Don't think Foes and Mountain Cycle were folded like Oranges are. They were pressed in two halves and welded down the middle IIRC.
You could be right with that thinking about it.
[url= http://demonframeworks.com/ ]Demon frameworks[/url] definatley low volume craft end of things but absolutley unique and pretty ingenious.
What Robot are doing is innovative with bonding bits togetherLike Giant were doing in the early 90s?
And Alan were doing for road/CX bikes in the 80's
I don't think Charge have been mentioned just yet
one of the first to try out 3d printed drop outs iirc
Would Bird count as the first UK bike company to make the direct sales model work?
The first apart from Planet-X/On-One, Merlin, Ribble, Dolan, Cotic, Ragley...
Orange have taken that frame design, the fat stiff folded alu construction, and refined it so that it continues to work with the benefits it brings - low maintenance and stiffness and one would assume lower cost of tooling in manufacturing.
Definitely contributing to the state of bike engineering IMO.
Molgrips' comments on Orange +1, but with remarkably few exceptions, so is every other manufacturer. Is Trek's Remedy up any better than a late 90's kona Coiler?
Like Giant were doing in the early 90s?And Alan were doing for road/CX bikes in the 80's
The novel bit is the 3D printed and full suspension parts.
I'm fairly sure someone was already 3D printing lugs with carbon tubes in the road world.
Olsen as mentioned above has also experimented with it.
Fabric are doing interesting stuff with materials and clever little products
Sad to say I dont think many are that inovative.
Absolute Black for getting biopace right?
Carradice are doing their handlebar bags in green now.
Four4th for light innovation.
Thanks for the many interesting suggestions, lots I'd never heard of. The piece is for a trade mag called The Manufacturer so it's probably more about how the bike/component is made than anything else - 3D printing, clever CNC, some kind of innovation in the use of carbon - and done in the UK. Superstar reshoring at least some of their production is spot on for this, maybe not particularly innovative but a very current topic of interest for manufacturing.
Here's [url= https://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/uk-textiles-right-place-right-time/ ]one[/url] they ran a couple of months back on ST's favourite trouser company.
If historic stuff, then Pace right at the start with the RC100...
Would Bird count as the first UK bike company to make the direct sales model work?
The first apart from Planet-X/On-One, Merlin, Ribble, Dolan, Cotic, Ragley...
Yeah, ok, good point! 😳
Here's one they ran a couple of months back on ST's favourite trouser company.
I enjoyed that, this made me chuckle:
Richards and Oxley are cagey about sharing specific names of their partners
Yes, quite. I bet they weren't directly on the blower to ask for a correction to
the inspirational tale behind the duo returning trouser manufacturing to Hebden Bridge
on the grounds of it not actually being true anymore, but anyway...
Sorry, you brought it up.
journalist = trouser press-officer?
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hebden-bridge-trouser-company/page/16
Actually Pace might be a good point of reference...(Egg as well?) - outlining what we used to do and then what we 'only' do now...
It's only really Hope for me. It's so difficult to innovate in the bike world that we are now at changing hub widths by 6 ****ing mm and giving it a name. Whilst Hope may not be reinventing the wheel, they are a worldwide name and sell products made in the UK alongside some huge names and their kit is highly regarded pretty much everywhere. They do innovate in terms of developing their own designs (cranks, cassette/hub interfaces, even the external dropper seat post clamp) rather than copying others. I'd like to see them have a good crack at the whole drivetrain.
I can't consider a company making frames (particularly HT/road frames which are just tubes welded together as has been done since the bike existed) or buying HT/FS frames from Taiwan and popping a shock on them as innovative in any way. They may be great bikes, but it ain't innovative.
Current manufacturers only?
Alex Moulton - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulton_Bicycle
Mike Burrows - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Burrows
Kirk Precision - http://www.kirk-bicycles.co.uk/Kirk.htm
I agree about Moulton.
The design is ageing but it's still way ahead.
Would Bird count as the first UK bike company to make the direct sales model work?No, they buy foreign stuff and hang bits on it, Planet X have held that crown for as long as people have chased cheapness made special by fanboi's.
I thought, from their [url= https://www.bird.bike/about-bird/ ]about page[/url] they designed the frames themselves:
At bird we don’t have any catalogue frames. For those of you who don’t know what we mean, a catalogue frame is one which is produced by a manufacturer and then rebadged a dozen times for other brands. Every Bird bike is designed from the ground up by us. In order to keep the price of our bikes keen, we sell direct from our north Hampshire factory.
