He's the coldest man I know....

Is Mat's favourite thing to tell customers about me. It's no secret that I struggle when our beautiful island turns Mother Nature against us and the weather most definitely turns sour. This year I decided that I was going to do my upmost to not let the weather get the better of me and stop me from riding. 

The Northwave Arctic GTX MTB boot was my choice that was going to help me through the bad weather. At £169.99 they aren't by any means a cheap option so I was hoping that this was going to be a worth while investment. 

First impressions of the boots were good. Construction of the boots are to the usual solid standard that Northwave command with well finished seams and good quality stitching. The sole of the is the jaws carbon reinforced sole. They are made with thermoplastic material enriched with carbon powder and a natural rubber tread. It results in a stiff but not harsh feel which gives good power transfer and excellent support. 

One of the main appeals to these winter boots is the Gore tex membrane which keeps out moisture and wind that always kills my feet over the winter. The fleece liner gives an additional warm layer but it doesn't encroach on sizing. My 42 winter boots are exactly the same fit as my 42 road Northwave shoes which means that my summer socks and winter socks both fit in the winter boots comfortably. The system to secure the boots in place is both clever and convenient. The speed lace system means that getting the shoes on is both easy and gives a very even tight fit over the whole length of the shoe. Following this getting the shoes off at the end of a wet ride with cold hands is a breeze by simply pinching the release system and the shoes let off the tension easily. 

So the basics all looked promising, so what are they like to ride? Fantastic! Although a little heavier than a standard MTB shoe the comfortable, warm easy to use winter boot will forever be a permanent addition to my cycling wardrobe. Over shoes are a thing of the past when I now cycle to work now and knowing that I won't suffer with cold feet anymore, is a godsend. The colour is a talking point which will be a marmite subject for most people however you'll be pleased to hear that a more eye friendly black version is also available. 

If you suffer from cold toes and intend to carry on cycling throughout the winter, these are a must! I certainly won't regret separating with my money for them. 

Stu

Custom and finally complete...

It's a project that has been going on for nearly a year. In between the measuring, choosing of colours, deciding on spec and finalising the build we finally have our his and hers matching custom Cyfac Absolu V2 road bikes. 

Both frames are custom geometry custom painted T800 Kevlar reinforced carbon built to the customers specification. Dressed with a full Campagnolo Record group set the bike is finished with custom painted Enve carbon cockpit and seat post and both bikes are rolling on hand built Chris King R45 hubs and H Plus Son archetype 28 hole rims. 

Built for both function and speed this bikes are heading to the hillier terrain of South America. Here are a few pictures to wet your appetite...

Enjoy...

LifecycleUK

Change is gonna come...

In every sense of the word unfortunately. The British weather has finally chosen to take a turn to autumn and take away our long days, warms evenings and sunny days. Along with the weather changing the shop is going through changes too. 

Stock! Is being brought in from all over to get ready for a November promised to be colder than any other before. We now have a large selection of Castelli and Endura clothing to keep the warmth in and the cold out! 

Our bike brands are also developing as our portfolio of brands is ever expanding at the same rate as the shop. We are pleased to announce and welcome Colnago bikes to LifecycleUK. Colnago is a brand that we have had on our radar for many years and have been waiting for the right time to launch the brand into the showroom. We will be carrying a good selection of bikes and frame sets including the C59, M10, the new CX Zero sportive bike, CLX 3.0, AC-R and the legendary Master frame set. We already have a few models in already and will have move in the end of November so watch this space!

We had a rather nice delivery from our friends at Cyfac in France last week with an assortment of new frames including two custom his and hers Absolu frames that are going to be build up this week. We will get them built up over the next week or so and will give an update with the finished article soon. Until this time here is a little teaser with what we are using as a base!

So in this time of year of change, change can sometimes be for the good. Stay warm, stay safe and happy cycling. 

LifecycleUK