The early 2010s were a boom time for new UK MTB brands. We speak to the founders of three \u2018generation alpha\u2019 companies to find out about their road to success <\/p>

Stanton Bikes, Hunt Wheels and Mason Cycles all trace their origins back to the early 2010s in Britain. <\/p>

Since then, they have grown into recognisable names and influenced mountain bike design \u2013 we think for the better. <\/p>

But how have they achieved this in a cycling industry dominated by multinational behemoths? <\/p>

Stanton Bikes<\/h2>
Established 2010 in Matlock, Derbyshire<\/strong><\/p>
Dan the Man \u2013 Stanton\u2019s head honcho has some top new projects in the pipeline. – unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Stanton came about when avid rider Dan Stanton couldn\u2019t quite find what he was looking for in a bike.<\/p>
He explains: \u201cI was passionate about riding, ever since I was a boy. All I did in any spare time I had was mess about on bikes. <\/p>
\u201cIt was street trials, dirt jumps and playing around in the woods, and, as I got older, I started going to trail centres. <\/p>
“I was a hardtail fan, and there were a few bikes that were okay, but nothing that really enabled what I wanted to do on a bike. So, I set about designing one.\u201d<\/p>
His first creation, the Slackline<\/a>, impressed our testers. They said it offered \u201ca magical combo of snappy steel acceleration and a hardtail\u2019s lightweight manoeuvrability\u201d. We weren\u2019t the only ones who liked it.<\/p>
$\"Stanton$
The Slackline is the bike that put Stanton on the map. – David Caudery \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u201cThe first frame I ordered got a spot in the Dirt 100 [the gravity-riding mag\u2019s annual round-up of top products] and I held that for four years,\u201d Dan recalls.<\/p>
\u201cAs far as I\u2019m aware, I developed the first proper long-travel, aggressive hardtail frame. <\/p>
“It was touted as being able to race a 4X World Cup (it did!) and compete in the Bontrager 24\/12 [endurance race]. <\/p>
\u201cIt hit that gap in the market and cemented Stanton as a leading hardtail brand, offering something different.\u201d<\/p>
Steel for hardtails <\/h3>
$\"Stanton$
The brand has branched out from its hardtail roots with the Switch9er and Switchback FS. – unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>
After a couple of decades of aluminium domination, followed by the arrival of carbon fibre, many younger riders had never ridden a quality steel bike <\/a>before. But times were changing.<\/p>
Dan tells us: \u201cI think people have become educated on materials over time. <\/p>
“Obviously, carbon is the lightest. But the amount of vibration that feeds through the frame, people feel it and it doesn\u2019t take long for them to hear that there are better materials out there. <\/p>
\u201cOnce people ride those, they realise the value of it. If they want the power transfer, they can get that from a well-designed hardtail, and they can also find all the comfort they want.\u201d<\/p>
Stanton went on to create the Sherpa 29er <\/a>and the even rowdier Switchback<\/a>, before branching out into titanium. In 2018, a full-suspension mountain bike arrived: the Switch9er FS.<\/p>
Tricky times <\/h3>
$\"Stanton$
Stanton started making steel frames before moving into titanium. – Philip Sowels<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The brand seemed to be very much on the up. But it\u2019s no secret things turned sour, with the business going into administration in 2022 and Dan buying it back.<\/p>
\u201cThe crazy thing is that I would never have stopped what was happening,\u201d he says. <\/p>
“It wasn\u2019t my choice to bring the company to a grinding halt. The other director and investor wanted his money back.\u201d<\/p>
Things worked out for the best, though. \u201cThe way it\u2019s fallen has shaken the rug and given me what I wanted,\u201d says Dan.<\/p>
\u201cI can keep the business smaller, have more time with my family, be more consumer- and product-orientated, and actually get out riding again!\u201d<\/p>
Back where he started <\/h3>
$\"Male$
\u201cCarbon is the lightest, but the amount of vibration\u2026 people feel it and hear there are better materials out there.\u201d – Mickl Kirkman \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
With the main man back at the helm, Stanton feels like it did in the early days.<\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s the same business,” he says. “We still fabricate hardtails here in the UK. But rather than having everybody on staff, we\u2019ll bring in the welder when I\u2019ve processed a load of frames for him.\u201d<\/p>
