Symphony Cycling

Symphony Cycling Bike fitting studio and independent high end road bike shop in Islington.

Our desire is for our road bikes to become an extension of you through fit, design, eye for detail and most of all, knowledge and passion.

Ready for your next adventure?We currently have two Exploro Racemax's Ekar 1x13 in stock in frame sizes 54 and 58.Where...
03/03/2022

Ready for your next adventure?
We currently have two Exploro Racemax's Ekar 1x13 in stock in frame sizes 54 and 58.
Where could this take you?

De Rosa SK Pininfarina.Bikes can often be beautiful (if you're into that kind of thing 😉). But the result of De Rosa's c...
24/11/2021

De Rosa SK Pininfarina.

Bikes can often be beautiful (if you're into that kind of thing 😉). But the result of De Rosa's collaboration with the legendary Italian coach maker is something else, pictures don't do it justice.
It's not just a creation that belongs in a gallery though, all of De Rosa's frame building expertise has gone into delivering a bike with performance in mind. Fitted out with Ultegra Di2 and FSA aero finishing kit it comes with all the right toys. You just need to have the legs to take it where it wants to go.

Come in and see the SK in the flesh!

Something rather special?We are proud to partner with Titici, a truly custom brand, always striving for new innovations ...
18/11/2021

Something rather special?

We are proud to partner with Titici, a truly custom brand, always striving for new innovations in their frame design. Titici produce meticulously crafted handmade carbon frames in Asola, Italy. With each bike made to a specific customers geometry and fit data, you have a say in almost every aspect of the bike build, from groupset to finishing kit.
As a cherry on top they offer a custom painting service for a small additional cost. This isn’t just a custom service where you pick what colours are on the bike in a predetermined design either. Their in-house team are capable of receiving any reference and turning this into a truly individual paint job.
All of this combined means that a bike from Titici is truly unique. If you have one, there won't be another one in the world like it!

Bike Fitting is an essential part of getting the most out of riding a bike, not just physically but emotionally as well....
18/11/2021

Bike Fitting is an essential part of getting the most out of riding a bike, not just physically but emotionally as well.
Whether it be for a commute, weekend sportive, or amateur crit race, having the bike fitted properly underneath you can transform the way the bike feels and your relationship with it.
You are not at odds with machine, instead it works for you, seemingly just an extension of yourself, no longer do you feel alone pushing on the pedals, instead supported by an ally with the same goal as yours.

Whatever your goals on the bike, your fitting session can be tailored towards you and what you want to achieve.
If you are aiming for long days in the saddle, covering big mileage or lots of elevation then comfort will be a more important factor to your fit out.
However if you are seeking pure speed over a given distance, then the balance will tip more in the favor of aerodynamics, and power transfer, sacrificing some long distance comfort on the bike, for a more aggressive low profile riding position, that see's every Watt transferred to the road.

There are of course other factors that come into play at a more individual level, such as age, fitness, weight and flexibility.

These are all taken into account during a Guru fitting session at Symphony Cycling.

Book now via the link in the bio

Top tip of the day from me ..Take Lights that work! You're welcome. One of my favourite experiences on the bike was a 2 ...
15/11/2021

Top tip of the day from me ..Take Lights that work! You're welcome.

One of my favourite experiences on the bike was a 2 week cycling holiday with a couple of friends around northern France in 2013. We were in our early twenties at the time so organisation was not a strong point...And that became evidently clear as soon as we rolled off the Ferry in Dieppe.

Our ferry arrived at 4am in the morning, and we thought lets just get out on the road out of town a bit and find somewhere to kip on the beach a bit.

But quickly we realised a big mistake, as we left the town of Dieppe onto more country roads the streetlights disappeared.

We had lights on our bikes but being from London they were city lights, great to be seen, crap to actually see.

The road was utterly pitch black, we couldnt see the verge on either side, and only the slight glimpse of an occasional white line kept us on the road.

We even started to descend for a few kilometers, not overly steeply, but it's quite alarming picking up speed on a road you can’t even see…

Top tip for touring, take lights that actually light up the road..

The 2012 Olympics- what do you remember?Complete bikes are often set up and sold to a generic rider profile that assumes...
11/11/2021

The 2012 Olympics- what do you remember?

Complete bikes are often set up and sold to a generic rider profile that assumes that all people who are 6ft will require the same size bike and set up.

This simply is not the case, you can have 3 people who are all exactly 6ft, but they will all have different body morphologies, different length legs, arms, torso etc. Therefore they would all require different set ups and more often than not different frame sizes.

This is where a proper bike fitting service comes in that I do in Symphony Cycling.

My inspo?

The 2012 London Olympics!

I’d heard of Cav and Bradley Wiggins from his success that year in the Tour de France, but the long list of stars from other nations were nobodies to me at the time, even Chris Froome.

