ElmsPark Creative bench

The brief

Clydebank Cycles

A proper Clydebank bike shop since 1998, with three worlds under one roof: Urban commuter bikes, Gravel and road racing builds, and Adaptive cycling for disabled riders.

This is the brief all three models received, word for word apart from the layout. The instructions also fixed the pages to build and the rules: static pages, Bunny fonts, no invented facts, no sideways scrolling from 390px to 1440px, WCAG AA contrast.

Entity
Name
Clydebank Cycles
One liner
A proper Clydebank bike shop since 1998, with three worlds under one roof: Urban commuter bikes, Gravel and road racing builds, and Adaptive cycling for disabled riders.
Offerings
  • Urban: commuter bikes (15 to 20 models incl. sizes and colours), 40 to 50 accessories (locks, lights, helmets, panniers), servicing and repairs, bulk orders for councils and hire schemes, Cycle to Work
  • Gravel: around a dozen frame and build options plus componentry add-ons, custom build consultations
  • Adaptive: 8 to 10 core products (incl. trikes for children and adults), each practically bespoke once adjusted, with fitting and help finding funding
Mission
Build things properly, by hand, for everyone from a daily commuter to a child who needs a bike adapted, the way a working shipbuilding town always has.
Differentiators
  • Founded in 1998 by Iain with shipyard redundancy money, rooted in Clydebank's working heritage
  • All mechanics Cytech trained, non-negotiable
  • A genuine adaptive cycling specialism, working with families, therapists, schools and charities
  • Three distinct specialisms built on the same shop floor
Stage
Established independent, 25+ years trading
Geography
Clydebank, near Glasgow, Scotland. Accessories shipped UK-wide; complete bikes delivered locally or collected, further afield by arrangement
Audience
Primary
Who
Three distinct audiences entering via one hub
Wants
To find their own world immediately and feel they are in the right place
Trust needs
  • Trading since 1998
  • Cytech-trained mechanics
  • Real local shop on Kilbowie Road
  • Seeing people like them helped before
Desired feeling
This is a proper shop, built by people who know what they are doing, and I am in the right place
Primary action
Choose Urban, Gravel or Adaptive
Secondary
  • Who
    Urban: commuters, everyday riders, older Facebook crowd, councils and hire schemes
    Wants
    The right bike or kit at a clear price, quick servicing
    Trust needs
    • Clear prices
    • Cytech-trained mechanics
    • Cycle to Work
    • Easy collection or delivery
    Desired feeling
    No messing about, sorted
    Primary action
    Buy online, book a service, or (councils) send a bulk enquiry
  • Who
    Gravel: serious gravel and road riders who often know more than most shops
    Wants
    To think through a custom build in detail before committing
    Trust needs
    • Technical depth on groupsets and geometry
    • Quality product photography
    • Staff who ride (Strava club group rides)
    Desired feeling
    These people are as obsessive as I am
    Primary action
    Book a one-hour build consultation, in the shop or on a call
  • Who
    Adaptive: parents (often of children needing trikes), therapists and OTs, schools, charities funding purchases, and adult riders after stroke or amputation, often nervous whether riding is possible
    Wants
    To know: can you help someone like me or my child?
    Trust needs
    • Real consented customer stories
    • Seeing it has been done before
    • Help with funding routes
    • Calm, jargon-free, pity-free tone
    Desired feeling
    Treated as an adult, reassured, unhurried
    Primary action
    Start a conversation by enquiry
Purpose
Primary job
Route every visitor into the right world and move them to that world's action: buy, book, or talk.
Secondary jobs
  • Make the adaptive line visible and findable
  • Sell urban bikes and accessories online
  • Fill the service and consultation diary
  • Keep customers returning via newsletter service reminders
Five second impression
A proper Clydebank bike shop since '98, built by folk who know what they're doing, and whatever you're after, you're in the right place.
Primary cta
Label
Choose your world: Urban, Gravel, Adaptive
Target
page
Per world ctas
