What LIOS Bikes Ltd does

LIOS Bikes Ltd is a UK veteran-owned custom bicycle manufacturer founded in 2012 by former Royal Marine Steve McCulley and headquartered in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. The company designs and hand-builds bespoke titanium and carbon bicycles, with titanium frames fabricated in-house from aerospace-grade 3AL-2.5V tubing using TIG welding, 3D-printed titanium dropouts, and per-rider tube selection and geometry, while carbon frames are sourced from Far East manufacturing partners. Every bike purchase includes a Retül 3D motion-analysis bike fit, a lifetime frame warranty, and options for fully bespoke paint including car-colour matching, distinguishing LIOS from off-the-peg brands by adapting the bicycle to the rider's biomechanics rather than the reverse.

The product portfolio spans aero road (Exactor), endurance road (Bullet 5.56), triathlon (Javelin), carbon and titanium gravel (Paveway, Titanium Gravel, DeAnima Soul), hardtail (Hellfire) and enduro (Thunderbolt) mountain bikes. Revenue is generated on a direct-to-consumer build-to-order basis through the liosbikes.com website and an appointment-only showroom, with international shipping offered worldwide and UK cycle-to-work distribution via CycleScheme and Green Commute Initiative. Pricing spans approximately £2,295 for a standard titanium frame to £7,495 for a top-tier carbon build, with the firm also acting as UK agent for Italian artisan brand DeAnima. Marketing is executed through blog content, organic social, email newsletters, presence at the London Cycle Show, and an athlete ambassador programme whose riders have podiumed at IRONMAN, HYROX, and gravel world championships.

Name

LIOS Bikes Ltd

Legal name

LIOS Bikes Ltd

Website

https://liosbikes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LIOS Bikes Ltd is a UK veteran-owned custom bicycle manufacturer, hand-building bespoke titanium and carbon road, gravel, triathlon and mountain bikes with included Retül 3D motion-analysis fitting for individual cycling enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Bicycles

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 Service, Repair & Maintenance Shops (CRAMAHAH), Bike Accessories Retail (Lights, Locks, Racks, Bags) (CRAMAHAD)

Keywords

• Custom titanium bicycles
• Carbon road bikes
• Bike fitting services
• Gravel bicycles
• Mountain bikes

Headquarters

HQ city

Lee-on-the-solent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bicycle Sales: Custom and bespoke bicycles sold directly to customers. Includes titanium frames, carbon frames, and complete builds with various component specifications.
2. Bike Fitting Services: Retül 3D motion analysis bike fitting included with every bike purchase.
3. Accessories and Clothing: Cycle clothing, casual clothing, and cycling accessories sold through online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIOS Bikes designs and hand-builds bespoke titanium and carbon fibre bicycles with fully custom geometry tailored to each rider's biomechanics. Every purchase includes a professional Retül 3D motion analysis bike fit, with frames offered as complete builds across road, gravel, mountain, and triathlon disciplines. The company also sells cycling clothing, accessories, and bespoke paint services.

