ACT Gold Member Reilly Cycleworks Seeks To Expand UK Dealer Network

Reilly Cycleworks started life as Omega in the late 90s, founded by maverick frame builder Mark Reilly and pattern maker Neil FitzGerald. Their partnership launched with beautifully crafted fillet-brazed steel and smooth tig-welded aluminum frames, but it wasn’t long before Mark fell in love with the ‘magical’ properties of titanium. This love of titanium is the backbone of Reilly today.

Following Mark’s untimely death in 2021, Neil steered the business to a new future with the appointment of business lead Chris Ratcliff. The B2B team has recently expanded to bring Petra Wiltshire on board as Reilly’s first UK sales rep. Former pro and World Champion downhill mountain bike racer, Petra was a Reilly enthusiast before joining the company, qualifying in Dubai for the UCI World Championships Gran Fondo on her Reilly Fusion.

Despite Mark’s respected and much-loved designs, Reilly and its 25-year titanium frame building heritage is unknown to some in the cycling industry. Petra is about to change that. She is available to visit stores with demo bikes, explain Reilly’s catalogue of gravel and road frames in detail and help dealers stock the range most appropriate to their customer base.

“A Reilly titanium bike is a lifetime investment, which offers unrivalled value for ride after ride,” says Chris Ratcliff. “Beyond the value proposition, the experience of riding titanium is much more ‘touchy-feely’ and difficult to put into words. That is why we feel Petra is the perfect rep. With her extensive knowledge of pro cycling, latterly as a cycling coach, and hours in the saddle of our bikes, whether gravel riding in the UAE or tracking the route of the Tour de France this summer on her Fusion, Petra’s first-hand experience of riding our premium titanium framesets will be invaluable for dealers.”

With a healthy 33% margin on framesets and 27% on complete bikes, Reilly’s business plan is to build lasting relationships with bike shops and support them during these turbulent times.

Reilly offers benefits such as a lifetime warranty on frames for the first owner, no minimum order, free UK shipping, listing on Reillycycleworks.com, together with access to a library of product images.

Reilly’s in-house finishing team can create custom decals or bespoke anodised finishes with the optionto include dealers’ logos on framesets. (see images marked Co-branded)

The current catalogue of titanium gravel bikes and framesets includes the ‘do-it-all’ and bestselling Gradient. Mark's design work on the Gradient was so progressive that its launch pre-dated the whole gravel phenomenon. The Gradient, and its semi-integrated sibling Gradient T47, are the embodiment of titanium’s classic ‘flex and flow’, guaranteeing all-day comfort for on and off-road adventures.

Earlier this year Petra put her Gradient T47 through its paces at the Dirty Reiver completing the 130km route in 6 hours 29 minutes. “I was 99% of the time either cold, wet or coated in mud, also suffering from zero sleep. Despite this I absolutely loved riding this amazing bike and spending time in the mud with other crazies.” Petra went on to qualify for the UCI Gravel Worlds on her Gradient T47 at The Gralloch in May.

Customers interested in a titanium chameleon should look no further than the perennial Spectre, an all-road bike that is equally happy off-road. It’s a speedy sportive machine for the Spring classics. With its 38mm gravel tyre clearance, it’s equally capable of hitting the trails. And when the weather turns, with its mudguard mounts, it’s the ultimate winter bike.

Fast, responsive and surprisingly lightweight, the classic round-tubed T325 road bike (available in disc and rim brake versions) perfectly balances the best qualities of titanium to produce an exceptionally direct, but velvety smooth road experience. 

Reilly added to its road line-up in 2022 with the launch of the Reilly Fusion, a titanium aero road bike. GCN Tech was gobsmacked: “The Reilly Fusion is UNBELIEVABLE.” While Stu Kerton of Road.cc described it as an “excellent bike with the performance and looks of carbon, but the stunning comfort and longevity of titanium.”

Reilly’s innovative use of investment casting makes the Fusion a distinctive titanium offering in a market of ubiquitous carbon frames. The seamless welding of the 6AL-4V cast parts to 3AL-2.5V tubing, fully integrated cable routing and stunning ‘kamm tail’ profile give the bike a sleek, sexy look. “It may look stunning, but it is also incredibly fast,” said Petra who rode the UCI World Championships in Glasgow last weekend on her Fusion.

The Cycle Show 2023 saw the prototype of the Reflex gravel race bike unveiled and immediately garner interest. The Reflex succeeds the Gradient T47, and inherits the Fusion’s clean lines, with full cable integration, 55mm/700cc tyre clearance and short-travel suspension fork and dropper seat post compatibility. “The Gradient and the Fusion had a baby,” one enthusiast quipped. With the final design tweaks being made at present, Reilly is expecting Reflex stock to hit its workshop by November 2023 and is currently taking pre-orders.

Dealers interested in Petra visiting their store, contact her on petraw@reillycycleworks.com or via WhatsApp on 07401 064 325 https://wa.me/+447401064325

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