SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave
Solent UK Ltd (T/A Windwave) is a privately held UK cycling distributor and retailer, founded 1987, that holds exclusive UK distribution rights for premium brands such as Colnago, Transition, Ohlins, and CeramicSpeed, serving 1,200+ dealers and direct consumers from its Gosport warehouse.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersGosport, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave does
Solent UK Ltd, trading as Windwave, is a privately held UK cycling products distributor and retailer founded in 1987 in Gosport, United Kingdom. Originally a manufacturer and distributor of windsurfing and sailing products, the company pivoted into cycling distribution in the 1990s and now operates exclusively in the cycling category. From a single warehouse/distribution centre in Gosport (Units D2-D3 Heritage Business Park), Windwave holds approximately 250,000 SKUs and serves more than 1,200 UK dealers on the wholesale side while also selling directly to consumers via its B2C e-commerce platform (shop.windwave.co.uk).
Windwave's core product offering spans complete bicycles (road, mountain, gravel, urban, e-bikes, and junior), cycling components (drivetrain, brakes, suspension, wheels and tyres, finishing kit), protective equipment (helmets, body armour), apparel, accessories, tools, maintenance products, and nutrition. The company is the official UK distributor for a portfolio of premium cycling brands including Colnago, Transition, Ohlins, Dainese, DVO, FSA, Hutchinson, CeramicSpeed, and Vision. Technical capability is centred on product knowledge, compatibility support, and an efficient warehouse operation that enables same-day despatch for orders placed before 12pm and free next-day delivery for orders over £25 (or £50 under a more recent stated threshold).
The business operates a dual-channel revenue model: B2B wholesale distribution to a 1,200+ UK dealer network and D2C e-commerce sales to retail consumers, supported by Trustpilot reviews (4.8/5), newsletter and email marketing, and a content blog. Pricing is individually set per SKU with periodic clearance and outlet offerings. The company is privately held under Solent UK Ltd with no disclosed external investors, subsidiaries, or parent entities, and operates solely within the UK market.
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave
- Legal name
- Solent UK Ltd
- Website
- https://shop.windwave.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Solent UK Ltd (T/A Windwave) is a privately held UK cycling distributor and retailer, founded 1987, that holds exclusive UK distribution rights for premium brands such as Colnago, Transition, Ohlins, and CeramicSpeed, serving 1,200+ dealers and direct consumers from its Gosport warehouse.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cycling Products Distribution and Retail
- NAICS
- Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42391)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cycling & Micromobility Products Distribution (CRAOAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories) (CRAMABAH), Bicycle Retail (New Bikes) (CRAMAHAA), Bike Parts & Components Retail (CRAMAHAB), Bike Accessories Retail (Lights, Locks, Racks, Bags) (CRAMAHAD)
Keywords
Where SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gosport
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of cycling products including complete bicycles (road, mountain, gravel, e-bikes), components (wheels, drivetrain, brakes), accessories, clothing, and protection equipment across both trade and retail channels.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Windwave distributes and retails cycling products across road, mountain bike, gravel, urban, e-bike, and junior categories. The company holds exclusive UK distribution rights for multiple premium cycling brands and serves both a wholesale dealer network of over 1,200 UK retailers and direct consumers via its B2C e-commerce platform. Its portfolio spans complete bikes, drivetrain, brakes, suspension, wheels and tyres, finishing kit, rider clothing, protection, tools, nutrition, and accessories from approximately 250,000 stocked SKUs.
Product overview
Windwave operates as both a B2B wholesale distributor and B2C e-commerce retailer for cycling products, serving over 1200 UK dealers through its established distribution network while also selling directly to consumers via its retail website. The company holds exclusive UK distribution rights for major cycling brands including Colnago, Transition, CeramicSpeed, DVO, Ohlins, Dainese, FSA, Hutchinson, and Vision. Their product portfolio spans approximately 250,000 products encompassing complete bikes (road, MTB, gravel, urban, e-bikes, junior), cycling components (drivetrain, brakes, suspension, wheels, finishing kit), protective equipment (helmets, body armour), apparel (clothing, footwear), accessories (locks, lights, storage), tools, maintenance products, and nutrition. The e-commerce platform also features dedicated clearance and outlet sections for discounted stock.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Complete Bikes (Colnago, Transition, Reid, Prevelo)
- Drivetrain Components
Companies that use SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ColnagocoreOfficial UK home/distributor for Colnago road bikes, gravel bikes, and framesets.
