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The latest problem-solving part out of Ratio‘s Cumbria, UK workshop is a Shimano GRX-compatible chainring in 38t, 36t, and 34t sizes. Despite being aimed at gravel riders – and now available with a 9-45t cassette option – Shimano’s GRX group is available with only 40t and 42t chainrings as standard…
UK-based company Ratio began making conversion kits that paired drop-bar levers with mountain bike derailleurs, and last year it finally released its own derailleur, simply called Mech. John’s been riding the Mech (£287.50) for a few months and is ready to talk about it…
Once a year, a sprawling, eccentric hotel in the middle of England fills up with bike people. Core Bike is a dealer trade show with no show bikes and no spectacle – just reps in hotel rooms and distributors in banquet suites trying to sell things to shops. It is an unlikely setting for anything to be remarkable. As Petor Georgallou discovered, unremarkable is a blessing in disguise. Join the fray below…
Restrap has applied all the principles of engineered minimalism that are the hallmarks of their luggage range to their Switch Rack: lightweight construction, durable materials, quick and simple fitment/removal.
For a +£100 upcharge, Fairlight Cycles will paint your Secan frame in this specialty “Root Beer” finish. Let’s check out what makes this wet paint so special…
To celebrate its new business model, London-based framebuilder Quirk Cycles just launched a Founder’s Batch of Mamtor frames. With only 25 framesets available worldwide, we wanted to get this news out to you, asap…
Wizard Works announces the launch of Snagla, a new 3.5L waterproof hip pack that effortlessly converts to a bar bag – the ultimate two-in-one bag for both on and off the bike adventures. Designed in response to the current economic conditions and leveraging the company’s newly acquired seam taping technology, Snagla offers exceptional versatility without compromising on performance or durability.
Provenence is a short film by Michael Drummond profiling Quirk Cycles and its founder, Rob Quirk – an independent bicycle brand based in Hackney, London.
Built on years of framebuilding experience and driven by a commitment to performance, durability, and purposeful design, Quirk Cycles is entering a new chapter. Moving beyond one-off commissions towards a refined range of production bicycles, the brand is focused on creating performance bicycles with clarity, consistency, and lasting value.
The film captures this pivotal moment of transition, offering a rare look inside the workshop and the thinking, craft, and intent that underpin every Quirk frame – and the vision shaping the future of the brand.
The film release marks the beginning of the run-up to Quirk Cycles’ first order window of 2026.
Introducing the Starling Cycles Big Bird. Are 32er mountain bikes the next big thing? Starling Cycles was inevitably cynical but also interested to find out. After all, what’s opinion without experience?
Bikes don’t just appear on shop floors — they’re built, shaped, and refined by people who care deeply about how we ride.
In this video, the lads at Stayer Cycles take us behind the scenes to see what really goes into making a cargo bike conversion. From raw materials to finished frames, this is a look at the process, the craft, and the thinking behind building bikes the right way.
First debuted in our Bespoked UK coverage last year, UK framebuilder Creature has developed the De-Reacher MTB Stem for order…
We caught wind of Mikalon recently. A mini velo that is “separable” with a design inspired by nature, architecture, and clearly Moulton bikes. Its designer worked for UK architect Norman Foster, and it shows! Let’s take a closer look at this masterpiece…
Tom from the UK’s Sturdy Cycles has been one of the catalysts for framebuilders to adopt 3D printing technologies. He helped Prova Cycles develop its titanium fork and produced some of the nicest bikes at the previous years’ Bespoked UK showcases. And of course, you remember Petor’s Sturdy, right? Last year, Tom let John in on a little secret at Bespoked: that he was working on moving to Sturdy Cycles to CNC milling.
Computer numeric control allows Tom to work entirely in-house on his components and frame parts. The fruits of his labor are beginning to be presented in the Sturdy Cycles webshop with his stunning CNC-milled crankarms ($1,096, ~560g) and seatpost ($411, ~215g) hitting the shelves. While they fetch a pretty penny, the cranks are available in 150 through 180 mm lengths and are TIG-welded in-house.
All we can say is we’re stoked to see what Sturdy brings to London for Bespoked this spring. Check out more at Sturdy Cycles.
Restrap just announced its first rack, the made-in-the-UK Switch Rack ($189.99, 395 g). Let’s check it out.
After shifting some of its production to the EU last year, the lads at Starling Cycles are back in the Bristol workshop this week. Kicking off the New Year with a bit of big news, the Bristol-based steel full suspension company can now ship frames in just 3–5 working days, which is a HUGE improvement on the old 8 to 12 week timeline.
AND the Starling website can now take payments in EUROS – with no hidden extra duty, sales tax or import charges for EU customers. The price you see is what you’ll pay. If you like the idea of a steel mountain bike that’s handmade, straightforward to live with, and built to last, without being driven by marketing trends or marginal gains, that’s what Starling Cycles is known for.
Roll on over to its website to see the current offerings.
Over the weekend, Andy from Stooge Cycles announced the opening of the pre-order for the MK8. This latest batch should be in the UK by May and includes a new fork, made from triple butted tubing and featuring the bi-plane design we love so much about the bike. You can read John’s thoughts on the MK7 in our archives. These new forks will be lighter than the previous generation’s. In addition to the stronger and lighter fork, the MK8 now comes in three color choices: Dark Sage, Obergine, and Desert Brown.
Roll on over to Stooge Cycles to place a pre-order. £120 is required up front, with the remainder due when the bikes arrive.
UK brand Ratio Technology first teased its new derailleur aboard a Tumbleweed at the 2025 Made Bike Show and today, the brand unveiled the made in the UK Mech to the worldwide masses. Let’s check it out…
Stayer Cycles just announced an über limited experiment. The Banana Banana stem is a high-rise stem, perfect for bringing your bars higher on cargo or basket bikes. These stems have 100 mm of rise and 100 mm of reach, making them ideal for drop bars. Stayer only made three of these stems, and each retails for £220, and stock is super limited. Roll on over to Stayer Cycles to check them out.
Edit: Stayer has a pre-order open now for the next batch!
