It's CHHHHHRRRIIIISSSTTTTMMMMAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Christmas is almost here...a little over two weeks to go and presents will be given and received, food will be eaten and drink will be consumed. As you have some time off over this festive period it may give you a chance to have a think about your goals for 2014 on a bike...

Many people will be looking at getting their first bike in 2014 and on behalf of every cyclist out there I welcome you to the best sport in the world! Whether it's raining or wall to wall sunshine when you ride, every day is different. You'll meet some great people along the way that are like minded and will help you develop in your new found sport! Local clubs are always a good place to start and here are some near the shop who are worth checking out!

Cycle Club Sudbury - Cycle Club Sudbury was formed back in the late seventies when a couple of cyclists decided there should be a local club. Now the club sits at a healthy 125′ish members. We hold a regular Time Trial series, an Open Time Trial, Audax events, an annual Hill Climb , a Road Race and even a Reliability Ride in January each year. The club is open to all riders, young and old; no one is ever out of place on a bike!

The West Suffolk Wheelers And Triathlon Club - The cycling club, formed in 1922, is based in Bury St Edmunds and has produced many good riders over the years. We have a good cross-section of cycling on offer to welcome new and experienced cyclists alike. In 2010, a triathlon section was formed which has been a very successful and popular addition to our activities.

Stowmarket And District Cycling Club - SDCC is one of several long established cycling clubs in Suffolk, we always welcome new members to ensure the clubs thriving future. We have an expanding and very active membership involved in several disciplines of cycling, including Road Racing, Time trialling, Cyclo-cross, Mountain Biking, Sportives and social riding. We organise six evening 10 mile time trials as part of the Ipswich Cycle Association series, open 10 and 20 mile time trials (some as part of the SPOCO East series) a Regional B road race, a Sportive in August and reliability rides in February and October

Boxford Bike Club - Welcome to the Boxford Bike Club website! Over the past year the Boxford Bike Club, based around the small rural village of Boxford, Suffolk has grown from humble beginnings to now having a very active and ever growing membership of local riders. As a club, we don't take ourselves too seriously and we hopefully come across as a friendly and approachable bunch, at the same time endorsing the benefits and enjoyment of cycling in all its forms. Membership of a group such as this encourages increased participation in the sport. People new to cycling have an instant network of support and advice available to them, but also having organised group rides encourages members to get out and ride on a more regular basis. Your never too far away from people who are willing to help you cycle more! 

So your already a cyclist, what now? Time trials, road racing, audax or sportives? Maybe you want to take in the atmosphere of cycling (after all the Tour De France is starting in the UK in 2014!) in which case a sportive would be a great place to start! Many local clubs run their own sportives so check out their individual websites to see what they have on offer. One of the best local sportives is the Essex spring lambs and autumn leaves sportives. Both have got fantastic support and back up, ample food and drink supplies and event photographers that can take a good snap or two of you busting a groove on your bike! This kind of event also gives you something to aim for in terms of training but also a solid target. 

What about something a bit tougher...why not try an Audax? 

Audax is a cycling sport in which participants attempt to cycle long distances within a pre-defined time limit. Audax is a non-competitive sport: success in an event is measured by its completion.

Challenging yet surprisingly fun especially as many rides are carried out with a group giving a real sense of camaraderie and achievement when completed. Distances range hugely from 100k to legendary rides such as London-Edinburgh-London which is one of the longest at 1400k (that's 868 miles!!). Local clubs are the best place to start your Audax challenge as many have members that either regularly partake in these or have a wealth of experience to pass onto willing volunteers. 

Of course all of these activities will require a machine fit for purpose and up to the task of getting you through all your tough times on the bike as well as sharing you euphoric highs!

No matter how big or small your budget and no matter what your preferences are we will be able to help you one way or another. Your local bike shop is not just an adult sweet shop of bike porn and rubber smells. Its that extra tweak when you need is just before a big race, that last minute tyre swap just before your first sportive or your last minute purchase of gels the night before a 12 hour race. What ever you do decide to do in 2014 remember that LifecycleUK will be there to support you the best we can and to make your goals become reality.

From everyone at the shop, have a cracking (alright Stu, terrible joke) Christmas and all the best for 2014.

Rob, Mat, Stu and Rich

73 Degrees Book Now In Stock!

This would make a great Christmas present...

Cyfac Zona Build

We recently had another nice addition to our French family come through the door at LifecycleUK. The Cyfac Zona is the entry level steel frame that the Loire valley company produce. It is accompanied with a full carbon fork and that is where the standard options end and the customisation begins.


Every steel frame is a custom made to measure finish that can be painted any colour the customer requires. This model is 100% brazed steel and can have any number of options from additional bottle bosses to press in or integrated headsets.

Paint is also something that the French brand pride themselves on. The Zona has 5 colour patterns available with infinite colour combinations and two additional designs available for £150 up-lift. Cyfac also offer the CDS system (Cyfac Design Studio). Information fed to Cyfac will result in a one off colour design specially for you. This is the route that we went down when creating the XCR frame set for the shop (pictured below.)