- TransitioncoreOfficial UK home/distributor for Transition mountain bikes, e-bikes, and dirt jump bikes.
- OhlinscoreOfficial UK distributor for Ohlins suspension forks and shocks.
- DainesecoreOfficial UK distributor for Dainese rider protection and body armour products.
- DVOcoreOfficial UK distributor for DVO suspension products.
- FSA (Full Speed Ahead)coreOfficial UK distributor for FSA cycling components including handlebars, stems, and drivetrain.
- HutchinsoncoreOfficial UK distributor for Hutchinson tyres for road, mountain, and gravel cycling.
- CeramicSpeedcoreOfficial UK distributor for CeramicSpeed OSPW pulley systems and bearings.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Madison: One of the UK's largest independent cycling distributors, supplying IBDs with brands such as Shimano, SRAM, and multiple apparel lines. Highly comparable as a multi-brand UK cycle distributor with both trade and DTC channels.
- ZyroFisher: UK-based distributor of cycling, outdoor, and sports brands (e.g., Giro, Bell, Catlike). Direct comparison as a multi-brand wholesale distributor serving UK dealers with overlapping product categories in components and accessories.
- i-ride: UK distributor of road cycling brands (e.g., Campagnolo, Fizik). Comparable as a specialist UK distributor for premium road cycling components and accessories serving independent bike dealers.
- Hotlines: UK distributor for premium mountain bike and component brands including Santa Cruz, SRAM, and others. Closely comparable as an exclusive UK distributor serving IBDs and DTC with a premium-brand-led portfolio.
- Fisher Outdoor: UK distributor for cycling and outdoor brands. Comparable multi-brand UK wholesale distributor with overlapping coverage of components, accessories, and apparel categories.
- Upgrade Bikes: UK distributor of cycling components and accessories (e.g., Hope, FUNN). Comparable as a smaller specialist UK distributor serving IBDs in the components and accessories category.
- Silverfish: UK distributor for mountain bike brands and components (e.g., Nukeproof, Fox suspension, Race Face). Direct peer in the MTB-focused wholesale distribution space serving UK dealers.
Broad incumbents
- Wiggle / Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC): Major UK-based online cycling retailer (now part of Signa Sports United). Comparable as a UK-facing cycle retailer, but operates at significantly larger scale and through own-brand/private-label sourcing rather than exclusive-brand distribution.
- Evans Cycles: UK high-street and online cycling retailer owned by Frasers Group. Comparable end-market exposure but operates a vertically integrated retail model rather than multi-brand wholesale distribution.
Emerging players
- Ribble Cycles: Direct-to-consumer UK bike brand with custom build program. Comparable as a UK cycling business with strong DTC capability, but competes as a brand rather than as a multi-brand distributor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave social profiles
Digital presenceSOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave 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 SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave
What does SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave do?
Windwave distributes and retails cycling products across road, mountain bike, gravel, urban, e-bike, and junior categories. The company holds exclusive UK distribution rights for multiple premium cycling brands and serves both a wholesale dealer network of over 1,200 UK retailers and direct consumers via its B2C e-commerce platform. Its portfolio spans complete bikes, drivetrain, brakes, suspension, wheels and tyres, finishing kit, rider clothing, protection, tools, nutrition, and accessories from approximately 250,000 stocked SKUs.
Is SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave a public or private company?
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave founded?
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave based?
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave is headquartered in Gosport, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Madison, ZyroFisher, i-ride, Hotlines, Fisher Outdoor, Upgrade Bikes and Silverfish. Broad incumbents are Wiggle / Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) and Evans Cycles. Ribble Cycles is listed as an emerging player.
Does SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave have an API?
No public API is recorded for SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave.
What industry is SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave in?
SOLENT UK Ltd - T/A Windwave's product category is Cycling Products Distribution and Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAJAF, Cycling & Micromobility Products Distribution, with a secondary code of CRAMABAH, Cycling & Bike Retail (Sales, Service & Accessories). Its NAICS code is 42391.