It’s only now looking back at it that I wish I had known more and had a greater understanding of what cycling road racing entails, it’s so much more than the first one across the line is the fastest.

Now I have to watch replays of Ronde van Vlanderen to see the animals that were on the bike.

Book your Guru session with me now, link in the bio

What was your first bike? 🚵My first road bike was a Fujibikes sportive 1.3, size 58. I bought this directly off the inte...
08/11/2021

What was your first bike? 🚵

My first road bike was a Fujibikes sportive 1.3, size 58. I bought this directly off the internet, no trying it out before and no fitting whatsoever.

The size guide online said that it was suitable for a rider between 5ft10 and 6ft2 which in theory is my size range.

It's only in reflection that I realise how wrong that was. I was able to ride the bike yes, but did it fit me, was i optimised on it… no.

None the less having never ridden a road bike with drop bars I found the position slightly daunting, and the first time being on the bike it felt completely alien.

However it only took a couple of days to become natural and all of a sudden riding took on a completely new feeling.

The bike was so much more responsive, I felt the confidence to throw it through the corners, and the sharpness of the acceleration away from the lights was addictive.

If you want to find out how to make sure your bike is the right fit then booking a bespoke fitting session in with me at the shop :)

03/11/2021

If the bike is an extension of you..how do you make it fit? 🤔

In a nutshell the two main aims of a bike fit are:

1. Establishing your optimal position for the type of riding you want to do

2. Finding the bike that best suits that positioning
Positioning can vary, depending on the type of riding or discipline that you follow.

The aim is to optimise your position on the bike for that discipline.

This will take into account your body’s morphology (simply the measurements of your limbs), the power you create, aerodynamics and comfort on the bike.

At Symphony Cycling we use the GURU DFU fitting machine, which enables a dynamic fit protocol.

Meaning that we fit you under riding conditions, making alterations to your position in real time, and whilst you are pedalling.

So you can feel the instant impact of the change, and simply decide if it is better or worse.

With a Guru fitting service you can come in and have me help you find the perfect fit for optimal performance and comfort.

Link in the bio to book in.

Rediscovering Cycling- Commuting vs a need for speed It wasn’t until I had left uni and started my first proper job in a...
01/11/2021

Rediscovering Cycling- Commuting vs a need for speed

It wasn’t until I had left uni and started my first proper job in advertising that I rediscovered cycling through commuting to work.

I had bought a pinnacle hybrid bike, but quite quickly I outgrew it. It wasn’t what I wanted to be doing.

I’d had a taste for a bit of speed and wanted more, so a proper road bike was the next step.

Having never ridden a road bike with drop bars I found the position slightly daunting, and the first time being on the bike it felt completely alien.

However it only took a couple of days to become natural and all of a sudden riding took on a completely new feeling. The bike was so much more responsive, I felt the confidence to throw it through the corners, and the sharpness of the acceleration away from the lights was addictive.

(for anyone that knows it, there is a double chicane on Brownswood road between Finsbury park and Stoke Newington which with no traffic is a lot of fun to throw the bike through, not that that has ever bitten me before…).

Symphony Cycling- Bike Fitting, Road Bikes and Apparel in IslingtonOur vision is to connect you with the respite and fre...
24/10/2021

Symphony Cycling- Bike Fitting, Road Bikes and Apparel in Islington

Our vision is to connect you with the respite and freedom of the open road through a perfectly fitted bike and apparel, a personalised and tailored service allowing you the freedom to enjoy the journey regardless of the destination.

Our road bikes become an extension of you through fit, design, eye for detail and most of all, knowledge and passion.

The bespoke bike fitting service we offer at our studio allows you to truly connect with the perfect bike that fits you like no other.

We sell quality, premium high end road bikes- connecting style with passion and knowledge.

Our bikes are simple, classic and beautiful in design. They are chosen directly by our founder Callum who loves road cycling and will personally help you choose the right bike for you.

Pop on down now and have a chat with Callum about how we can make your journey even better.

Cycling in the blood? Thanks Dad! 🚵Hi I'm Callum owner of Symphony Cycling. Growing up in London the opportunities for c...
21/10/2021

Cycling in the blood? Thanks Dad! 🚵

Hi I'm Callum owner of Symphony Cycling.

Growing up in London the opportunities for cycling were few and far between outside of going down to the local park, doing laps and trying to do rear wheel skids or scrape my pedals on the ground through the corners (for some reason that seemed like a good idea at the time).

As a result cycling was not a big part of my life growing up and it was further removed after being traumatised by my Dad on a family trip to Centre Parcs at the age of 10, screaming at me ‘get out of the saddle’ as I struggled up the hills.

Needless to say I was a bit of a porker as a kid so I understand now it was just motivation to get me to move at all, but still cheers for that one Dad .

Address

24 Arlington Way
London
EC1R1UY

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 7pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 11am - 7pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm

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