Planet X
Planet X is a Rotherham-based British direct-to-consumer bicycle retailer and hand-built manufacturer (operating since 1987) selling road, gravel, and mountain bikes across multiple sub-brands (Planet X, On-One, Titus, Holdsworth, Orro) through its own e-commerce storefront to consumer cyclists in the UK and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersRotherham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Planet X does
Planet X is a British direct-to-consumer bicycle retailer and manufacturer, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Rotherham, United Kingdom, where it hand-builds complete bikes and frames in Yorkshire. The company sells through its own e-commerce storefront at planetx.co.uk, distributing bikes across three primary disciplines (road, gravel, and mountain biking) using frame materials spanning aluminium, steel, titanium, and carbon fibre (including Japanese Toray T800 in the award-winning EC-130 aero road model). It operates a multi-brand portfolio under single ownership by Baaj Capital, comprising the Planet X flagship line plus On-One (value-focused MTB/gravel), Titus (titanium MTB/gravel), Holdsworth (heritage road), and the November 2024-acquired Orro and i-ride brands from Martlet Group administration, alongside own-brand Selcof carbon wheels and components.
The business model is direct-to-consumer hardware sales, eliminating third-party retailer markup and enabling competitive price points from approximately £500 entry-level aluminium bikes to £3,500+ premium titanium models. Revenue streams include complete bicycles, framesets, components (wheels, tyres, drivetrain, finishing kit), accessories, and cycling clothing, plus ancillary services such as a Mini Bike Fit offering at the Rotherham head office. Distribution is exclusively online (UK primary, international secondary with exclusions), augmented by integration with seven UK Cycle to Work scheme providers that enable tax-free salary-sacrifice purchases.
Planet X is a small private company (1-10 employees per firmographic data, though this appears inconsistent with the operational footprint of multi-brand hand-built manufacturing) operating as Winlong Garments Ltd (Company Reg: 12185885). It received approximately £4.47M in Santander UK funding in February 2021 and is owned by private equity firm Baaj Capital, which has funded prior transactions and orchestrated the 2024 Orro/i-ride acquisition. The company emphasizes UK manufacturing heritage, a 30-Day Ride Guarantee, and configurable groupset options (SRAM AXS, Shimano Di2) as core customer-facing differentiators.
Planet X firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Planet X
- Legal name
- Winlong Garments Ltd
- Website
- https://planetx.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Planet X is a Rotherham-based British direct-to-consumer bicycle retailer and hand-built manufacturer (operating since 1987) selling road, gravel, and mountain bikes across multiple sub-brands (Planet X, On-One, Titus, Holdsworth, Orro) through its own e-commerce storefront to consumer cyclists in the UK and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Planet X industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bicycles and Cycling Equipment
- NAICS
- Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing (336991)
- SIC
- Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bike Parts & Components Retail (CRAMAHAB), Bike Accessories Retail (Lights, Locks, Racks, Bags) (CRAMAHAD), Bike Apparel, Helmets & Protective Gear Retail (CRAMAHAC), Bike Fit, Performance & Training Retail/Studios (CRAMAHAI)
Keywords
Where Planet X is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rotherham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Planet X business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bicycle Sales: Direct-to-consumer sale of complete bicycles across road, gravel, and mountain bike categories. Products are hand-built to order in the UK. Bikes are sold at various price points from entry-level aluminium to premium titanium and carbon models.
- Components and Accessories: Sale of bicycle components including wheels, tyres, drivetrain parts, finishing kit, brakes, and controls. Also includes accessories such as helmets, bags, lights, locks, and maintenance products.
- Clothing and Apparel: Sale of cycling clothing including jerseys, bib shorts, tights, jackets, gloves, headwear, and footwear from brands like Carnac, Fizik, and On-One.
- Bike Fitting Services: Mini Bike Fit service offered at the Rotherham head office, providing basic fit using turbo trainer with measurements for cleat position, saddle height, and fore/aft adjustment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Budget/Entry-Level Bikes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Carbon Road Bikes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Titanium Bikes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Bike Fit Service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Selcof Carbon Wheels |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Planet X product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Planet X designs, hand-builds, and sells bicycles direct-to-consumer from its UK facility in Rotherham, Yorkshire. The portfolio spans road, gravel, and mountain bikes in carbon, titanium, aluminium, and steel across five brands (Planet X, On-One, Titus, Holdsworth, Orro), complemented by proprietary Selcof carbon wheels, components, clothing, accessories, and value-added services including a Mini Bike Fit, 30-Day Ride Guarantee, and Cycle to Work scheme integration.