After creating so many great bikes, is there one that stands out for Dan?<\/p>
\u201cProbably the titanium\/carbon full-suspension frame,” he replies, “which was the most complex product I\u2019ve ever brought to market and I\u2019m very proud of that. <\/p>
\u201cBut also, the Switch9er and Sherpa Ti are really great to ride. I think I really hit the nail on the head with them.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div>
Hunt Bike Wheels<\/h2>
Established 2015 in West Sussex<\/strong><\/p>
$\"Tom$
Tom Marchment and his brother Peter are the brains behind Hunt Wheels and Privateer Bikes. – unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The beautiful South (of England) has been something of a hotbed for British bike brands for years. One such outfit is Hunt Wheels, formed by brothers Tom and Peter Marchment.<\/p>
\u201cWe grew up on the Isle of Man and would do van-shuttling on the plantation DH tracks,” recalls Tom.<\/p>
“We all had janky hardtails, but it was great fun. Then, my mum and dad took us to Morzine in France and I was hooked!\u201d <\/p>
He went on to study ergonomics at university. But he \u201ccouldn\u2019t see myself doing 40 years in a job I wasn\u2019t excited about”.<\/p>
So Tom entered the bike industry. He worked at a local shop (Eurocycles), then for DMR Bikes and on to i-ride, UK distributors for wheel brands Fulcrum, 3T and Campagnolo.<\/p>
With all the knowledge he\u2019d picked up \u2013 particularly from DMR\u2019s Damian Mason and Matt Ryley \u2013 and contacts he\u2019d made, Tom decided it was time to branch out on his own.<\/p>
Filling a gap in the market<\/h3>
$\"Hunt\u2019s$
Hunt\u2019s Trail Wide wheels strike a great balance of strength, weight and price. – Mick Kirkman \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\u201cI had a fair bit of relevant experience, so I discussed the opportunity with Pete, who has a strong grounding in materials science, metallurgy and composites,\u201d he explains.<\/p>
\u201cWe could see that the large wheel companies struggled with a few aspects.<\/p>
“They weren\u2019t always that close to what riders needed, in terms of product specification for the latest types of riding.<\/p>
“Spares were often proprietary and hard to get hold of. <\/p>
“And specs like high-end spokes, well-tested tubeless compatibility and wider rims for better tyre support weren\u2019t making it down into the everyday alloy wheelsets our friends and us were rolling on.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Hunt$
The brand develops its own rims in order to get the ride feel it wants. – unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>
There was also a gaping middle-ground pricing gap to fill. <\/p>
“Large companies were often hiking up the price of their aftermarket wheels to compensate for the lower profits made on OE kit (\u2018original equipment\u2019, supplied to brands for use on complete bikes).<\/p>
\u201cWe saw an opportunity to focus on these areas and to build a company of riders focused on creating the best wheels, where more of the money the consumer spends goes into the product \u2013 hubs, spokes, rims and the hand-building process \u2013 rather than into larger margins,\u201d says Tom.<\/p>
Much of the groundwork for Hunt Wheels, including the establishment of building standards, took place in the UK. Then it was replicated in Taiwan.<\/p>
$\"Hunt$
The brand believes in the importance of serviceability and durability. – unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Tom says: \u201cWe have five people in our technical team here who regularly wheel-build, taking care of servicing and rim replacements for our customers\u2019 wheels. <\/p>
\u201cFor our main wheel-building, we partner with two hand-builders in Taiwan who are experts in batch wheel-building consistency. <\/p>
\u201cConsistently creating an evenly-tensioned, hand-built wheelset with the refined finish that hand-building can deliver isn\u2019t easy.\u201d<\/p>
The Hunt for perfection<\/h3>
$\"Male$
Hunt wheels on a Privateer bike. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Product development and evolution is an ongoing hunt for perfection (hence the brand name). But a core value underlines Hunt Wheels, according to Tom.<\/p>
\u201cOne of the key areas for us has always been serviceability and durability, so our wheels can last a long time and the rider can economically repair them and keep riding the same wheels for many years,\u201d he says.<\/p>
