Nice to meet you all, I’m Kodama and I’ve recently joined the Circles team. While I’ve been leaning more towards off-road riding lately, I used to compete on road bikes back in my student days. I’ll be popping up on the blog regularly, so I hope you’ll give my posts a read! (The photo above is from yesterday’s Tokai CX Wild Nature race, where I earned a promotion to C3 and won some prize money.)
For my first post, I have some new arrival news! Our fall/winter collection from ASSOS has just landed!
ASSOS founder Toni Maier has brought many cycling products to the world. (In fact, they even developed frames back in the day!)
Because it’s a company built by someone like him, ASSOS apparel is infused with a deep appreciation for cyclists. Beyond their exceptional quality, the gear is filled with thoughtful design choices tailored to the riding environment. Each product comes with a recommended temperature range code, offering comfortable performance throughout the season and preventing unnecessary chills from sweat. They also offer a repair service, which is generally free for items that can be fixed. It’s a reassuring level of after-sales support designed with the intention that you use their products for a long time.
Honestly, you might ask if all that is really necessary for cycle wear, but when you get serious about "riding a bike," you start to see a huge difference in quality and service. This holds true even for something as simple as gloves. On winter rides, the cold can dull your fingertip sensitivity, often hindering your ability to control the bike. If you try to descend a winter mountain pass in work gloves, you’ll end up leaning against a guardrail just like I did. (I learned that the hard way back in my student days...) While it’s not a fair comparison, with the Ultraz Winter Gloves, that simply won’t happen. You’ll be able to brake and shift without issue, allowing you to enjoy your winter rides in total comfort.
【ASSOS】 Ultraz Winter Gloves
Recommended Temperature Range: -4 to 12°C
Sizes: XS / S / M / L / XL
Price: 16,800 JPY (excl. tax)
In addition to gloves, we’ve received a variety of items to make your winter rides more comfortable, including winter tights, arm and leg warmers, and base layers. Ideally, I’d want you to try out every piece on a ride before purchasing, but that’s difficult. That’s precisely why I encourage you to come to the shop and try them on—I want you to get the perfect fit and make the most of this top-tier quality without any mistakes (like choosing the wrong size)! These are products that truly deserve to be experienced.