Product overview
Planet X is a British online bike retailer offering hand-built bicycles across multiple sub-brands (Planet X, On-One, Titus, Holdsworth) plus the acquired Orro brand. The core product portfolio spans road bikes (carbon, titanium, aluminium frames including EC-130, Pro Carbon XV, London Road, Helm), gravel bikes (carbon and titanium models including Reiver, Tempest, Goldrush, Free Ranger), and mountain bikes (trail, XC, and adventure hardtails including Scandal, Vandal, Big Dog, Whippet, El Viajero, Silk Road, Bootzipper). The company also sells components (Selcof carbon wheels), accessories, clothing, and footwear through its e-commerce platform. Value-added services include a Mini Bike Fit service, 30-Day Ride Guarantee, and Cycle To Work scheme financing options. Bikes are built individually to order and shipped from the UK.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Selcof: Own-brand carbon wheels and components
- On-One
- Titus
- Holdsworth
- Orro
- i-ride
Products and services
- Planet X Bikes
Quantifiable outcome
- 30-Day Ride Guarantee allows full refund for bikes returned in like-new condition within 30 days of delivery
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Planet X
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Planet X technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Planet X partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Planet X competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Giant Bicycles: Giant is the world's largest bicycle manufacturer producing road, mountain, gravel and e-bikes across multiple price tiers globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping products across every category Planet X competes in.
- Trek Bicycle: Trek is one of the world's largest bicycle manufacturers offering road, mountain, gravel and e-bikes globally with extensive dealer networks. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing across the same categories as Planet X but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
- Specialized: Specialized is a global premium bicycle brand with deep road, gravel, MTB and e-bike lineups and large R&D and marketing budgets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same premium bike categories Planet X serves.
Direct peers
- Boardman Bikes: Boardman is a UK performance bicycle brand offering road, gravel, MTB and hybrid bikes through a hybrid DTC and retail model. Comparable as a British bike brand targeting similar road and commuter customer segments.
- Ragley Bikes: Ragley is a UK mountain bike brand selling hardtail and full-suspension MTBs. Comparable as a fellow British niche MTB manufacturer serving trail and aggressive hardtail riders in a similar price band.
- Ribble Cycles: Ribble is a UK-based direct-to-consumer bicycle brand selling carbon, titanium and aluminium road, gravel and e-bikes through ribblecycles.co.uk. Highly comparable as a British DTC manufacturer with multi-discipline lineup and similar mid-market-to-premium positioning.
- Genesis Bikes: Genesis is a UK bicycle brand selling road, gravel, mountain and adventure bikes. Comparable as a British multi-discipline bike brand targeting similar price points and customer segments as Planet X.
- Canyon: Canyon is a German premium direct-to-consumer bicycle manufacturer selling road, gravel, mountain and e-bikes globally. Comparable as a DTC-first premium bike brand with proprietary frame designs and a similar route-to-market strategy.
- Orange Bikes: Orange Bikes is a UK hand-built mountain bike manufacturer based in Halifax, offering aluminium full-suspension and hardtail MTBs. Comparable as a fellow British hand-built bike manufacturer serving trail and mountain bike segments.
- Whyte Bikes: Whyte is a UK bicycle manufacturer focused on mountain, gravel and urban bikes with proprietary frame designs. Comparable as a British bike brand competing in MTB and gravel segments with similar mid-to-premium positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Planet X social profiles
Digital presencePlanet X financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Planet X leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Planet X subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Planet X funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Planet X M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Planet X
What does Planet X do?
Planet X designs, hand-builds, and sells bicycles direct-to-consumer from its UK facility in Rotherham, Yorkshire. The portfolio spans road, gravel, and mountain bikes in carbon, titanium, aluminium, and steel across five brands (Planet X, On-One, Titus, Holdsworth, Orro), complemented by proprietary Selcof carbon wheels, components, clothing, accessories, and value-added services including a Mini Bike Fit, 30-Day Ride Guarantee, and Cycle to Work scheme integration.
Is Planet X a public or private company?
Planet X is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Planet X founded?
Planet X was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Planet X based?
Planet X is headquartered in Rotherham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Planet X make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bicycle Sales are the primary driver. The others are components and Accessories, clothing and Apparel and bike Fitting Services.
Who are Planet X's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Giant Bicycles, Trek Bicycle and Specialized. Direct peers are Boardman Bikes, Ragley Bikes, Ribble Cycles, Genesis Bikes, Canyon, Orange Bikes and Whyte Bikes.
Does Planet X have an API?
No public API is recorded for Planet X.
What industry is Planet X in?
Planet X's product category is Bicycles and Cycling Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMABAH, Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories), with a secondary code of CRAMAHAB, Bike Parts & Components Retail. Its NAICS code is 336991 and its SIC code is 3751.