Product overview

LIOS Bikes Ltd is a veteran-owned bespoke bicycle company established in 2012, offering custom titanium and carbon road bikes built to each customer's exact biomechanics. The product portfolio centres on four categories: LIOS-brand carbon road bikes (aero Exactor, endurance Bullet 5.56, gravel Paveway), LIOS-brand titanium bikes (Road Race, standard Road, Gravel), mountain bikes (Hellfire hardtail, Thunderbolt enduro), and DeAnima Italian artisan gravel bikes (resale/agency). Every bike purchase includes Retül 3D motion analysis bike fitting and lifetime frame warranty. The company operates on a build-to-order basis with custom geometry, components, colours and finishing kit selectable per customer. Carbon frames are manufactured in the Far East while titanium frames are hand-built in the UK. Bespoke paint services including colour matching are available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LIOS Exactor Aero road bike with carbon frame, forks, cockpit and aero seat post, available in multiple groupset configurations from Rival AXS through Dura-Ace Di2. Includes Retül 3D bike fit and lifetime warranty on frameset.
• LIOS Bullet 5.56 Endurance carbon road bike designed for long-distance comfort and performance. Features Dura Ace and carbon finishing kit, weighing approximately 6.8kg.
• LIOS Titanium Road Race Bike Bespoke titanium road race bike built from 3AL-2.5V aerospace-grade titanium with fully custom geometry, TIG welding, T47 bottom bracket, and 3D-printed titanium dropouts. Frame priced at £2,995 including Retül 3D bike fit.
• LIOS Titanium Road Bike Standard bespoke titanium road bike built from 3AL-2.5V titanium with internal cable routing, BSA bottom bracket (T47 or Italian optional), and full custom geometry options. Frame priced at £2,295 including Retül 3D bike fit.
• LIOS Titanium Gravel Bike Bespoke titanium gravel and adventure bike with tyre clearance up to 40mm. Frameset priced at £2,100 with complete builds available. Featured in Cycling Plus Issue 416 (April 2024).
• LIOS Javelin Triathlon bike equipped with LIOS 67mm carbon front wheel and carbon disc rear wheel for aerodynamic stability. Used by LIOS ambassadors including Nat Grainger at IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
• LIOS Paveway Carbon gravel bike combining lightweight carbon frame, rims, cockpit and seatpost with electronic groupsets. Features full internal cable routing, aerodynamic design, up to 700x50C tyre clearance, and 1x or 2x compatibility. Full builds from £3,795 to £7,295.
• LIOS Hellfire Hardtail mountain bike with carbon frame, internal cable routing, 29-inch wheels with 148mm Boost spacing, and 100-120mm front travel. Available in Grey/White colours. Full builds from £2,795, frame only £1,200.
• LIOS Thunderbolt Enduro mountain bike. Anniversary Edition launched in 2023 with a limited run of 10 builds to celebrate ten years of business, featured in Mountain Biking UK Magazine Issue 418.
• DeAnima Soul Italian hand-crafted carbon gravel bike offered through LIOS as UK agent for DeAnima. Features Carbon Today T800S HM3k tubes, flat mount disc brakes, and integrated headset. Frameset priced at £3,399 with 8-12 week build time for custom orders.
• Retül 3D Motion Analysis Bike Fitting Professional bike fitting service using Retül 3D motion-capture technology that records rider position while in motion and accounts for all three planes of movement. Included in the price of all LIOS bikes.
• Custom Paint and Colour Matching Custom paint services including Highlighter Collection limited edition colours (£300), single colour changes (£600), and full bespoke paint jobs starting at £900. Colour matching to customer's car available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifetime warranty on frames and forks to original owner
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DeAnimacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 July 2021LIOS is the UK Agent for DeAnima, an Italian bespoke bike brand. DeAnima crafts custom carbon and steel bikes by craftsmen Gianni Pegoretti, Antonio Attanasio, and Matt Cazzaniga in a small Italian village. LIOS offers the full range of bespoke frames, all hand built by DeAnima craftsmen.
• CycleSchememinorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCycleScheme logo displayed on website footer. Customers can use Cycle to Work scheme for bike purchases through this partner.
• Green Commute InitiativeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreen Commute Initiative logo displayed on website footer. Customers can use Green Commute Initiative cycle to work scheme for bike purchases.
• RetülcoreTechnology or IntegrationLIOS uses Retül 3D motion analysis technology for all bike fittings. The Retül system is a 3D motion-capture bike fitting system included in the price of every LIOS bike. LIOS is trained and certified in Retül technology usage.
• London Cycle ShowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLIOS launched the Bullet 5.56 at the London Cycle Show. Used as a platform for product launches and brand exposure.
• SRAMcoreTechnology or IntegrationSRAM is a key component supplier for LIOS bikes. LIOS offers builds with various SRAM groupsets including Rival AXS, Force AXS, and Red AXS electronic shifting systems. LIOS has expertise in making SRAM AXS bikes compliant with British Triathlon regulations.
• British CyclingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLIOS is a British Cycling affiliated club. The affiliation provides public liability insurance cover for the club and offers members access to British Cycling membership discounts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Independent Fabrication: US-based custom titanium and steel bicycle frame builder with a similar bespoke geometry, hand-built approach, and premium price positioning. Comparable on craft-led custom manufacturing and direct customer relationships, though serving North America.
• Dolan Bikes: UK direct-to-consumer custom road, gravel, and track bicycle builder. Comparable bespoke geometry and component selection model, with similar price tiers and UK-based operations targeting enthusiast and club-level riders.
• Planet X: UK value-priced direct-to-consumer bike and frameset brand offering road, gravel, MTB, and track bikes. Comparable on DTC build-to-order model and UK base, although positioned at lower price points than LIOS's bespoke titanium offering.
• Ribble Cycles: UK-based custom and stock bicycle brand selling direct-to-consumer with a wide range of road, gravel, and e-bikes at comparable price points to LIOS. Most directly comparable on geography, build-to-order model, and DTC channel, though Ribble is significantly larger and offers more off-the-peg options.
• Vielo Cycles: UK boutique carbon and titanium custom bicycle builder based in the north of England. Closely aligned to LIOS on small-batch hand-built titanium, custom geometry, and premium pricing for road and gravel segments.

Broad incumbents

• Cervélo: Canadian premium bicycle brand sold through select dealers (LIOS is a Cervélo reseller) covering road, gravel, and triathlon. Overlaps with LIOS's road and triathlon product line and target customers, but operates at much larger scale as a branded manufacturer rather than a custom builder.
• Santa Cruz Bicycles: Premium US mountain bike manufacturer resold by LIOS in the UK. Comparable on the MTB enthusiast customer base and premium positioning, but competes as a high-volume branded manufacturer rather than a custom builder.
• Specialized Bicycle Components: Global premium bicycle manufacturer covering road, gravel, MTB, and e-bikes with a full retail and fitting ecosystem (including Retül fit). Overlaps with LIOS across product categories and customer segments, but competes on scale, dealer networks, and breadth rather than bespoke manufacturing.

Others

• DeAnima: Italian bespoke carbon and steel frame builder for whom LIOS acts as UK agent. Connected as both a channel partner and a partial competitor in the bespoke carbon space, with hand-built craftsmanship and individual geometry but operating from Italy rather than the UK.

Regional players

• Storck Bicycle: German premium bespoke carbon bicycle manufacturer with strong aerodynamics and racing heritage. Comparable on premium custom carbon positioning and engineering-led differentiation, but serves primarily European markets rather than competing head-on in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/liosbikes
• Facebookfacebook.com/liosbikes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lios-bikes-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIOS Bikes Ltd