Feature: Handsling Bikes

A look at Handsling bikes and where they come from and riders they have supported who are now super stars 


Feature: Handsling Bikes

For fans of British cycling, there were plenty of riders to cheer on at this year’s Tour de France. At UK bike manufacturer Handsling, the team was firmly behind a rider who has come so close to a stage win in recent years – Fred Wright. The 24-year-old Londoner was clearly visible in the peloton, riding in the red, white and blue of the British National Champion’s jersey. This milestone win, added to Wright’s ongoing success at WorldTour level, is a source of huge pride at Hampshire-based Handsling.

“Fred was the first rider we sponsored with a frame back in his days as a junior,” explains Handsling Founder and Director Simon Whiten. “We knew back then that he was something special and was destined for the pro tour. He won a whole host of junior races on Handsling frames and was instrumental in getting us exposure in our early days. He remains a big part of the Handsling story and it’s been incredible seeing him at the sharp end of the Tour.”

Wright is far from the only British success story who started out on Handsling frames. Other notable names include track specialist Oscar Nilsson-Julien, European Junior Champion Josh Giddings, and Tom Gloag, who recently turned pro. Still riding Handsling frames are Katie-Ann Calton, Rory Gravelle, Simon Davis, Sam Fisher, Jack Jee, Huw Buck Jones, and Phoebe Taylor, who won three golds at this year’s UK track nationals.

For Handsling, the success of these riders can be bittersweet. A rider turning pro is a source of pride and underscores Handsling’s racing heritage, but means losing them to another bike manufacturer. This year, however, things are different. As the company has expanded, it has invested in headline sponsorship of two teams – DAS-Handsling Women’s UCI Continental team in the UK and Chaney Windows and Doors (CWD) Cycling men’s team in the US.

DAS-Handsling shone against World Tour teams at this year’s RideLondon Classique and has notched multiple wins in the UK and on the continent. Their squad features the likes of U23 starlets Sophie Lewis, Grace Lister and Emma Jeffers, along with more experienced racers including Sammie Stuart and Monica Greenwood. Meanwhile track-focused CWD Cycling cleaned up at the last two US Track Nationals, and the team includes several Olympic hopefuls in their ranks.

Handsling’s long-term goal is to sponsor a team at WorldTour level, a move that would elevate it to one of the UK’s leading performance cycling brands. To do this, the company must first expand its range of frames beyond its current three models. The challenges of Brexit, Covid and the parts shortage forced Handsling to halt progress on new projects. According to Whiten, the time is now right to dust off the blueprints to exciting frame models covering track, gravel, time-trial and road.

He said: “The events of the past few years forced us to put new frame development on hold. In many ways, we have emerged stronger in terms of our core team, operational systems, global presence and customer service, so we are now ready to push on to become one of the biggest direct-to-consumer bike manufacturers in the world. This means expanding our product line up in several key areas.”

The Handsling range currently features three UCI-approved carbon frames, all of which are ‘closed moulds’ owned exclusively by the brand. The A1R0evo road frame combines speed and comfort; the lightweight CEXevo has the versatility for cyclocross, gravel and endurance riding; the TR3evo has been ridden to multiple track gold medals at continental and national level.

Framesets are manufactured at the company’s factory in Shenzhen and hand-assembled at their UK workshop by Cytech-qualified technicians. They are available in 15 limited edition colourways and customised to the size and spec requirements of the rider, ensuring optimal comfort and performance. Handsling’s new track frames will be named the TR2evoS and TR2evoP, specialising in sprint and pursuit respectively. The beefy TR2evoS will be viable for the world’s best sprinters. Its super stiff carbon layup and a bespoke one-piece bar are designed for one thing – pure speed. The TR2evoP features a dropped headtube and dedicated aerobase and tri bar to help the pursuit rider get as aero as possible and maximise every watt of power.

The brief for the new GRevo aero gravel frame was simple – to make a hard-as-nails machine that can win elite races on the rough stuff. The prototype looks tough and aggressive, combining box section aero tubes with frame clearance for 50mm tyres. The TSTRevo will be a time trial and triathlon frame for the modern era – aero and stiff for maximum speed, yet offering enhanced comfort. It is disc-brake only for stopping power and accepts a 32mm tyre for the lower rolling resistance and comfort of big rubber. The fully adjustable cockpit features a low base bar and aero optimised extensions that provide a relaxed position on the bike.

Handsling’s existing A1R0evo road frame will be offered in a lightweight Toray T1100 version named the A1R0evoS. Built up with the Handsling’s carbon integrated bars, lightweight carbon wheels and high-end groupset, it will seriously threaten the UCI weight limit.

These are exciting times for a company that emerged from the UK race scene and has a history of supporting talented riders. This race heritage is essential in achieving the real world testing that guides R&D and gives buyers confidence in the quality and performance of Handsling’s bikes. It’s also vital for UK brands like Handsling to support the next generation of elite bike racers as they follow their dreams in an expensive sport. With their big plans for the future, how long before we see the next Fred Wright riding a Handsling at the Tour?

For more information, please visit www.handslingbikes.com

 

 

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