Rapha. New materials, new combinations to achieve comfort and protection, etc. Their partnership with Sky helped drive this.
Shred XS clothing? Adult stuff for kids...
Endurance seem to be doing similar to Rapha in terms of the road stuff, but their (Endura) MTB stuff seems close to your requirement. It is similar to other outdoor clothing companies but not many cycling-specific.
Sussmybike (or something), the suspension fork tuning thing?
I don't get the love for superstar, they are a good manufacturing story in terms of "uk plc" but nothing innovative. I might be biased though as when i spoke to someone from there they were a dick claiming al sorts of innovations that were just application of modern cutting tools, speeds and feeds. Then was a bit rude about education when i was after input/ data for an assignment, to make a CNC'd seat clamp.
I think they are an ambassador for fusion 360 and that is something to watch as the Autodesk business model is aggressively after the CAD/CAM software market. But again i found limitations with that setting datums for some custom linkages.
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3d Printing parts and carbon fibre? that's "bloke in shed" territory now.
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Is it actually possible to have an all UK bike now?
Every component made in the UK - including the frame materials. Do we even make the steel anymore or just finish it?
No, unless maybe its a singlespeed.
Even single speed seems a push.
Don't think any UK brand make;
- Tyres
- innertubes or sealant
- Cartridge bearings
- Chains
- Wheels (Rims, spokes & nipples)
[N/A for rigid SS but- Suspension fork, rear shocks]
I'm not sure where its made but Steve Peat now does sealant.
Anyone mentioned Islabikes? Brilliant design for kids to learn/progress. Designed here, manufactured Taiwan, built here.
Another vote for Charge/Fabric
But not innovative. Early Rider is a better shout.
thepodge - Member
I'm not sure where its made but Steve Peat now does sealant.
I thiny Peaty's involvement is limited to brand engineering.
I don't get the love for superstar, they are a good manufacturing story in terms of "uk plc" but nothing innovative.
For me, it's the business model that's innovative.
In almost every other manufacturer in the UK they might start here, but soon enough they're either importing parts from abroad or quietly outsourcing some of their production to the point when it's pretty much made in China / Taiwan or the like and shipped here in kit for form final assembly.
Even Orange make, or made some of their HT frames abroad.
They're going the other way, they started with by taking a large margin item, copied it and produced their own via out sourced manufacturing, but have slowly started to shift production here, modified some generic stuff and is now designing and making stuff here whilst still undercutting their competition.
I'm not sure how they are for pay levels and staff relations, but I suspect it's an awful lot better than your average worker drone in China.
If only they didn't use such gash anodising colours they'd be a bigger threat to Hope 😉
Yes, very much soP-Jay - Member
I thiny Peaty's involvement is limited to brand engineering.thepodge - Member
I'm not sure where its made but Steve Peat now does sealant.
I thought, from their about page they designed the frames themselves:
True, but then it's still not novel/innovative.
If you look back through P-X's back catalogue you get bikes like the 456 which really were different, not just cheaper versions of what Specialized/Trek make. Then they made the C435 which really was a novel idea.
They've gone off the boil in recent years with a lot of open mould road bikes and their MTB line-up got left behind by geometry changes. But you can't deny they had a huge impact on UK MTB'ing, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who's been MTB'ing over 15 years that hasn't owned an inbred or 456 at some point!
ICE trikes have led the way for development and improvement of recumbent trikes. Followed on from Mike Boroughs who is an innovation institution of course.
Anyone mentioned Islabikes? Brilliant design for kids to learn/progress. Designed here, manufactured Taiwan, built here.
Yes, indeed. Not technically UK made (I don't think they even build them here - they just fettle them before shipping) but you can't doubt that Isla Rowntree has had more impact on kids' cycling than anyone else in recent years and she has created a micro-industry in decent quality kids' bikes that is absolutely thriving. Great support too 🙂
If you want shifting compatibility then Jtek engineering are UK based and made. Fairly niche products but seem good, and just about to order one myself! Also, bike part related: Muc off started life as X-lite in Poole, making some lovely components then branching out into cleaning and lube products.
On epicyclo's metal question, plenty of steel is still produced in the UK, millions of tonnes of it. Doubt if any ore comes from the UK though. Google says there is only 1 small Aluminium smelter in the UK in Lochaber, and don't think there's any UK bauxite. From what little I read the smelter was to be used for car parts so for alu bike parts made in the UK, most must use imported billets?
Oh, shout-out to Braeview Engineering who make a [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131982076375 ]quite excellent bearing extraction tool[/url] which is a great addition to the toolbox of anyone who services their own frame bearings.