The concept of the Zona build was comfort. The steel frame has such beautiful properties that we didn't want to hide through huge amounts of carbon or stiff harsh wheels. We decided that it would be rude to put anything else but a Campagnolo Athena group set on the Zona and so we opted for the 52/36 carbon chain set and a wide range cassette making it as fast on the flats of Norfolk as the hills of a major sportive.


Hand built wheels were added for additional comfort thus cue to Campagnolo Record 32H hubs. Super smooth bearing hubs built onto Ambrosio Evolution rims. Keeping the classic finish to the bike we added a classic drop bar by 3T and married it up to the matching stem and seat post to complete the build. 18.5 lbs later this sportive killer was complete. The result is a classic, timeless bike finished to an amazingly high standard.

Below are a few pics of the finished article...enjoy....

 

Vanguard Retro Kit

Rob sporting the new retro Vanguard kit...

 

 

Bike Ahead ac29 Biturbo Carbon Wheels

Wheels are considered to be one of the most noticeable upgrades that you can do on a bike. Road or mountain its well known that new hoops puts a spring in your step and makes climbs a whole lot easier. How much gain can you make though? Christian Gemperlein from Bike ahead composites believes that he really has revolutionised the high end mountain bike wheel with his new ac biturbo wheel range.

 

The 6 spoke wheels are something that you might expect to see more on an 80s BMX however these wheels are quite exceptional. The wheels are made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) specifically for the off road market and are made in Germany.

The wheels come in the three mountain bike standard sizes 26, 650b and 29er in carbon clincher and tubular (apart from the new 650b which are carbon clincher only). 

Hubs are supplied by Acros of Germany offering freehub and axle fittings to suit most standards including the new XX1 freehub. Finish is also adaptable with either matt, satin or gloss finish avaliable to the wheels and either black or red anodized finish to the hubs...a nice touch. 

The wheels are light, I mean really light. The tubular 29er wheels come in at 1189g's and the clincher 1289g's. Due to this fact they do come with a weight limit of 95kgs.

The current RRP of these in clincher is £2499 and £2399 in tubular (prices based on the 29er model). If you are interested in seeing these wheels or giving them a go, we currently have a demo set that are avaliable to test in store.

Rob's CYFAC Absolu SRAM Red 22

Rob has recently decided to rebuild his Cyfac with the new Sram Red 22 groupset. Some new changes have come about as well with the new Deda 35mm finishing kit to add a splash of colour to the front end of the bike.

Sram have finally followed the trend of the other big two Shimano and Campagnolo and gone to 11 speed. Early performance reviews indicate that this is the BEST Red groupset ever with the new YAW angle front mech making shifting easier and preventing chain rub. With the addition of the chain catcher fitted as standard to prevent many problems with customer dumping the chain on a down shift.

Here is the finished result...

WHERE ARE YOUR MUDGUARDS!!??!!......

.....Was the first thing I was quizzed about on the first ever club run I took part in. "I don't have any...and I don't think they will fit on my frame" I pleaded, trying not to make myself look a fool among seasoned cyclists, with full mudguards, excellent winter gear and supplies to match. "Well you'll have to ride at the back so you don't spray other riders" was the response I got from the old dude who was clearly in charge of the route and final destination of that ride. So I was made to ride at the back by myself...the newbie who only wanted to ride with like minded cyclist and make some friends.

Mudguards are a commonly discussed item at this time of year. Club runs pretty much insist that they are present as its not only to keep you clean and looking good in your best club kit that you are proudly marching around in on a Sunday morning, its also for the poor guy or gal behind you tasting what the ground is like at that particular time.

There are two approaches to winter riding.

1. Buy a dedicated winter bike with mudguard clearance. Preferably steel framed, running campag and having full SKS mudguards with the additional rubber strip riveted to the back mudguard that then nearly touches the floor.

2. Get your regular summer/all year round bike, fit some Crud road racer guards and hope for the best.

Both options are a compromise on performance...or your wallet. Until now...

The SKS Raceblade Long mudguards are a revelation. Consumer are now able to fit full length, rigid mudguards to your race clearance bike. The 4 bar mount quick release system fits easily to any road bike and gives a finished product that is as stable as a traditional full mudguard!

Coming in at £44.99 these guards are a damn sight cheaper than a second bike and being quick release the mounts could be left on all year round if you decide to. Stu has recently put some onto his Cyfac and here is the finished article:

Fitting took around 20 minutes and was really straight forward with well pictured instructions. The guide tyre width is for 18-23c however Stu is running a Hutchinson Intensive Tubeless 25c rear tyre and there is still ample room around the guard.

The fixing point for the rear guard is nice and tight to the calliper giving good protection and also resulting in a subtle finish when the guard is removed.

The fitting to the quick release is also straight forward and the release system to remove the guards is both convenient and easy to use.

Don't get caught out this winter thinking that the weather will stop you riding. This SKS mudguard is there to help you maintain your fitness and your cycling in even the worse British weather. Available in black or silver these guards are a must for any cyclist looking to keep ticking the pedals over.

Please feel free to contact the shop if you require any more information on the guards.