The Story of HANDUP: A $6,000 Gamble, a Few Beers, and a Different Way of Making Cycling Apparel
By Cody Wallis, Co-Founder of HANDUP | October 2026
Somewhere at a cyclocross race in the Southeast, a rider could be suffering through the mud, nowhere near the podium, and suddenly become the most popular person at the race.
All they had to do was grab a piece of bacon, a dollar bill, or maybe a questionable beverage from someone standing on the sidelines.
That's a handup.
(spoiler alert, picture above is a handup in HANDUP Gloves)
That culture, and those ridiculous handups, planted the seed for what would eventually become HANDUP.
Technically, handups were generally against the rules. The idea was that someone could gain an advantage by receiving extra hydration or nutrition during a race. But trust me, the people handing out whiskey shots and bacon weren't exactly trying to improve anyone's lap times.
They were trying to have fun.
And when a racer accepted one, the crowd would erupt. It didn't matter if they were first or fiftieth. For a brief moment, they were everyone's favorite rider.
I loved that.
I'd spent most of my life racing off-road dirt bikes, where my identity was often tied to my most recent race result. I was competitive, probably too competitive, and eventually got burned out on the constant pursuit of being the fastest.
As I started spending more time riding mountain bikes, cyclocross, road bikes, and what we'd now call gravel bikes (back then, we were just taking cyclocross bikes on adventures), I found something different.
Sure, I still wanted to go fast. I'd spike my heart rate, bang bars with my buddies, and race anyone willing. But I wasn't interested in letting a finishing position determine whether I'd had a good day.
Bikes were becoming a way to exercise, explore, make friends, and have fun.
After all, we're basically a bunch of big kids riding bicycles. Shouldn't it be fun?
That culture, and those ridiculous handups, planted the seed for what would eventually become HANDUP.
Why We Thought Cycling Gloves Needed to Be Different
Around the same time, I was wearing motocross gloves on nearly every bicycle ride.
I'd come from off-road motorcycle racing and still had a collection of lightweight, unpadded, slip-on gloves from a previous sponsor.
I loved how they felt.
They were thin, comfortable, and gave me a great connection to the handlebars. The only thing I really wanted to add was the terry-cloth thumb I'd seen on cycling gloves, which was pretty handy for wiping sweat and, well, other things off your face.
So I started looking around the cycling industry for something similar.
What I found was a lot of plain-looking, over-engineered gloves with padding everywhere.
I didn't understand it.
If I could hold onto a dirt bike going 50 mph wearing thin gloves without padding, why did I need a bunch of padding to ride a bicycle? With a properly fitted bike and good riding position, I personally didn't want extra material between my hands and the bars.
Meanwhile, another idea had been floating around in my head.
I'd recently moved to the southeastern United States, where football is practically a religion. I'd noticed how football players would put their hands together to reveal their team's logo printed across the palms of their gloves.
I thought that was pretty cool.
What if we did something similar with cycling gloves, but instead of a team logo, we put funny sayings and graphics across the palms?
Combine that with the party atmosphere of cyclocross handups, and suddenly the idea started coming together.
A simple, lightweight, comfortable cycling glove with fun graphics that revealed themselves when you put your hands up.
And we'd call the company HANDUP.
Betting Our Savings on a Silly Glove Idea
In 2014, my wife Jamie and I were newly married, in our early twenties, and had just bought our first house.
We were doing what most young couples do: trying to figure out life, build a future, and hopefully save a little money.
Naturally, we decided to take the $6,000 we'd managed to save and spend it on a cycling glove company that didn't exist yet.
Probably not the most financially responsible decision we've ever made.
Armed with some Adobe Illustrator experience, a couple of random factory contacts, and a whole lot of blind faith, we developed our first gloves.
The palms said "Mud, Sweat, and Beers."
(some of our first gloves above)
We called the model Most Days, because they were gloves you could wear on most days, for most types of riding.
Simple enough.
After months of production, we were holding our breath, hoping the gloves would actually arrive and that somebody besides us would like them.
I remember taking them to our first races and almost feeling embarrassed.
Who were we to think we could start a cycling brand? We were just a young couple who'd drained their savings account on an idea.
But as soon as we showed people the palms, something happened.
They smiled. They laughed. They showed their friends.
People got it.
And for the first time, we thought maybe this ridiculous idea could actually work.
(fast forward and palm graphics were growing and so was the excitement)
Cody, Jamie, and Two Very Different Skill Sets
Although the original glove idea came from my experiences racing bikes, HANDUP has always been something Jamie and I built together.
From the beginning, she's been the person I bounce nearly every design idea off of.
And she doesn't always like them.
But that's actually what makes it work.
I might come up with a design that seems completely ridiculous, but once I explain who I think will connect with it and why, she's able to understand the vision and usually figure out how to improve it.
