Wilier
Italians love cycling and Wilier is Italian through and through. The company
celebrated its centenary year in 2006, with the launch of the Cento, a top-end,
state-of-the-art, no compromise road racing bike. When we took delivery of our
first frame, there was a hushed silence as we took it out of its box. It really
is a work of art. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to ride a frame
that has been built lovingly by people with passion for the sport – check out
their range by following the link, then come and see them in our store. They
look great on a computer screen, but trust us, you’ll be blown away when you see
them up close and personal.
click here to visit their site
Orbea
Orbea have been concentrating on bicycle manufacture since 1930 and quickly
became Spain's premier builder employing 1000 staff within 10 years. We've
partnered with them for a number of reasons, not least of which is the sheer
depth of their range at all price points; we can get you riding for under £300
on a quality, well built bike with proper geometry. Fancy a fast hybrid for the
commute in to work? Orbea fits the bill. Fancy riding the exact same frameset
ridden by the top riders in the Tour De France? Talk to us about the sub 15lb
Orca. Or anything in between. Also check out the section of their website about
the care they take of the environment through their manufacturing processes -
most impressive.
click here to visit their site
Look
Since 1983, Look has played a major role in the cycling
industry. A pioneering innovative company, Look revolutionized
the world of cycling with the first automatic road pedal in
1984, and from 1986 the first carbon frame. Look is a company
involved at both the highest levels of competition (road, track,
triathlon) and recreational cycling. For more than twenty years
Look has shared its passion with all those who love bikes with
cutting edge of technology and that perform beautifully, day in,
day out. The ride quality of Look bikes is legendary -
Look represents pure class, whether you compete at the highest
level or ride purely for pleasure. We are proud to have
been recently appointed the exclusive Look cycles dealer for the
three counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire
We love their pedals and stock the entire range. They have a
large cleat which gives good contact with the shoe and therefore
your foot and you can choose between cro-moly and the much
lighter titanium axles. They rarely fail to impress.
click here to visit their site
Viner
Another brand from the passionate Italians, Viner is very well
respected by those in the know. We enjoy dealing with them, as
they really know their stuff, are extremely helpful and in to
customer service and pay very close attention to detail in their
hi-tech production processes. More importantly, their bikes ride
as well as anything we’ve ever come across. Again, you really
need to them in the flesh (or carbon to be more accurate). We
expect some models, such as the Magicus to fly out of the door
as it’s perfect for fast sportives which is a real growth sector
in British cycling.
Argon 18
If you are into triathlon, you’ll probably have seen Argon 18 bikes. Frames like
the Mercury really stand out - their bikes are all named after the elements from
the periodic table. The company has a relatively short heritage but don’t let
that stand in your way; they are designed by Gervais Rioux who was an
international-level racer before turning to the drawing board. He is one of the
most successful Canadian riders of his generation, with more than 150 wins both
in Europe and the Americas, including three Canadian Champion road race titles
as wins in stage races Grand Prix de Beauce, Tour du Luxembourg and Tour of
Nevada. When bikes are designed by ex champions you can bet they will perform,
and they do. If you are in to form and function, this could be the brand for
you.
click here to visit their site
Kinesis
During our research, we came across Kinesis. Dismissed by many on price (they
appear to be too cheap to be serious machines by many – big mistake), they build
UK designed, fully detailed, cutting edge technology framesets. As their site
tells, they are in a unique position because they have the backing of one of the
worlds largest and most advanced frame building companies behind them - Kinesis
International, who build for GT, Schwinn, Raleigh, Trek, Bianchi and Santa Cruz
to name but a few. They have some of the most advanced Research and Development
and frame testing facilities available, and their design and technical expertise
allow them to offer very high quality products at extremely competitive prices.
