Ever wondered what it’s like inside the Hope factory? Wonder no more, as we get giddy and check it all out.
Our occasional roving American reporter Fahzure was over visiting Singletrack Towers just recently, and since it’s important to show any tourist all the best sights, we took him along to the Hope factory in Barnoldswick for a peek at how the components he likes so much are made. When we returned our HB130 test bike to the Hope factory, we took the opportunity to check out the whole operation.
Hope is 30 years old this year. That’s 30 years of engineering, bike history, and expert development. Arguably best known for their prettily coloured components, with so much experience and so much in house capacity, they can make pretty much whatever they want.
We went to see not just how the new HB carbon bikes are being made, but the whole operation. Like kids in a sweet shop, there was a lot of ‘Ooh! Look!’ and being distracted by shiny things. Luckily Fahzure is an engineering nerd as well as a bike nerd, so he kept Hope’s ‘Doddy’ on his toes with plenty of questions.
Join us on the tour. Keep your eyes peeled for a pizza oven, a dinosaur, a parsnip, a future Olympic bike, wheels that are too round, and even a product that doesn’t exist yet.
Here’s a little taste of what you’ll find if you look closely. Engineering can definitely be beautiful.
Issue 128 of Singletrack Magazine contains our review of the Hope HB130, along with two other super bling carbon bikes. Get your copy from our shop and see whether any of these might make their way into your garage. Or will you just be settling for a nice coloured chainring or seat post clamp?
