Meet the Team - Bicycle Richmond, London

Specialists in custom bikes and comfortable feet! London is a cycling city that continues to evolve, and has a wide and varied cycling community. From the growing number of cycling commuters, to some of the largest clubs in the United Kingdom cycling scene, and a plethora of pro riders that live in and around London and the surrounding counties, it’s recognised globally as a place for cycling excellence. As you’d expect, we’ve got one of our leading retail partners, based in the south of London, with the renowned specialist cycling store, Bicycle, based in Richmond, on the south side of the Thames, near to the famous Richmond Park. Over recent years, the reputation of James and the team, has grown to be one the key cycling specialist shops in this city of cycling enthusiasts. We took some time to speak with the team at Bicycle, to find out more about them, their bike fitting expertise, their ethos and customer focus, and how they educate cyclists from across the spectrum, about the benefits of Lake Cycling shoes. Cycling knowledge transferred to customer requirements James is himself a former pro rider, and many of the team there, are great cyclists themselves; often competing in events all over the U.K. What this ultimately means is that at Bicycle Richmond, you’ve got a team of experts who are well qualified to guide your own cycling adventures. ‘Bicycle’ is a unique cycling shop, where the staff take time to speak in detail with the customer, to ensure that they fully understand the customer needs. Specialising in custom bike builds, the bike fit process is a key starting block. They like to find out small details about the rider, and to match a shoe that fits the foot and its intended use, rather than a shoe that aesthetically pleasing at first glance. Speaking to the team in-store, they tell us, ‘At Bicycle, our favourite cycling shoe is the one that fits the customer.’ From a Lake Cycling viewpoint, it doesn’t get any better than that, in terms of customer focus. Listening, watching & guiding the cyclist Starting from the basics, they measure the feet first, discussing what the rider wants, where they’ve come from, then view them on the bike and talk about incorrect shoes and the impact on cycling comfort and performance, and foot health. In conversation with Bicycle, we learn that often, cycling shoes from many brands are designed for long and narrow feet, which unfortunately isn’t how most feet are built. When the foot sits further back, it can cause issues and numbness, pushing down on small bones in feet – which is where the numbness originates. Again, the in-store team tell us that, ‘Too often, people think initially about the slender foot look’. However, at Bicycle, we don’t go by this – the Italian stylish shoe. Unfortunately, most people have above average feet, and we like Lake as a brand, due to the number of shoes lasts and the vast range of sizes, including widths that are available.’ Mentioning a particular Italian brand, ‘Bicycle’ tells us that, in truth, only 1 in 10 will fit a size 44 in that brand, and certainly not everyone. The price of the shoe is not the deciding factor for the team at ‘Bicycle’, Richmond. Ultimately, it’s about giving the customer the best possible comfort and performance. We’re given an example of a customer with a wide forefoot and narrow ankle. The CX 403 road cycling shoe in a wide fitting was the best solution, as it allowed for the heel to be molded and to capture the foot, increasing comfort and performance, whilst the wider fitting and stability of the carbon sole, gave the necessary power transfer and rider comfort. Had they used a CX 238 on this particular rider, then there would have been heel slip issues, but the CX 403 resolved the issues and gave the cyclist the best solution. Custom bike fits can be crucial The whole team at ‘Bicycle’ talk in detail about the customer and the focus that they give to them. Being based in such a demographic area as Richmond, many of their customers come in and want a unique bike, built for them. For James and the team at Bicycle Richmond, the bike fitting is therefore a pre-requisite, and it gives them the opportunity to provide the consumer with the best service available anywhere – leaving the store with feet that can perform at their best, on all their cycling adventures. Best-selling shoe The best-selling shoe at Bicycle Richmond is the Lake CX332, which is a superb road cycling shoe for the keen rider. It’s a classic design with modern elements such as Dual BOA closure & a light weight carbon sole system. The CX332 also draws from the same Thermaform technology as found in the CX403. The Internal heel counter is heating moldable carbon that gives the option to better customize the heel hold. A secure heel hold will stabilize the foot and eliminate heel slip. A stable foot allows for more power transfer and less fatigue. Form fitting Natural leather upper in combination with the dual BOA closure system ensures that your foot will be secure without needing to over tighten the shoe. The CX332 utilizes Lake's patented double sole system. The inner sole is a semi flexible fiberglass platform that allows some flexibility at the ball of the foot where the foot tends to swell, and typically hot spots or numbness would occur. The inner sole is suspended over the outer rigid carbon sole. This system enables the CX332 to use an extremely stiff carbon outsole without sacrificing riding comfort. CX 403 $549.99 James at Bicycle – favourite cycling Speaking with James himself, and discussing his own cycling adventures, his favourite cycling shoe is the CX 403, which he says stands up to the rigours of the hard riding he puts his feet through whenever he can – He’s a former pro rider, so the best shoes have to perform for James, at all times, and in all circumstances. Fit and performance need to be in balance, and the CX 403 road cycling shoe is perfect for him. He’s a cyclist that loves adventure and travel; hence, James’ favourite ride is the Death Valley, where the whole environment is a challenge in itself. He’s a cyclist looking for adventure and putting himself to the test – which is why Lake is a perfect brand. Here at Lake, we love pushing the boundaries of the possible. If you’re looking at creating your own 2 wheeled Bikecation vacation, or you just need some expert advice on your next pair of cycling shoes, then maybe you should pop along to ‘Bicycle’, at Richmond in London, and allow James and the team to talk with you, and get you set for your own tw0-wheeled adventure - wrapped in that legendary Lake Comfort.