that our best times on the bike often involve group rides. Want to make new friends and explore new avenues? Join a club, there are many local clubs that do social rides. Look at British cycling who put on many rides, both guided rides for everyone through to their Breeze networks which are for Women only. We have been running a series of Breeze cycle rides in Somerset throughout January and February for their Breeze Through Winter initiative. We have one more left this month which you can sign up to now; https://www.letsride.co.uk/rides/breeze-through-winter-february-rides-1

You don’t have to be a hardened or proficient cyclist to join any of these as they look out for each other and make sure everyone is happy. Come on, restore your physical and mental wellbeing get that bike out!

Email info@espokes.co.uk or call 01256 353465 to book your bicycle into our workshop.

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Whether you want to keep fit; are young at heart, or don’t know how to change gears or pump up your tyres. Every woman is welcome on our HSBC UK Breeze rides.

You’ll discover new places; Make new friends and have a lot of fun. That’s the power of riding together.

British Cyling, Sport England and sky set up Breeze in 2011 funded by the National Lottery.

The initiative was started to encourage women to get fit and have fun on their bicycles, by going on women-led rides. Breeze Champions will organise everything, lead the group, and make sure everyone stays safe. It’s free and it’s fun. All you have to do is sign up.

At Espokes, we have lots of customers who haven’t cycled in ages, are nervous about going on the road, get off to walk around corners, are put off cycling with men who know it all and who wobble more than a plate full of jelly. It is our pleasure to take these customers out on a short ride to test an electric bike. After a few circuits outside our showroom, they are no longer getting off to walk around the corners, their scared faces have turned to beaming smiles and they are asking if they can go a little further. We wanted to develop this so Laura signed up and trained to become a Breeze Champion.

As a Breeze champion, Laura is responsible for organising fun social bike rides for women to take part in. This is to help encourage women to become more active, improve their fitness as well as enabling them to meet new likeminded people; so, when she saw the Breeze Through Winter campaign, we thought it was an ideal opportunity to motivate some ladies to come out on their bicycles.

Cycling does make you happy and at Espokes we want other people to experience this too even on their ordinary bicycles. Which is why Laura went off to be trained as one of over 2,000 volunteer Breeze Champions who organise and lead ladies rides.

This programme is the cornerstone of British Cycling’s ambition to get women fit and on their bikes by 2020.

Last year Breeze recorded over 1,100 women taking part in the challenge, which started January 1st and runs to 28th February. As an added incentive, they are rewarding everyone who completes four HSBC UK Breeze rides before 28th February with a cycling goody bag. So whether you have made getting fit your new year’s resolution or you are already a seasoned Breeze rider. Sign up on some rides and let’s see if we can beat last year’s 1,100 and if the only thing putting you off is the thought of those hills – we are hiring electric bikes at a discounted rate to ladies booked on a Breeze ride of only £15 book yours now email info@espokes.co.uk or call 07771 927354

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Shivering with cold whilst glancing outside the window at the dreary weather, feeling sluggish and overweight from lack of sleep and overindulgence, it is easy for us to slip into the January blues.

But what exactly should we be doing in that limbo time between Christmas and New Year?

Research shows “there is good evidence that being more active, physically and mentally, connecting with others and getting absorbed in interesting activities all help people to feel better.”So, finish off the leftover turkey, polish off the quality street and treat yourself to those yummy scrummy Turkish delights which have been twinkling away at you, but you have so far managed to resist because this year you are going to treat yourself and plan just one New Year’s resolution!

Buying an electric bike is a good investment. With many car journeys being under ten miles – you could easily swap these for your electric bike. So not only will you be keeping your New Year’s resolution this year – you will be cycling off those mince pies and helping keep air pollution and congestion down.

Electric bicycles offer the same benefits as regular cycling; the difference is due to the motor and the power setting you choose which means greater distances and longer rides. Great news for the heart, lungs and blood pressure, so browse through our electric bikes and grab yourself a real bargain in our January sales, which we have started early just for you. After all, with a shiny new electric bike about to land in your garage – you will soon be making excuses to go cycling, come rain, shine or snow.

