Performance
 How well a person, machine, etc. does a piece of work or an activity.


Blue is the colour of speed at Cycle Heaven and the natural habitat of carbon fibre.  Bikes in this category address the need for the competitive edge, which means less weight and wind resistance and more speed. 5* performance bikes are the most specialised bikes that we sell, so expect them to be light and freakin fast, but not suitable for much else beyond pure riding. A lower rating makes it more adaptable, but at the cost of its potential for speed.

Rating:

5

Pure, no-compromise performance bikes – designed for competitive cycling. These are the lightest that can be had for a given budget. Aggressive geometry without any mudguard or luggage fittings beyond bottle cage mounts. Lycra is obligatory for such badass bikes.

4

Sports bikes – designed to balance maximum performance with other factors - such as: extra comfort, easier handling, mudguard clearance or the ability to carry light luggage - e.g. endurance road and cyclecross bikes. Lycra is still necessary.

3

Lightweight, fast, but essentially non-sports bikes that offer a blend of performance with some practical features. Town and country bikes. Lycra is optional.

2

Practical, upright bikes with a lighter twist and good for work and light leisure, but no lycra.

1

Upright, heavyweight and practical bikes that are going nowhere fast.
A true lycra-free zone.

Recreation
 Refreshment of one's mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates.

Green is for getting out and re-creating yourself in the fresh air and sunshine. Products in this category are suitable for leisurely jaunts or long days in the saddle, sometimes challenging, but never too serious. Bikes score high in this class by being the best ‘jack of all trades’ - being both versatile, fun to ride and useful. If they do well in this class, they will be middling but not bad, in others. The best are good for commuting, day rides and a world tour.

Rating:

5

The most versatile. Bikes must have: wide ratio gears for all gradients, loaded or otherwise; the capacity to fit, or come ready-equipped with lots of equipment; high luggage capacity (i.e. front rack compatible); swift road and adequate rough-road performance; or robust off-road and reasonable road performance.

4

Versatile and capable bikes with the ability to carry luggage, ride off road and maintain reasonable road performance. Must haves are: wide ratio gears and the ability to fit rack and mudguards.

3

A jack of all trades, but better at some than others – such as hybrids that offer reasonable all round performance but don’t push the envelope in any direction; or... sporty bikes with limiting factors such as a cyclecross bike with close ratio gears or road bikes with some luggage capacity but only thin tyres.

2

Bikes that are good for a primary and a secondary use, such as a road bike that takes mudguards for winter training. 

1

Highly adapted bikes for just one use – e.g. speed or load carrying only.

Utility
 The state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial.

Orange is the colour of the useful stuff. Bikes in this category cater to your everyday needs for transport. The qualities we look for in products of this category are ease of use, durability and reliability. Built for short distance, but high frequency use, 5* utility bikes are practical and low maintenance; can be ridden in everyday clothing; come with lots of equipment and can carry heavy loads. The simplest measure for utility bikes is how much equipment they have.

Rating:

5

Five star utility bikes simply must be heavy duty, with hub gears and fully equipped to the nth degree. This will be a bomproof pick-up truck rather than a sports car. should pass the croggy/backie test with flying colours.

4

All of these these bikes feature a very high level of equipment and can come with with hub or derailleur gears. Likely to be a bit lighter and livelier to ride than 5* utilities.

3

These bikes are half way practical – with fat-ish tyres and either come equipped, or are easily equipped with rack and mudguards keeping you and the bike clean and able to ship some luggage..

2

These are sporty bikes that will have the ability to ‘sport’ some mudguards at the very least, so they’ll get you to work pretty tidily.

1

These are not practical bikes, so go off and have some fun, burn off the miles and the calories.