She's also been sewing since high school and has a Singer sewing machine that has proven pretty useful over the years.
As we started developing apparel, she could alter samples, sew together ideas, and help us physically test changes before sending them back to the factory.
That saved us a lot of back-and-forth and allowed us to experiment with ideas in our own home.
As HANDUP grew, Jamie eventually joined the business full-time, helping manage employees and taking on the operational side of the company.
When state-by-state sales tax nexus laws became a major issue for online retailers, she dug into the complicated requirements and got us compliant.
Today, she oversees our operations and works alongside our bookkeeper and accountant to keep the financial side of HANDUP on track.
I tend to focus on the creative, product development, and brand side of things. Jamie's the person who helps turn those ideas into something that can actually function as a business.
And occasionally, she's the one who tells me that an idea I've been stubbornly defending for years might need a little adjustment.
More on that later.
There's no HANDUP without both of us.
We Wanted to Build a Community, Not Just Sell Gloves
From our first year in business, we wanted HANDUP to represent more than a product.
We wanted to bring some of that cyclocross handup culture into our local riding community.
So we started putting on events that weren't necessarily about being the fastest.
We hosted poker rides where speed could help you win, but the cards you collected along the way mattered just as much.
We even paid to shut down a local street in front of one of our favorite watering holes for a head-to-head, bracket-style hill climb.
It was roughly a quarter-mile climb at a 10% grade, and people could race their friends while everyone else watched, cheered, and enjoyed a beverage.
(some of the flyers for local events over the years)
It was ridiculous.
It was competitive.
And it was exactly the kind of thing we wanted HANDUP to stand for.
We hoped our products could create those same connections elsewhere.
Maybe someone would notice a funny glove design on another rider, make a comment, and suddenly two strangers would have something to talk about.
Over the years, we've heard plenty of stories about exactly that happening.
We've even had people tell us about wearing one of our flannels in a professional setting, only to hear someone say, "Nice HANDUP flannel."
Two people recognizing each other through a shirt, nowhere near a bike.
That's pretty cool.
Four Years of Making Gloves for the Conditions We Actually Rode In
For roughly our first four years, HANDUP was a glove company.
And each new glove started with a specific problem we wanted to solve.
Our original Most Days Gloves were great for just about anything, but riding in the hot, humid Southeast made us want something even lighter.
So we developed Hot Days Gloves, using some of the lightest yet durable materials we could find.
The goal was simple: make a full-finger cycling glove so breathable that you almost forgot you were wearing it.
Then came our Cold Weather Gloves.
We wanted enough warmth to take the chill off without losing the dexterity and handlebar feel we liked in our regular gloves.
So we developed a fleece-lined, wind- and water-repellent upper with a relatively thin palm.
Of course, some people ride in temperatures that make us question their sanity.
So we added another layer of insulation and called them ColdER Weather Gloves.
We've never been particularly complicated with our naming.
Later, riders told us they were using ColdER Gloves for spring skiing but needed something waterproof when conditions got wet.
That led to ColdER Plus, with added waterproofing.
And because we liked the classic look of leather work gloves for skiing but wanted better built-in insulation and waterproof protection, we eventually developed ColdEST Gloves.
Those became popular with riders in colder states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota who were fat biking through the winter.
Every glove had a reason to exist.
We weren't just trying to fill a catalog.
Why We Started Making Apparel in 2018
By 2018, we'd spent four years making gloves, and we were ready to try something different.
Apparel.
But again, we weren't interested in making what every other cycling company was already selling.
We had our traditional spandex cycling kits for races and hard training rides, but those were maybe once or twice a week.
The other 80% of the time, we were wearing something completely different.
We rode local trails in jean shorts and button-up shirts.
(picture of Clay riding before we made our own apparel)
We wore bib shorts with technical T-shirts for longer, more casual rides.
We found stretchy chino-style pants that we could wear to our day jobs, ride trails in afterward, and then head straight to a brewery without changing.
These were the clothes we actually wanted to wear.
The problem was that most of them weren't really designed for cycling.
Cotton button-ups got soaked with sweat. Regular pants didn't stretch quite enough. Pockets weren't always secure. And a lot of the technical fabrics didn't look like clothes we'd want to wear off the bike.
So we decided to make our own.
The Original A.T. Shorts
Our first A.T. Shorts were inspired by chino-style everyday shorts.
A.T. stood for All the Time, because that's when we wanted people to wear them.
We added discreet zippered front pockets so you could carry your phone, wallet, and keys securely while riding.
The first version used a cotton/spandex material that felt great but didn't dry quickly enough in the humid Southeast.
So we changed it.
Within about a year, we'd upgraded to our A.T. Plus fabric, using a more technical nylon/spandex construction that handled sweat and riding much better.
We liked the original shorts.