At Espokes we have four ex-demo electric bikes in our January sales. These are ebikes which have gone out on short test rides or been taken to shows throughout the year. Some of them may have cosmetic imperfections and additional mileage. More information can be supplied upon request – and you are more than welcome to come and see for yourself. These are fantastic ebikes at bargain prices and all come with a one year warranty on the frame, battery and motor.

Here is our favourite ex-demo ebike bargain

With 27.5” wheels and powered by the industry-leading Bosch performance centre drive motor, this ebike will reinforce your own muscle strength with speeds of up to 15.5mph. Guaranteeing you a fast and comfy ride.

Also up in the sale – we have a range of brand new electric bikes at discount prices. Stock on these items is limited, so you had better be quick.

Here is our favourite discoutned ebike

Ideal for that commute to work or a leisurely ride around town. The Shimano Steps mid motor system combined with the maintenance free Shimano Nexus 7 internal hub gear system give you a sophisticated riding experience.

Our favourite couples bargain

The ideal bargain for couples who like to mountain bike together. These his and her Ex Demo electric mountain bikes are high-performance off-road hardtails with minimal mileage. Deal applies in-store only.

Take advantage of these fantastic deals right away by visiting our online shop.

Call 07771 927354 to book an appointment in either Wincanton or Basingstoke from now until Wednesday, January 2nd where we will resume normal opening hours 10 am – 4 pm in Basingstoke and you can visit our showroom and browse our range of electric bikes and accessories; we will be on hand to answer any ebike related questions and take you for your free test ride.

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Electric Bikes are a fantastic Christmas Gift but what is Christmas really all about?

Christmas is a yearly festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.

The month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown.

By the early-to-mid fourth century the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25th, and from then on it is always a religious and cultural celebration on this day; a public holiday in many of the world’s nations.

Throughout the world, the celebratory customs associated with Christmas are a mix of pre-Christian, Christian and non-Christian themes.

Popular modern customs of Christmas include Advent calendars, Christmas songs, carol singing, sending cards, giving presents and decorating homes and towns with various Christmas decorations.

On Christmas day there are church services after a special meal, usually of turkey and ham or other meats with lots of vegetables. 

Christmas crackers to pull with jokes and a paper hat, finishing with a Christmas pudding traditionally set alight before eating.

Because of the tradition of bringing presents especially to children during the Christmas season by historical figures such as Santa Claus, Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas; the economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world giving a much-needed boost to retailers and businesses.

Only 14 cycling days now left until Christmas.

One of the best gifts you can give this year is an electric bike.

Electric Bikes are fun, they keep you fit, give you freedom and are good for the soul.

They are a great way to start the New Year.

Getting fit will become not only a resolution but an excuse just to get out on your new ebike.

This year we introduced new models such as the Westhill range of ebikes.

They are modern and stylish with integrated battery hidden in the down tube.

The Classic has a traditional appearance whilst offering maximum comfort.

It offers the smoothest of rides with its latest high performance 40nm hub motor, 9 levels of assistance, front and rear disc brakes, Shimano 7 speed gears, all giving you great and leisurely ride;

The Ghost is discreet and lightweight with a frame offering unrivalled balance.

It gets you to the top of that hill faster without compromising on performance. It also has  front suspension which can be adjusted or even locked out for road cycling, perfect for that urban commute. Not forgetting a smart on-board tech for controlling and monitoring speed, battery, distance, lifetime distance and lights at a glance.

These are bikes with no compromise of power and freedom.

Priced from an unbelievable £1200.00 you cannot fail to be impressed.

To test ride these or any of our other fabulous ebikes come and visit our showroom on Stroudley road, Basingstoke where there’s plenty of free parking. For Wincanton please call to book an appointment on 01256 353465 or 07771 927354

If a little financial help is needed especially at this time of year; for a simple, quick and easy process take a look at our finance page.

