CoreBike2014: Hope Technology

Hope Technology had a room full of goodies at Core Bike. Despite claiming that there wasn’t much new to see, the reality was somewhat different, with a mix of prototype and production pieces to see.

42T sprocket – this is still a prototype, but it’s Hope’s solution for riders looking to add a SRAM-style 42T big sprocket for riders wanting a wide-ranging 1×10 system. The idea is to remove a mid-range cog, like the 17T or the 13T and then this fits on at the back of the cassette. Machined ribs keep the sprocket in place and braced by the cassette body. There’ll be a SRAM and a Shimano version. It’s still currently a prototype, but it should appear some time this year if testing goes well.

You might have seen this bike on a TV programme recently. It’s the bike that Guy Martin rode to over 100 mph while sat behind a truck, on a Welsh beach.

The bike, built by Rourke Cycles was towed up to a speed where Guy Martin could get on top of the gear (before he ran out of beach) and then a spare brake lever released the tow and let Martin get pedalling up to 112mph.

Purple is back! Hope is making purple components available once more.

Press fit bottom bracket solutions.

Hope now has a complete range of bottom brackets for every kind of press-fit bottom bracket. Many riders are finding their BBs creaking after a while and this is Hope’s solution, featuring a bolt-together solution, complete with a chart showing which bits you need for which.

 

 

Tech Wheels

Hope has sourced its own range of rims for its wheel line, to be called Tech Wheels. The rims are designed to answer many perceived downsides of the Stan’s rims it currently uses (like a lack of eyelets and susceptability to denting). Hope’s new Tech rims will have a custom extrusion, tubeless compatible rim bead and XC and Enduro-specific rim designs. The Enduro rims will have a triple-cavity extrusion for greater strength. The wheels will come in 26, 27.5 and 29in and will be available around the end of March for all sizes. The rims are designed by Hope, but made in Taiwan, due to Hope not begin able to source them in the UK, rather than any plans to do any outsourcing. The wheels will still be built in Barnoldswick.

Hope Tech wheels will be £380 per pair on standard hubs, or £420 with straight-pull hubs, coming in around the end of March in all sizes.

Hope Velo-Doom

The guys (and girls) at Hope were frustrated at the long waiting list to get to play on the Manchester track and so, being Hope, decided to look into building their own. Having looked into extending its already huge building, it made sense to see if a velodrome could be incorporated in the plans. A full-on, wooden tracked, indoor, 200m velodrome! The plan is to have Hope’s new R&D facility (and its new carbon fibre research ‘cell’ – more of that later) downstairs and a 200m wooden track upstairs, complete with café and bike hire. Plans will be submitted for approval in the next couple of months and it’s hoped that construction finished by the end of 2015. This is all being paid for by Hope itself as a track where mountain bikers can go and play at indoor roundy-roundy riding. Thumbs up from us!

Hope Stems

Hope has new 35mm, zero degree stems coming out soon and later in the year will have revised 50mm and direct mount stems. As for handlebars, despite developing its own range of custom designed riser bars, it was felt that – being sourced from Taiwan – that they just ‘weren’t Hope enough’ and so Hope won’t be selling them. It figures that it might as well just look into making its own carbon bars instead.

Carbon

Carbon? Hope has been dabbling in carbon recently, as it’s something that can be made competitively in the UK (hey, look where many Formula1 car bits are made) so Hope is investing in a specific carbon fibre ‘cell’ with climate-controlled clean room and experienced staff. Below is a carbon fibre seat post design – it’s already been tested for over a year on sponsored riders’ bikes, so could reach production soon(ish). Exciting times.

Hope Vision Lighting

In another ‘back to basics’ move. Hope has simplified its new R8 light (that we showed before with giant LCD screen) to just have a multi-function single button that controls the light, plus lights up in colour to show what mode it’s in. With huge heat-sinks and eight LEDs, the R8 should put out all the light (and heat!) you need.

Hope chain guide

This old thing? Just one of several different designs Hope has been finalising. Tested all of last year, Hope is now ordering the plastic parts and should have them available by the summer. And the cranks? They’re still working on them, but the idea is to have them forged in England and machined at Hope and available in the autumn.

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