Public Funding for Deviate Cycles Limited

Deviate is a UK-based bicycle manufacturer SME with a core project team of Chris Deverson (technical director), Jake Wood-Gee (design engineer) and Lucy Lourenco (project manager). A majority of high-end carbon fibre bicycle frames are manufactured in China, or south-east Asia using labour intensive processes. Designs, sizes and colours are set with orders placed up to 12 months in advance. The long lead time means that capital is constrained. The process carries risks of delays and damage/quality issues, which are difficult to resolve once the batch is delivered. 2-3% of orders cannot be sold at full price. The fast pace of product development in the industry means designs may be obsolete by the time they are delivered. Damage is often irreparable, and there is increasing awareness that these products lack sustainability with no viable end-of-life disposal solution. Tooling costs to establish production are high and for smaller volume these moulds are not fully utilised. To address these issues, Deviate is developing a UK-based disruptive manufacturing process for bicycles and micromobility vehicles. The Tilander, a thermoplastic carbon/titanium bicycle frame production platform, will reduce lead time by 90% from 12 months to 4 weeks. The product will combine the high performance achievable through the technologies with tailored sizing and significantly improved sustainability than comparable products. The novel approach will have a clear end-of-life cycle, use less energy, and could produce 70-80% less carbon emissions than current manufacturing methods. Deviate's proposal for UK-based production has the potential for £4M to be spent with UK suppliers, where it would normally be spent abroad.