To order an electric bike or top up on your stocking fillers with our wide range of accessories head over to our website www.espokes.co.uk

Our last day to guarantee you delivery in time for Christmas is Monday 17 thDecember. We will be open in Basingstoke until Saturday December 22 nd .

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“Choosing to support an independent business is an act of respect; it’s acknowledging the tremendous risk and challenges inherent to starting your own thing.” – Matt Kliegman, co-founder The Smile, The Smile To Go, Black Seed Bagels, via Forbes

Buy local and support a small independent business like us.

Small Business Saturday UK highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small business in their communities.

Originally launched in the US in 2010 Small Business Saturday was scheduled to come a week after two of the biggest shopping days – Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Small businesses are important to the economic and social fabric of our society, and all of you play a part in small businesses surviving.

We feel there are many reasons why you should support our small business and not those of our larger competitors. Here are our three main ones:

Personal Service

We like our customers to feel happy and relaxed. We will bend over backwards for every single customer because you all matter to us.  We spend as long as is needed with each customer, tailoring our service to suit you, so you can rest assured you will purchase the right ebike to fit in with your lifestyle and needs.  We really do care about each and every one of our customers.

Family Run

We’re independent and have chosen our suppliers carefully to bring you the best selection of quality ebikes. We’re family run and will treat you as we would expect to be treated. We also offer the very best after sales service, so you can leave the showroom confident, we will always be here to support you and your ebike.

Respond Quickly

We are able to be flexible to our customers’ needs. We respond to feedback and suggestions and can easily implement new products or services.

We are Basingstoke’s only specialist electric bike sales, service and test riding centre, as well as the only Bosch accredited ebike experts in the area.

This year we are celebrating small business Saturday by doing free test rides.

We would urge you to help us save our economy by buying local and invite you to our Basingstoke showroom where you can browse our range of electric bikes and accessories; talk to experts who will be on hand to answer any ebike related questions and take you for your free test ride.

Click here to browse our range of stylish electric bikes

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Black Friday Ebike Deals are back

Black Friday is here once again.  If you have been thinking about buying an electric bike you could benefit from one of our super deals.

This year Black Friday is on Friday 23 November 2018 and Cyber Monday is on Monday 26^th November 2018.

We will be running several deals from now until cyber Monday and then two massive deals not to be missed – one on Black Friday and one on Cyber Monday. Visit Ebike sale page to take advantage of our current offers

If you have been wondering what Black Friday is and where it comes from, read on!

Black Friday comes from America and is the day after Thanksgiving Day, which is on the fourth Thursday in November and since 1952 has been known as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It is not an official holiday, but in some American states, it is seen as such by the State Government, who gives their employees time off in lieu.

It has become the traditional day for retailers to give big discounts to mark the unofficial launch of the Christmas shopping period.

It was named “Black Friday” by the Philadelphia Police Department in the 1950s and 60s. Due to the high number of shoppers out to get the best deals, cities became gridlocked and they described the chaos caused on this day as Black Friday.

Although this shopping phenomenon dates back to the Great Depression in 1939, it only came to England in 2010. As public awareness grew, 2013 was a real turning point with Amazon and Asda a subsidiary of Walmart announcing Black Friday deals which have led to companies now offering bigger and better deals each year.

At Espokes we run various offers all year long. Check out our demo bike page to pick up a fantastic deal on an ex-demo electric bike.

You could wait and see what we have on offer to take part in Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but there’s no need to delay as we will be giving up to £100 off all ebike purchases throughout the weekend; saving our two best deals specifically for the Friday and Monday.

Visit our BLACK FRIDAY page to keep updated on our offers through out the week or pop into our showroom for even more discounted prices.

We will be keeping our deal under wraps until the weekend in question – but if you want to hear about it first, make sure you sign up to our newsletter below

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