Winter is around the corner and the cycling “season” has all but wrapped up, and if you’re like me, you might find yourself conjuring up harebrained reasons to add another ride to your current collection. Actually, I admit this is a bit of an obsession and one that I need to keep in check or I’ll have unpleasant conversations with my wife! However, if you find a reason that makes everyone happy, it’s a good idea to consider your options.

Jump on the World-Wide-Web and search for “custom carbon road bike” and you will certainly find an overwhelming result that ranges from brand names, small boutique shops, online only shops, Alibaba (well maybe not the best spot to shop for a bike), and everything in between.

How does one weed through the list and really find what is right for them. When it comes to custom or semi-custom bikes, as much as it’s about the bike, components, wheels, paint, etc, it’s equally or I would argue more important to be working with a brand that has experience, respect in the business, and an immeasurable amount of customer service skills. Canadian based NUMBER 4 CYCLES has all of these qualities and more. I recently had the opportunity to test their carbon road bike, Lincoln, for this runbikerace.com test.

A Little Background Story

Inception Cyclery, a small local shop located in the Niagara region, created NUMBER 4 CYCLES as an in-house brand that is Canadian Raised and Assembled. Brandon, the shop’s owner, explains that his love for cycling, the cycling culture, and what cycling can offer every person individually, really kick-started the idea. With over 15+ years of industry experience, Brandon has seen the evolution of frame production move from North America and Europe to Asian production with high volume and low cost. For now this is the reality of the bike industry and with hope this will shift over the coming years.

The Experience

NUMBER 4 CYCLES is not trying to fool anyone, the frames are from China and Taiwan, which is a result of the current frame production environment. However the total experience; paint, decals, component sourcing, and of course build, happen on Canadian soil. NUMBER 4 CYCLES makes a commitment to each customer; you will be part of the entire process whether it’s a stock build or a full custom build, it’s your bike, you decide!

The Ride

NUMBER 4 CYCLES is slowly adding a selection of bikes that will meet the needs of any rider. Right now, prototypes are slowly rolling into Inception Cyclery and I took the opportunity to grab the Lincoln for a handful of rides during the final months of summer.

My first impression of the Lincoln, FAST! Two things that stood out to me, balanced stiffness and predictable handling. The Lincoln I rode was built up with the crisp shifting Campagnolo Veloce 10 speed gruppo and rolls on Campagnolo Vento asymmetrical wheel set. Take those components and add it to the well built carbon frame and the result is immediate get-up-and-go! It didn’t matter whether the road was flat or pointing up hill, the Lincoln responded with the same FAST feeling. Taking all that speed and making sure it goes where you want it to go makes handling vital. The tapered 1-1/8^th head tube coupled with a stiff fork made the Lincoln predictable and did what it was asked to do. Add the Deda Zero1 cockpit and you have machine that will respond to any situation in a race or weekend club world championships.

Overall, I found the Lincoln to be a well rounded carbon bike. Carbon is what it is, stiff-fast-twitchy, and if you want to satisfy your appetite for these, look no further than the No4 Lincoln.

Frame
Material: T700 High Modulus Carbon
Shift: Di2 Ready or Mechanical – Internal
Headset Size: Tapered 1 1/8th
BB Type: BSA (optional BB86 or BB30)
Frame Weight: 1060grams (54cm)
Fork Weight: 410grams
Brake Mount: Caliper
Accommodating Tire Width: 700*25C (Max 28C)

Build
Campagnolo Veloce 10spd
Campagnolo Veloce brakes
Campagnolo Vento asymmetrical wheelset
Vittoria Rubino pro tires
Deda zero1 cockpit
Deda RSx02 seatpost
San Marco vintage leather bartape
Selle italia slr seat