Gainsborough: Cycling enthusiast turned a hobby into a career

Cycling enthusiast Trevor Halstead was able to turn his hobby into a career after he took over a Gainsborough cycling shop.
Trevor HalsteadTrevor Halstead
Trevor Halstead

Trevor, 57, has been a cycle retailer for the past 17 years when he took over Gainsborough Cycle Centre in 1998.

Trevor said: “Friends and the owners of Gainsborough Cycle Centre Veronica and Tom Tait asked if I was interested in taking on the business and retaining, at the time, Gainsborough’s only remaining cycle shop.”

Trevor finds the job very rewarding as he is able to offer advice to people who might be new to cycling.

He said: “The rewards of my job is introducing newcomers to cycling helping them with the best advice and the right equipment for their cycling requirements.

“The challenges are running a small business and repairing the many different types of cycles.

“I have always had a cycle since my childhood but I got the cycling bug in 1977 when I started fixing cycles for friends and taking up cycle touring and photography.

“A few years later I started helping Tom at Gainsborough Cycle Centre, so it was no surprise this is where I am today.”

As well as running a town business Trevor was chosen to be Gainsborough Citizen of the Year for 2007 to 2008, something which he is very proud of. This was due to his great achievement in fundraising for the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

Trevor said: “Other achievements so far to date is riding two 24 hour cycling time trials in 2013 and 2015.

“My personal best this year was 342 miles so next year my aim is 350miles.”

Trevor was born in the mining village of Ollerton, Notts in 1958.

He said: “I moved to Lincolnshire as the farm where my father worked was to become a housing estate for expanding mining community.

“Lincolnshire has been my home since then.”

After school Trevor found a passion for gardening which became his first job.

He then began working in the catering and entertainment industry as a handyman at The Chestnuts in Glentham.

Trevor said: “The hobby of photography came along and changed my working life as I become self employed as a freelance photographer in the Gainsborough area.

“As the world of press photography changed cycle retail became my way of life.”

It has always been an ambition of Trevor to become a ycling author and help inspire and promote cycle touring.

Trevor said: “Over the years, as a keen photographer, thousands of images, many depicting life in Lincolnshire have been collected, many on slides between 1977 and 1990.

“Hopefully in the future I would like to publish some and show slide shows as were done years ago.”

Trevor also hopes to see a new cycle network in the future.

He said: “As a supporter of Sustrans in the future it would be great if a National Cycle Network route was constructed linking Gainsborough and Retford with Clumber Park.

Cycling is a huge part of my life as a member of Gainsborough Aegir Cycling Club and The Cyclist’s Touring Club.

“My other hobbies are photography and local history.”

Trevor also does a lot of fundraising and helps raise funds for the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance and he is also a member of Gainsborough’s Riverside Festival committee.

Trevor said: “Working in the community of Gainsborough and West Lindsey promoting the splendid area is of great importance to me.”

In spring last year Trevor relocated his shop, which was in Church Street to Ropery Road, Gainsborough and it was renamed Gainsborough Cycles.