How It Works!
- Decide which bike: CX, Road, Triathlon, MTB, Gravel or Track (our guide is below)
- Decide which frame size: our size guide is HERE
- Order your Self-Build Bundle, selecting components for your perfect bike: CX | Road | Triathlon | MTB | Gravel | Track (guide below with EXAMPLES)
- We add your order to our queue, dispatching your Self-Build Bundle soon after (our live Build Queue is HERE)
- You receive your custom Self-Build Bundle and choose either to self-assemble or get your local bike shop to do it for you
Any questions just drop us an email HERE
By operating like this, we can provide a totally bespoke service, so you get the exact bike you require, saving money on bike shipping costs and assembly labour, if you're able to do it yourself. If not, you can also benefit from the bikefit experience of your local bike shop, whilst supporting your high street or local mechanic.
Don't confuse these with High Street bikes, we only use high-quality components: FSA headsets, KMC chains, Jagwire cabling, Fulcrum wheels, Challenge tyres, Microshift/SRAM groupsets, Tektro brakes, NECO bottom brackets and our own, customisable cranks, chainrings, handlebars, stems & saddles. Nothing gets close on weight, price, quality or results. Despite everyone using the word 'lightweight', our bikes actually are, with some models down to UCI minimum 6.8kg.
Useful Links: How it works? | Sizing Guide | Example Builds | Gearing Guide | The HUP Range | Why BIG wheels? | Build Queue
Bike Buying Guide
As we custom-assemble all bundles within 6 popular disciplines...Cyclo-cross, Road, Triathlon, MTB, Gravel and Track...
Which Model?
HUP evo: this frameset can build a variety of bikes in either Drop bar or Flat bar, including: Cyclocross, Gravel Adventure, Road, Triathlon or MTB XC - as the frame can run narrow road tyres or wider off-road tyres, on Disc brakes. 24" wheeled evo24 no availablke too!
HUP straatrace: this frameset can build bikes for: Road racing, leisure Road cycling or tarmac Triathlon - as the frame is limited to narrower (upto 30c) Road tyres using it's disc brakes.
HUP azure: this frameset can build bikes for Velodrome track cycling only - as the frame is limited to narrow Road tyres and cannot accept a rear mech or brakes.
HUP enduro: this frameset can build bikes for Mountain Biking - a lightweight, progressive geometry hardtail for XC (Cross Country), Enduro or Bike Park riding.
Which Product?
You can choose from a self-build bundle, a frameset or individual components. Here are a few tips on choosing...
Self-Build Bundle: you can order a bundle containing all parts to build the bike yourself, or by your local bike shop. This is our most popular method, with shipping more cost effective (great for overseas customers) and you can save money too. You can also order without a wheelset if you already have one, saving more money. Build queue times are HERE.
Frameset: order a frameset to build using your existing components or any of our child-specific parts that you require. Popular with existing HUP bike owners, when they grow out of their frame and require a larger one, transferring all their components.
Components: you can choose to purchase any of the components used on our bikes individually to improve your existing bike or to maintain proper bike fit/increase longevity on their HUP bike!
Which Groupset/Gearing?
This choice will depend on what you intend to use the bike for, alongside the relevant strength of your rider (for chainring selection). Obviously your budget, compatibility with other bikes in your household and secondary uses will also have a bearing! Our recommendations...
Cyclocross (evo): 10-speed Microshift, 11-speed Microshift XCD or 11-speed SRAM Rival (1x chainring recommended)
Gravel Adventure (evo): 9 or 10-speed Micrsoshift Advent or 11-speed Microshift XCD (1x chainring recommended)
Road Racing (straatrace): 10-speed Microshift R10 or 11-speed SRAM Rival (gearing governed by BC regs - 1x or 2x chainrings possible)
Road Leisure (straatrace or evo): 8 or 9-speed Microshift R8 or R9 (1x or 2x chainrings possible)
Triathlon (evo): 10-speed Microshift R10 or 11-speed SRAM Rival (gearing governed by BT regs - 1x or 2x chainrings possible )
MTB XC (evo): 9-speed or 10-speed Micrsoshift Advent or 11-speed Microshift XCD (1x chainring recommended)
MTB Enduro (enduro): 9-speed or 10-speed Micrsoshift Advent or 11-speed Microshift XCD (1x chainring recommended)
Track Racing (azure): gearing governed by BC regs (single speed)
For chainring selection (BC/BT racing regs) see guidance HERE. For other uses refer to our examples for a starting point. Parents often over-estimate the most suitable chainring size, for example, U10 cyclocross is best on a 30T chainring - but often a 34T is ordered!
Which Components?
The size of your rider dictates the best components. Refer to our examples for a guide. Here are a few tips on selection...
Drop Handlebars: match the approx shoulder width for Road, or shoulder width +1 size up for Cyclocross
Flat Handlebars: match the approx width of their press-up position (go wider for enduro)
Cranks: take 10% of their height +5mm for crank length (Road & Triathlon cycling) or 10% of their height +10mm for crank length (Off-Road cycling). Example: 1350mm tall rider would choose 140mm for Road bike or 145mm for CX/MTB. 1x HUP cranks or 2x Croder cranks available.
Stems: This isn't an exact science, but generally if the rider is at the lower end of the frameset's growth range, a shorter stem will be correct and vice-versa.
Saddle/Post: Our kids saddle is suited to younger riders and the Youth saddle for older riders (or younger riders Off-Road). But saddles are a personal thing. We have 2 choices of seat post, inline or rotary, the later is very useful for smaller riders at the lower end of the frameset's growth range being reversible to reduce the bikes effective length.
Example Specs: we have example build specs for each frame size, for a typical rider using that size of frame: CLICK HERE
Which Wheels/Tyres/Brakes?
Your choice of wheels/tyres will be based on budget and use. The more you spend, the lighter they are, which is the single biggest improvement to any bike, but especially true for children. Tyres will be use specific: smooth/narrow for Road, knobbly/wide for Cyclocross or knobbly/very wide for MTB.
The HUP evo takes either 700c or 650b. For Road, Cyclocross, Triathlon and Road leisure, we recommend 700c for both practicality and racing regulations. For Gravel Adventure, light MTB or general off-road riding, 650b wheels & tyres offer larger sizes for increased comfort, grip and off-road reliability. The HUP straatrace & azure work with 700c only.
The HUP enduro can run either 27.5" or 29" wheels, with a choice of tyres to suit your riding, XC or Enduro from Wolfpack. We have Fulcrum aluminium or HUP carbon wheels in both sizes. We always recommend fitting rim defender inserts.
With the HUP evo, brakes are often over-specified for kids, but usually 140mm front & rear for CX/Road/Triathlon, moving to 160mm front & 140mm rear from approx 11yrs+ and for Gravel adventure 160mm front & rear is plenty. Hydraulics give more power (at a price) however that's not always a benefit to a 30kg rider in the wet, generating very little weight on their wider tyres, especially in cyclocross.
For the HUP enduro MTB bikes, 160mm front/140mm rear is fine for the smaller, lighter riders (especially focusing on XC) with 180mm front /160mm rear from approx 11yrs+ is typical, especially when focusing more on Enduro type riding.
Take a look at the different models: Cyclo-cross | Road | Triathlon | MTB | Gravel | Track