Inside Hope Technology: Following The Manufacturing Process
Driving down narrow streets lined by stone houses I feel like my satnav is leading me astray. This is far from a conventional location to find one of the world's leading component manufacturers, but then again Hope Technology isn’t your conventional company.
Founded from humble moto-trials beginnings in 1989 by the late Simon Sharp and Ian Wetherhill, Hope has expanded into the 120-strong team it is today. Hope’s growth stems from their introduction of new products, which are mostly driven out of personal riding requirements rather than being market led. The thirst for more space led them to their new Barnoldswick premises in 2011, where all their component machining and new carbon layups take place.
To put Hope’s success in perspective, the company started with a meager 400 square feet of factory space yet now occupies a mammoth 100,000 square-foot facility. In other words, there are plenty of intriguing processes, machines, and components to look at when taking a stroll along the factory floor...
Tucked away in a corner of the Lancashire countryside, Hope Tech have been in their Barnoldswick premises since 2011.
At the top of the factory is where the first stage of any new component takes place. Initial sketches and ideas are taken into the computer before being 3D printed to help visualize the product and give the machining department something to work from.
That is, if they can resist the urge to session the pump track, which the office looks out on to!
Various pre-production prototypes in different stages clutter the designers' desks. There's no better way of making refinements to products than having hands on experience as you're doing it.
Before the production can take place, the engineers need to program the machines with a focus on efficiency, trying to do as much machining as possible in one operation.
Once the prototypes have been made, they are subjected to intense testing, on and off the bike. This rig can be programmed to the data collected from real-world descents.
Once happy with the component, production can begin. The raw 2014 aluminium alloy and is cut into bars or billets before being fixed into the CNC machines.
The machines run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
...soon to be hubs!
The cutting fluid helps cool the metal and lubricates, which also helps improve the life of the working edge.
The machine holds three brakes at a time, taking an hour and 15 minutes to complete the first operation before another 15 minutes on the second operation. This adds up to a total of 30,000 brakes a year.
The life of a hub pawl; made from steel, the pawls are sliced into shape by a wire-cutting machine.
Hope's rotors are laser cut and heat treated.
After the machining is complete, the components are then taken to a 'metal finishing' process.
This consists of deburring or polishing, depending on the part.
Up next is the anodizing where Hope have created their popular and almost iconic range of colourways.
Every product is anodized, even the silver components. This is not only done for aesthetics, but to provide a layer of protection from the elements.
Each bath of colour differs in temperature and submersion time to achieve the desired finish.
A lot of variables can affect the finish meaning it's a difficult process to match colours.
Laser etching is the final stop before the component is boxed up and on its way to the shops.
The process burns off the anodizing, but leaves an oxidized coat, meaning the surface won't be susceptible to corrosion.
Lacing a wheel takes somewhere in the region of the 80-second mark!
They are then tensioned within a certain tolerance range by machine, before being finished off in the truing stand by hand.
Each component is assembled by hand.
30,000 brakes manufactured a year means a heck of a lot of brakes need a first-time bleed!
Seeing each stage of production, from the raw material to the shop-ready component, is the only way for a visitor to get a sense of the time, effort, and ingenuity that goes into all the components we have on our bikes.
Over the last few years, Hope have also expanded into carbon with seatposts, handlebars and the much talked about HB.211 that is soon to come into production.
Being able to CNC their own molds in-house gives Hope a massive advantage over other manufacturers.
It takes 24 strips of carbon and around 20 minutes to layup their seatpost.
After being laid into the mold, the carbon is heated internally by air pressure before being rubbed down and lacquered, all in house.
Coming soon...
MENTIONS: @hopetech
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
That said I'm rather exited about the HB.211, what are used testicles worth these days?
I've heard it called "Timberbell", but it's really "Timber MTB Bells". I don't own one, but when you asked the question I had to know... And now we know!
@ChazzMichaelMichaels: I too like quiet hubs. I've been told by seasoned riders that if I don't want to hear my hub that I should look for a 30 to 60 POE hub. IIRC, the higher torque springs used on high POE hubs are part of what give the hub the louder sound. I have a friend that bought the MTB270 rear hub from BHS. It has 6 pawls and 54POE, yet is barely heard. I rode is bike around the street and there is a stark difference in the feel of engagement from my shitty M756A rear hub.
Love this hub sound. Even people going to the forest to collect some mushrooms remember it and just get outta way (heard it's banned in the UK, true?)
If I lived in the UK, I would want to work at Hope
Then there's HOPE brakes, the strongest yet most subtle action that never fades and never needs bleeding. And when you do bleed it is the easiest thing to do on your whole bike, no special tools or taking them off to do. I will never even consider another brake manufacturer as long as they exist.
I just wish the parts to rebuild the brakes were less expensive; half the price of a new brake would be reasonable, but currently it's only $10 cheaper than buying new brakes.
@SethStar, Thanks, I'll check Casino Bicycles out. I have driven through Hemet a few time on my way to Idylwild.
I had gunsmoke hubs, now got black, really want purple ones though
Keep up the good stuff PB (and hope!)
Hope's products are currently available in mainland Europe at the same prices as on the UK. With import taxes, that would not be the case anymore.
The currency in the UK ain't €uro. It's the good old British pound, hence is why they have an advantage at the moment with their labor force. Raw materials may cost them more but Brexit is not as terrible of a thing as some think it is.
Great to think that the UK population will be the only ones NOT to benefit from Brexit- how fu***d up is that ?
Oh well, at least we've got a good relationship with Trump.