Urban
  • Shop bikes and kit
  • Book a service
  • Bulk and council enquiries
Gravel
  • Book a build consultation
Adaptive
  • Talk to us
Structure
Pages
  • Id
    home
    Label
    Home
    Purpose
    Clydebank hub: one headline, three equal doors, heritage signature, trust
    Sections
    • hero line: proper Clydebank bike shop since '98
    • three equal world panels: Urban, Gravel, Adaptive
    • our story: founded with shipyard redundancy money
    • Cytech-trained mechanics
    • workshop photography
    • visit the shop: address, hours, map
    • newsletter sign-up
    Priority
    1
  • Id
    urban
    Label
    Urban
    Purpose
    Commuter bikes, accessories, servicing, Cycle to Work
    Sections
    • bikes
    • accessories
    • servicing menu with prices and booking
    • Cycle to Work
    • delivery and collection
    • councils and bulk orders enquiry
    • Facebook link
    Priority
    1
  • Id
    urban-shop
    Label
    Shop
    Purpose
    Cart and card checkout for urban bikes and accessories
    Sections
    • bikes
    • accessories
    • delivery and collection info at checkout
    Priority
    2
  • Id
    urban-servicing
    Label
    Servicing
    Purpose
    Book services and repairs
    Sections
    • Safety check, 20 min, £25
    • Full service, 90 min, £65
    • Quick repairs (punctures, chain, wheel truing, brake pads), 15 to 20 min, £10 to £30
    • walk-ins welcome
    Priority
    2
  • Id
    gravel
    Label
    Gravel
    Purpose
    Present frames, groupsets, wheels and add-ons in technical depth with prices, leading to a consultation
    Sections
    • build options with photos and prices
    • groupsets and geometry detail
    • how a custom build works
    • book a build consultation (60 min, shop or call)
    • Strava club and group rides
    Priority
    1
  • Id
    adaptive
    Label
    Adaptive
    Purpose
    Reassure and invite conversation; equal in weight and polish to the other worlds
    Sections
    • can we help someone like you: plain answer
    • customer stories (consented)
    • range of core products, each adjusted to the rider
    • how it works: conversation, fitting, riding
    • for therapists, OTs and schools
    • help with funding
    • talk to us enquiry form
    Priority
    1
  • Id
    adaptive-stories
    Label
    Rider stories
    Purpose
    Consented stories from families and riders, displayed at each family's agreed level of identification
    Sections
    • story cards
    • individual stories
    Priority
    2
  • Id
    about
    Label
    About
    Purpose
    The 1998 story, the shop floor, the team
    Sections
    • founding story
    • the team
    • Cytech training
    • the workshop
    Priority
    3
  • Id
    contact
    Label
    Visit and contact
    Purpose
    Address, hours, map, routes to the right inbox
    Sections
    • 14 Kilbowie Road
    • opening hours
    • map
    • which inbox for what
    Priority
    2
Nav
  • Urban
  • Gravel
  • Adaptive
  • About
  • Visit
Homepage section order
  • hero
  • three-worlds
  • story
  • cytech
  • workshop-photos
  • visit
  • newsletter
Content
Key messages
  • A proper Clydebank bike shop since '98
  • Built properly, by hand, by folk who know what they're doing
  • Three worlds, one family, one shop floor
  • Adaptive: yes, we can help someone like you
Proof
Credentials
  • All mechanics Cytech trained
  • Cycle to Work scheme (Urban)
Stats
  • Trading since 1998
Testimonials
  • Stack of emails from grateful adaptive families, to be turned into stories only with written consent
  • Existing Google Business Profile reviews
Existing copy
None supplied; family emails exist as raw material for stories.
To generate
  • Hub hero line and three door panels
  • Founding story (shipyard redundancy money, 1998), honest, not nostalgic
  • Urban product and servicing copy
  • Gravel technical build copy
  • Adaptive reassurance, how-it-works and funding copy
  • Story templates for adaptive families
Funding copy rule
Say the shop works with families, charities, schools and health or social work budgets case by case to find a funding route. Do NOT name Motability or any partner until a formal arrangement is confirmed.
Consent rule
