Hope Technology
Hope Technology is a bicycle component manufacturer based in Barnoldswick, Lancashire. Primarily concerned with manufacturing high-quality mountain bike componentry, Hope have branched into accessories such as lights, tools and riding gear.
Hope have more recently partnered with Lotus Engineering to developed a track bike, known as 'HB.T' used by Great Britain Cycling Team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
History
IPCO 1985–1991
The company, known as IPCO, was started in 1985 by Ian Weatherill and Simon Sharp, former Rolls-Royce aerospace engineers, as a sub-contract manufacturer of fixings and toolings for aerospace companies in the local area. The company operated out of a factory in Nelson, Lancashire. In 1989 the owners decided that the brakes on their newly discovered mountain bikes were not up to scratch when compared to the motorbikes they were used to riding. They began to develop an alternative to the cantilever brakes which was common on mountain bikes at the time. They designed a calliper brake that they fitted to the front wheel of the bike. The calipers were cable operated and used a rear, screw-on hub in the front wheel of the bike. The disc rotor screwed onto the hub. IPCO began to refine the design and manufacture more of their new brake for personal use for the next 2 years. In 1990 the company had expanded to outgrow their current factory and a new factory of Skelton St, Colne, Lancashire, nicknamed the 'Hope Shed'.Hope Technology 1991–1999
Ian and Simon had initially planned to use the brakes for personal use, but after 2 years they realised the potential and brought the product to market. IPCO rebranded to Hope Technology and the mechanical disc brake was the first of its kind to be sold on the market in 1991. The year also saw Hope make its first 6 bolt disc, a similar standard to that is still used today. The hubs resembled those used on trials motorbikes hubs fitted with sealed cartridge bearings.In 1992, Hope attended their first international bike show, Interbike, Anaheim, USA. Thanks to the success of the show, a satellite office located in California was setup to help with US sales. A big investment was made to the purchase Hope's first CNC machine to ramp up production. Hope also launched its second product, the Ti-glide rear hub, one of the first Shimano compatible, aftermarket hubs. It was mainly constructed out of Titanium, was compatible with Hope's brakes and was well known for the making a loud ratcheting noise when free-wheeling. Throughout the year, and into 1993 Hope began to manufacture a number of accessories to accompany its product, including quick release skewers.
In 1994 and 1995 Hope launched a hydraulic brake system at Eurobike with a concept twin disc system, although only a single sided version was available to the public. The new braking system saw its first win for Rob Warner at the 1996 Grundig World Cup DH in Kaprun in Austria. Thank to this success, as well as good results in other races, Hope expanded its facilities to Skipton Road, Barnoldswick in 1998.