Mamils everywhere, rejoice: the ultimate cycle clothing range for the fuller man has been launched by three Yorkshire cyclists.
Fat Lad at the Back – the loose acronym is FLAB, obviously – is a range of cycle clothing designed in Yorkshire and made in Italy.
It means Mamils – middle-aged men in lycra – can enjoy another helping of pudding, maybe an extra glass of red wine and know that they'll still look good on their best road bike.
According to the startup's MD, Richard Bye (6ft3in, 43in chest, 38in waist in case you wondered), the average UK male has a 38in waist and it's tricky to find decent kit that fits and looks good.
"We're absolutely embracing everybody who is not a skinny whippet," said Bye. "If somebody who has got a little bit around their middle you can't buy cycling clothing to fit you properly."
Most of the items are black. "Black's a key feature, because it's the best slimming colour," said Bye. "The garments are all about making the wearer feel comfortable in themselves as much about be comfortable in the clothes and are not out there like a shrink-wrapped chicken."
The brand's jocular Yorkshire wit has been well received, Bye said, and has probably been helped by the Tour de France 2014 starting in God's Own County.
A backside look at Fat Lad at the Back's bibshorts
Range items include the Ey-up bib shorts (£59.99), Parky softshell winter jacket (£99.99) and the Nippy long sleeve jersey (£59.99). More will be added shortly, and prices look pretty reasonable too.
Sizing on the website is usefully displayed in inches rather the relative scale of XS to XXL standard and some of the clobber goes up to serious sizing, including 50-inch waist bib shorts. Wow.
While FLAB is focusing on "anywhere where there is the average-sized English male," said Bye, the company can ship worldwide.
Visit www.fatladattheback.com for more details.