\u201cSo, there aren\u2019t too many proprietary spokes and nipples or bearings, all of which should be easily replaceable.\u201d<\/p>
Tom and Peter have gone on to launch other brands, including Privateer Bikes, under the umbrella of TheRiderFirm.cc.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
Mason Cycles<\/h2>
Established 2014 in Sussex<\/strong><\/p>
$\"Dom$
Dom Mason is keen to add more mountain bikes to the brand’s line-up, following the success of the RAW. – unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Many might assume Mason Cycles is a drop-bar bike brand. Indeed, that\u2019s the arena it’s best known in, with eight all-road, gravel and adventure bikes in its range.<\/p>
And yet, at the core of Mason is a far more rugged heart. Dom Mason, who founded the brand with his wife Julie, is the brother of Damian Mason, of DMR fame, and the pair rode off-road from an early age.<\/p>
\u201cWe grew up building our own \u2018tracker bikes\u2019 \u2013 mostly 10-speed racers with cyclocross tyres and massive cowhorn bars,\u201d Dom recalls.<\/p>
\u201cDamian and I would ride in the woods, on jumps, and regularly destroy bikes. After that, we became obsessed with BMX. <\/p>
\u201cMy first MTB was a second-hand Ridgeback. It was huge, so I set about cutting it up, dropping the top tube, rebrazing the seatstays and turning it into the long\/low shape of the Konas that were then coming in.\u201d<\/p>
Mason’s flat-bar roots <\/h3>
$\"Mason$
The RAW is made for adventure riding. – Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
After years spent working with DMR and parent company Upgrade Bikes, Dom started Mason.<\/p>
He explains: \u201cI designed all the Kinesis UK frames and bikes for almost 15 years, and in that time, I learned a huge amount. <\/p>
\u201cThese experiences taught me what I didn\u2019t want to do, too. I knew I wanted to work with very small and established makers in Italy, not to ship things across the world in containers, and to work with metal. <\/p>
\u201cI\u2019d become passionate about pushing the use of metal tubing and joining techniques, rather than moving to carbon fibre. <\/p>
“I did design some successful carbon frames, but as an engineer it kind of left me cold.\u201d<\/p>
Onshoring the RAW<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
$\"Rider$
Italy\u2019s Michele Miani puts the Mason RAW through its paces in the 2022 Atlas Mountain Race. – ariel wojciechowski<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Mason\u2019s first MTB, the steel RAW, ended up being produced not in Europe, but in Scotland.<\/p>
Dom explains: \u201cWe started it in Italy, and I have some lovely Italian-built sample frames here. <\/p>
“But then the pandemic hit and it became impossible for me to get out to the Italian workshops and see the process through, in the way we\u2019d become accustomed to. <\/p>
\u201cI knew the guys from Five Land Bikes in Scotland, and we\u2019d spoken a few years back about the possibility of working together. <\/p>
\u201cHaving seen the lovely work they were doing, I knew their welds were mind-blowingly good. So I got back in touch and we started working together on what would become the RAW.\u201d<\/p>
By mixing and matching tubing, sticking to precision-led ideals and aiming for refined build quality, Mason has hit the mark with the RAW<\/a>. It won MBUK<\/em>‘s hardtail shootout when our sister publication tested it last year.<\/p>
Ultra-endurance success <\/h3>
$\"Male$
The RAW has a background in bikepacking racing. – Andy Lloyd \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It\u2019s proven to be a successful long-distance bike, too. Mason riders have piloted it to victory in off-road endurance classics around the world.<\/p>
\u201cThe RAW was really well received,\u201d says Dom.<\/p>
\u201cWe worked very hard on the design, tubing and components, and picked the best possible frame-maker. <\/p>
“But up to that point, we were perceived as a \u2018drop-bar bike brand\u2019, even though we have mountain biking and off-road riding firmly at our roots.\u201d<\/p>
Dom has more \u2018riser-bar bikes\u2019 in mind, too.<\/p>
\u201cBuilding on the success of this one, I\u2019m interested in working with the makers of our Italian-built aluminium frames to develop an alloy hardtail, lighter and racier, possibly for a 100\/120mm-travel fork. <\/p>
\u201cFull-suspension also interests me, and I\u2019ve often discussed collaborating with a friend, using their proven suspension design and a Mason front end\u2026 Maybe one day!\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n
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