BRAVE NEW WORLD

British bike collective The Rider Firm (TRF) started back in 2014, launching with Hunt Bike Wheels, which has fast gained huge popularity. Since then it has added forward-thinking mountain-bike-design company Privateer, glove maker Dissent 133 and, most recently, ebike manufacturer Cairn. It has also partnered with custom clothing brand Mobel along the way.

Brothers Tom and Peter Marchment set up TRF to make rider-focused products that would truly deliver, backed up by customer service that would be the best in the business. Tom had over a decade’s experience in the cycling industry at some of the UK’s biggest distributors, including Upgrade and i-Ride, while Peter is a qualified engineer and materials scientist who ran a sideline business, ITS (a web shop/mail-order business and the place to buy inner-tube bundles back in the day). The Rider Firm is an undoubted success story. Just look at its biggest brand, Hunt. Tom’s understanding of the bike business and Peter’s knowledge of mechanical engineering enabled them to create some truly great price-busting hoops.

When I headed down to TRF’s Sussex HQ to meet up with the team, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve known Tom since his distributor days in the bike trade, but I didn’t know how the business had developed and, honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. TRF could easily have