No adaptive story, name or photo goes live without written consent. Each story displays at the family's agreed level: full name, first name only, initials, with or without faces shown.
Contact display
Address
14 Kilbowie Road, Clydebank, G81 1LG
Hours
Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 17:30, closed Sunday
Emails
Adaptive
adaptive@clydebankcycles.co.uk
Sales and bulk
sales@clydebankcycles.co.uk
Delivery
Collection from Kilbowie Road for anything; accessories posted UK-wide; complete bikes delivered locally or collected, further afield by arrangement at extra cost. Make this clear at checkout.
Voice
Personality
  • honest
  • hands-on
  • local
  • unpretentious
Tone
Shared Clydebank warmth, with a distinct voice per world. Urban: straightforward Glasgow shop patter, friendly, here's what you need and what it costs. Gravel: knowledgeable, detail-obsessed about groupsets and geometry, peer to expert riders. Adaptive: calm, patient, plain-spoken, no jargon, no pity, treats every rider as an adult.
Formality
informal but respectful
Person
we/you
Ban words
  • suffering from
  • wheelchair-bound
  • confined to
  • brave little
  • special needs
  • victim
  • afflicted
  • heritage museum-style nostalgia
  • world-class
  • passionate about
Reading level
Plain English throughout; Gravel may use technical terms, Adaptive must avoid jargon
Visual direction
Mood
Restraint expressiveness
0
Classic contemporary
1
Calm energetic
0
Warm cool
0
Refined raw
1
Airy dense
0
Serious playful
-1
Understated confident
1
Typography
Feel
Bold and modern
Font set
bold
Contrast
strong headings, very readable body
Character
Sits alongside a chunky industrial wordmark; must stay highly legible for the Adaptive world
Colour
Temperature
balanced: cool navy with warm orange accent
Saturation
medium
Brightness
light backgrounds with navy structure
Accent strategy
Navy and orange from the existing logo anchor the hub; each world leans on them in its own way (Gravel more intense, Adaptive calmer and softer, Urban straightforward)
Brand colours
  • navy (from logo, exact shade to be read from file)
  • orange (from logo, exact shade to be read from file)
Palette note
Palette picker skipped because brand colours already exist.
Avoid
  • sepia heritage tones
  • clinical medical blues on Adaptive
  • pity-coded pastels
Contrast floor
WCAG AA, aim higher on Adaptive
Layout
Register
panel
Density
medium
Hero
one headline, three equal-weight world panels
Alignment
left-aligned, sturdy
Grid
clear separate blocks per world and per offering
Rhythm
tidy panels, each world distinct once entered
Imagery
Kind
Real photography: workshop hands on bikes, mechanics at work, gravel product shots, consented adaptive rider photos
Treatment
Honest, unfiltered, working-shop feel
Iconography
plain stencil-style labels
Motifs
  • riveted-plate edges
  • working steel details
  • cog mark from logo
Distinctive signals
  • Founding line: started in 1998 with shipyard redundancy money, still building things properly by hand
  • Working-steel details (riveted-plate edges, stencil labels) without nostalgia
  • Three equal doors on the hub, with Adaptive given equal weight and polish despite being the smallest line
  • Each world has its own voice and visual emphasis within one family look
Tension
Proud local working heritage, but modern and not a museum; one family, but three distinct personalities
Assets
Logo
Status
exists, file not yet supplied
Description
Navy and orange, small cog or wheel mark, 'Clydebank Cycles' in a chunky industrial typeface
Holder
Fiona
Brand colours
  • navy
  • orange
Photography
Workshop
plenty, from staff Instagram
Urban products
decent
Gravel products
good
Adaptive
weak: a few family phone snaps, some lovely; use only with written consent. A proper consistent adaptive photoshoot is planned as part of the project; layout must allow better photos to drop in.
Constraints
Must have pages
  • home
  • urban
  • gravel
  • adaptive
  • contact
Languages
  • en-GB
Accessibility
AA minimum, higher on Adaptive pages
Rules
  • Adaptive must never feel like an afterthought: equal hub placement, equal design care
  • Adaptive never leads to a checkout, always to a conversation
  • Line names may be added later (e.g. 'Clydebank Forge' for Gravel) without redesign

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