Bikebox Online was established in 2009 by brother-sister combo, Sam Gardener and Hannah Mann after Sam had spotted a gap in the market for a quality bike box rental service. As a professional triathlete, he had competed all over the world and needed his bike to arrive in perfect condition. He learnt the hard way about the importance of a good quality bike box!
By 2012 the volume of rentals had substantially increased, fuelled by the nation’s new-found enthusiasm for cycling. An impressive medal haul at the Beijing and London Olympics had catapulted British cycling onto the map of sporting heroics.
An increasing enthusiasm for road cycling from the general public saw more people than ever enjoying taking the bike on the road and abroad. This was brilliant news for the fledgling company and the strategic decision to start manufacturing their own-brand bike boxes was taken.
The mission was to create a custom-built bike box using their unique experience and feedback from thousands of their cycling-enthusiast customers. It would be British-made, competitively priced, strong yet light, easy-to-pack and versatile. After two years R&D the VeloVault was launched and was the first rigid bike box designed to fit both road and mountain bikes with minimal component removal.
Bikebox Online approached PROTEX Fasteners after they were recommended by a third-party component supplier. They required a robust toggle latch for their fastening solution. After consultation with our technical team the PROTEX CatchBolt was chosen for their hard case bike box. This quick-release over centre latch is ultra-strong, robust and holds firmly on three planes, so is ideal for enclosures, cases and panels.
Director Hannah Mann said: “It is really important for us to use a latch that adds to the overall strength of product. The VeloVault is designed for overseas travel so it is subject to weight restrictions by airlines. By using the PROTEX CatchBolt we have been able create a product that is as light as possible without compromising its durability and strength.
“The CatchBolt is integral to the design of the VeloVault as it is fundamental to the rigidity of the box. Its unique three-way holding capability does the job - we think it’s worth it and so do our customers. It’s a quality product and we’ve never had any issues. Once it’s on the VeloVault it’s on - and that’s good for us!”