For instance, their Racelight KiC used Hydroforming 4 years ago, way before all
the big boys had cottoned on. As well as providing us with superb quality road
frames, Kinesis is also a hardtail cross country frame manufacturer of choice
for us, as they give big budget feel and quality without the associated price
tag. We are proud to say we were also their first fully signed up UK dealer and
as such enjoy a great relationship with them.
click here to visit their site
Campagnolo
There aren’t many companies in the world where their founder, Tullio, has a
statue at the top of a mountain in his honour. And for good reason; his company
has been making cycling components since 1933 and can boast the invention of the
quick release skewer and the front and rear derailleur. Their groupsets have
Italian flair and renown reliability. It could be argued that over the last
couple of years, Shimano, their main competitor have stolen their crown for
innovation but with the 2007 groupsets, they have come back with a vengence.
Their wheels and hubs are also legendary. We particularly love the well-reviewed
Kamsin and Eurus. Oh, and we musn't forget their excellent range of clothing.
click here to visit their site
Shimano
If you are not a Campag aficionado, then you are very likely to be a Shimano
stalwart. They are all about function and rarely do they disappoint. In true
Japanese fashion, their build quality and reliability is flawless, regardless of
the price point and they are the choice of many of the top pro cycling teams.
They may not have Campag’s heritage but they certainly have enjoyed the lead in
terms of innovation over the last few years. As with Campag, they also make some
fantastic wheels. Check out the new 105’s.
click here to visit their site
SRAM
Big in mountain biking circles for a good few years now, SRAM have been quietly
getting on with the task of developing a road groupset that can take on the
mighty Campag and Shimano and we have to say, they’ve succeeded in providing a
very viable alternative. If you follow the link, you’ll see more details of
their Rival, Force and Red products that are being used by some of the top teams this
year. Their control levers differ from the other offerings by allowing gear
changes up and down from just one lever.
click here to visit their site
FSA
This is the brand to consider if you fancy something a little different to the
usual suspects. Whilst they make components from alloy, these guys are more
famous for their excellent use of carbon, especially cranks. Again, they have
products at most price points and the kit looks fantastic.
click here to visit their site
Bell
More world champions have worn Bell Helmets than all other helmet brands
combined. From Grand Prix racing through the Indy 500 to Olympic cycling, Bell
helmets have played a vital role in protecting sportsmen and women for nearly 50
years.
click here to visit their site
Blackburn
Blackburn's Delphi computers are the best we've seen. All models have
large clear displays and are intuitive to use. They fit to your bars or
stem with the neatest fitting kit on the market and offer great value for money
for such a quality product.
click here to visit their site
Deda
Deda bring us more practical, beautiful alloy and carbon bars, seatposts and
stems from the land that loves to cycle - Italy
click here to visit their site
Selle Italia
Any company that has been making saddles for over a hundred years knows a thing
or two about the art. You don’t have many contact points to make you feel at one
with your bike, just your hands, feet and er, bottom, so it’s very important to
get your seat right. Selle Italia have an amazingly comprehensive choice, so you
should find something to suit
click here to visit their site
Fizik
A firm favourite with a couple of our staff, these saddles have won numerous
accolades. Again, it’s all a matter of preference but the Arione for example is
longer than most to give you more seating positions. You can also get matching
bar tape, a clever saddle bag that is designed to clip straight in to the saddle
itself and custom colours. All made lovingly by hand in Italy.
click here to visit their site
Cateye
Number one in the UK for lights due to their superb design, quality and sensible
prices. A huge range to choose from, so we stock the best reviewed and can get
you anything else at short notice.
click here to visit their site
Fulcrum
It’s no real secret that this company is a subsidiary of Campagnolo and was a
way to market their fantastic wheels to Shimano customers. They are very
temptingly priced with smooth running hubs that are built to last. The site is
under construction at the time of writing but allows you to download their
catalogue as a PDF
click here to visit their site
Honey Stinger
An entrepreneur, a honey industry veteran, a food products developer and a
beekeeper make up the team that created Honey Stinger energy gels and bars. A
few years ago, these four, armed with research touting honey as an excellent
source of carbohydrate for athletes, combined their skills and experience and
developed a natural, honey-based energy gel. Today, that product is available in
speciality outdoor retail, natural foods, running and bike shops across the
world. Honey Stinger gels, and the superb tasting bars that have joined them in
the range are popular with athletes from all manner of sports - and really far
too popular with staff in store...
