Hotcheck - S-Grade Titanium Bike Parts
Good products need good design, good machining and, above all, good materials.
Hotcheck makes titanium bike parts that are built to hold up over time on all kinds of roads in real riding conditions, which you trust and recommend after using.
Designed by someone who rides and wrenches
Hotcheck’s designer has worked in machining for over ten years, and has also been a racer and a mechanic. Because he rides and repairs his own bikes, he knows what matters in a part is rarely in the brochure.
It shows up during installation, riding and maintenance, in those moments where you think, “this would be easier with a different design.”
Starting from real use, not a drawing
Every Hotcheck part begins with the OEM version and a list of questions, such as:
- Where can weight come off, and where does material have to stay?
- Would a chamfer make installation smoother?
- Does a surface need anti-slip treatment?
- Which pain points are still unsolved?
Rather than from the computer screen, answers come from the bike and the workshop. Fit, performance, feel, user experience, and weight are all considered, and the shop mechanic’s installation experience counts as much as the rider’s.
Materials
Hotcheck parts are made from S-grade titanium alloy, sourced from one of the world’s leading titanium manufacturing companies, whose customer list includes companies such as Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, and more.
Alloy selection is matched to the job, so high-torque parts such as bolts and lightly loaded parts are not treated the same way.
Hotcheck is also testing higher-spec alloys for future products.
How the parts are made
Two processes do most of the work: CNC lathe turning and CNC machining centres. Some parts need only one, like washers (lathe) or disc brake mounts (CNC). Many need both, such as axle barrels and lock caps.
CNC lathe turning
Lathe work is held to tight dimensional tolerances at every step, especially on parts that have to assemble with others.
CNC machining centres
Most CNC parts need only 3 or 4-axis machining. More complex parts, such as the UDH Shimano derailleur hanger body, need 5-axis.
No shortcuts
A good geometry on screen is not always a part that can be machined. Tool approach direction and cutting depth limit what is possible, so design and machining go back and forth, refining and testing until the part works. There are no shortcuts.
Performance first
Hotcheck builds functional parts, so performance is both the starting point and the floor. Weight, looks, and price are selling points, not the reason a part exists.
Weight
Chasing weight too far costs performance.
Looks
Chasing flashy design ignores the real pain points of the OEM part.
Price
Racing to the bottom on price tends to push good products out of the market.
Why “Hotcheck”?
Hotcheck arrived without a first-mover advantage, during a slow period for the cycling aftermarket. Good technique and good craft take time and cannot be rushed.
The goal is simple: make something the team is satisfied with first, then hope customers feel the same.
