Work
Captain Cycles
14 May 2026
A service site offering different packages and repairs for bikes of all sorts.
Background
Captain Cycles was a project for a client who needed a simple, easy‑to‑manage website to advertise bike repair services. They didn’t want anything complicated, just something clean, clear, and reliable that they could update themselves without worrying about breaking something and compromising the site. With that in mind, I kept the design lightweight and straightforward so the upkeep would stay stress‑free.
Onboarding & Early Ideas
The brief was basically:
- ‘We need a website for our bike business’
- ‘Use whatever method you deem correct’
- ‘We need to be able to add content’
I put together a few mockups exploring layout, colours, and general vibe. Once I sent them over, they picked the one that matched what they had in mind.
Final design
They weren’t finished; time constraints meant I had to begin the build.
Design & Build
I built the site in WordPress, using the client’s copy as the foundation. To keep everything on‑brand and avoid the bloat of pre‑made themes, I created a custom theme based on their colours and style primarily from their logo. The goal was to make something they could easily tweak without digging through complicated settings.
A few things I focused on:
- Keeping the layout clean and easy to navigate
- Making sure the client could update text and images themselves
- Avoiding unnecessary plugins
- Ensuring the site worked smoothly on mobile
Since this was a portfolio project and done at no cost, I gave them a final review round with free adjustments so they could fine‑tune anything before launch.
Final website
Note: As the client has control of the website, I only take credit for the site in the state at launch.
Hosting & Deployment
For hosting, I recommended Bluehost; it’s reliable, affordable, and easy to use, regardless of your level of technical experience.
The setup process was straightforward:
- Uploaded the site files through Bluehost’s file manager
- Unzipped the package on the server
- Updated URLs and configuration settings
- Finished the WordPress setup and activated the custom theme
To help them with SEO, analytics, and reviews, I installed:
- Site Kit for Google Analytics/Search Console
- Yoast SEO for basic optimisation
- TrustIndex to display customer reviews in a clean widget
These gave the client the essentials without overwhelming them with too many tools.
Outcome & Key takeaways
Outcome
The finished site gave the client a professional web presence they could manage themselves: clean, on-brand, and built without unnecessary complexity. This was my first full handover, and it made clear how important structured onboarding is.
Key takeaways
With the site simple, I focused on my relationship with the client, keeping them informed and involved at every key step. I also strengthened my adaptability. When the client needed more time to respond, I made the most of my time by progressing with the elements I could, often without full mockups or final copy, while still meeting deadlines and protecting the concept.
Hindsight
In hindsight, I would definitely have handled onboarding differently. I sent a short form of ten questions, but a meeting would have let the client share their ideas in far more detail.
I would also have taught them WordPress differently. Instead of training them separately, I would have worked with them as the first large content changes arrived; people learn better doing it than watching a separate tutorial.