click here to visit their site
Elite
At Epic Cycles we are big fans of year round riding - come rain or shine we'll
be out there riding our bikes. But as the nights draw in a turbo trainer
is perfect for getting in some structured training. Having scoured the
market, we believe Elite trainers offer the best build quality, ease of use,
performance and value.
click here to visit their site
Michelin
At some point, we’ve all had a pair of Pro Race tyres. And some riders wont
change. Well made, highly puncture resistant and good value (especially from us)
Michelin have a great range to choose from.
click here to visit their site
Vittoria
Open Corsa Evo CX20. This is the tyre we recommend to tri and time triallers who
want to ride fast. Very fast. And for frames with really tight frame clearance
like Argon’s Mercury, you need a good 20mm tyre and this is it.
click here to visit their site
Continental
GP 4 seasons - German engineering, superb puncture resistance, competitive
price; we like these tyres for all-year training and some people deem them good
enough to race on too.
click here to visit their site
Topeak
The only pumps we use are made by these guys. They’re light and they last. We
use a Joe Blow in our workshop and it has never let us down.
click here to visit their site
Craft clothing
Not yet well know in the UK, this Scandinavian company makes superb quality
clothing. CSC have used it for their pro peloton riders. Check out this
customer review.
click here to visit their site
Etxe Ondo clothing
If you have ever seen Etxe Ondo clothing you will remember it - very stylish
and highly functional. Matches the performance of the most expensive of
brands at lower cost and with a dash of Spanish flair.
click here to visit their site
NorthWave
Highly functional clothing with a dash of Italian style and a North American attitude - always good looking and with a great fit, NorthWave clothing has designs that range from classic to striking, and even
provocative. We also highly rate their footwear, as worn by Tom Boonen - again it is stylish, and has a great fit for British feet, which tend to be a bit wider than some
brands allow for.
click here to visit their site
Parentini
Ever heard of this company? Well, imagine a company whose clothing products sell
far better in Italy than the excellent Assos range, but at a fraction of the
cost. That’s Parentini. Hard to find over here, we are one of the few stockists,
until us Brits catch on to what the rest of the continent have enjoyed for
years.
click here to visit their site
SIS
A Ferrari is a scarily quick car but it isn’t going anywhere without fuel.
Whichever cycling discipline you enjoy, eating before, during and after a ride
is a necessity and SIS provide a whole range of bars and drinks for the
sportsman or woman. If you read about them on their site, you’ll see they spend
a lot of time researching how the body actually works so that they can develop
the right products to bring to market.
click here to visit their site
Agisko
Agisko nutritional products are made up from natural products, meaning that they
work in harmony with the body, with none of the reactions that more synthetic
products can bring about. In addition, they work brilliantly - fast
acting, long lasting and great tasting. A firm staff favourite.
click here to visit their site
Maxim
Like SIS these boys and girls understand the needs of the athelete. And their
products taste great. It’s another brilliant site for learning about how to take
nutrition and what the different foods groups do. Highly recommended.
click here to visit their site
Nuun
What a great product the Nuun tablet is - 12 tablets to a tube, you just pop
one in your water bottle and away they go. They dissolve in seconds to
provide you with a natural mineral rich hydration drink that tastes great.
The most portable and convenient sports drink on the market, Nuun is a
justifiably huge brand in the triathlon market and sells in huge numbers at Epic
Cycles.
click here to visit their site
Park
For most cycle workshops, this is the only choice for workshop equipment. It’s
built to last, which means it wont damage your components when you are fitting
or maintaining them. Not the cheapest but definitely the best.
click here to visit their site
Zero Gravity
For the ultimate in weight saving these are a must. Exotic, exclusive,
and far from cheap - but they are beautifully made and way lighter than anything
else ever made.
click here to visit their site
Zipp
Zipp wheels claim to be "speed weaponry" with good reason - they cut through
the air like nothing else. The build quality is second to none, and let's
face it they make your bike look fast. And if you look fast you feel fast.
And if you feel fast you go fast! Or that's what they say!
click here to visit their site