We just knew they could be better.
Ridin' Hawaiian Button Ups
We also introduced our original polyester Ridin' Hawaiian Button Ups.
We'd been riding in regular cotton Hawaiian shirts for a while because, frankly, they looked cool.
But they were miserable when you started sweating.
So we made a technical version that kept the casual look while performing better on the bike.
And now we could match the wild patterns on our shirts to the graphics on our gloves.
Those original button-ups have since evolved into our FlexGrid Button Ups, with upgraded technical fabric.
(picture from the first apparel launch)
The Flannel That Needed Stretch in Only One Place
Another early apparel project was our original FlexTop Flannel.
(our first FlexTop Flannels)
We wanted a flannel that looked like a normal flannel but could comfortably be worn mountain biking.
The problem was finding fabric that had the colors and patterns we liked while also providing enough stretch.
Then one day while riding, I realized something.
The flannel didn't need to stretch everywhere.
It really needed stretch around the shoulders and upper back.
I'd seen old sporting and shooting shirts with a solid panel across the upper shoulders, and that gave me an idea.
What if we used polyester/spandex material across the upper portion of the flannel for stretch, while keeping the rest in whatever flannel pattern we wanted?
It worked.
People told us it felt more like wearing a comfortable shirt while still looking and providing the warmth of a flannel.
And it looked distinctly HANDUP.
In 2026, we updated that concept again with our Flow Flannel, adding stretch mesh beneath an overlapping flannel panel to improve ventilation while maintaining the shoulder movement we wanted.
Same original problem. A better solution years later.
Making Technical Gloves With Neko Mulally
Just because we believe riding bikes should be fun doesn't mean we don't take product quality and performance seriously.
In the summer of 2019, we began a project that would push our glove development further than we'd ever taken it.
Through an Oskar Blues Beer collaboration, we'd connected with multi-time U.S. National Downhill Champion Neko Mulally.
Neko liked our Most Days Gloves, but he had some suggestions.
At his level, he could feel little details that most riders might never notice.
A seam in the wrong place. A material that didn't stretch quite right. A finger construction that created a pressure point.
So we started experimenting.
We went through roughly 10 to 15 different samples, moving seams, changing back-of-hand materials, adjusting the fabric between the fingers, and even completely reconfiguring our glove patterns.
(some of the samples, changes, details reviewed and debated with Neko)
Our goal was to move seams into places where riders wouldn't notice them while gripping the handlebars.
Eventually, we landed on a construction Neko loved.
After more than a year of development, the ProFormance Glove launched in fall 2020.
Neko continued wearing those gloves through the end of his racing career and even won another U.S. National Championship in them.
That meant a lot to us.
Just because we believe riding bikes should be fun doesn't mean we don't take product quality and performance seriously.
In fact, I'd argue we care about those things even more because we actually use the products ourselves.
Quitting Our Day Jobs, Building a Team, and Then COVID Hit
By the time 2020 rolled around, HANDUP had grown quite a bit from those first boxes of gloves.
We had our largest team of employees to date, and Jamie and I had recently made a pretty major life decision.
We'd both quit our day jobs to work on HANDUP full-time.
After years of building the company while working other jobs, we were finally all in.
And then COVID happened.
I'll admit, the initial lockdown was scary.
We'd just committed our careers to this business, had employees depending on us, and suddenly had no idea whether people were going to keep buying cycling gloves or apparel.
Would anybody spend money on something like this again?
Would bike shops survive?
How long was everything going to be shut down?
Nobody knew.
For a while, our operation was pretty simple.
We kept running online ads, and a few of us would sneak into the office early in the morning to pack and ship orders.
That was about it.
Fortunately, we'd received a good amount of inventory before everything started shutting down.
We also already had the systems and processes in place to operate efficiently.
Then, around the middle of 2020, outdoor activities began getting more attention as ways people could safely exercise and spend time outside.
And people started riding bikes.
A lot.
Suddenly, we were in a pretty good position.
We had inventory, we had an operating business, and we were ready to sell.
HANDUP grew quickly during COVID.
We moved a lot of gloves through bike shops and distributors, and our online business continued to grow as people discovered our apparel.
But we were cautious.
We kept wondering when the music was going to stop.
Some companies were expanding incredibly aggressively, and we certainly could have pushed harder than we did.
But after experiencing how quickly everything could change, we were hesitant to assume that level of demand would last forever.
Looking back, we probably left some growth on the table.
But we also made it through a very uncertain period, kept the business running, and continued building HANDUP.
There was one thing we missed, though.
As we grew through retail and distribution, we started feeling a little disconnected from the grassroots riding community where everything had begun.
We loved our bike shop partners, but we missed being at races, talking to riders, and seeing people experience our products firsthand.
That community was why we'd started HANDUP in the first place.
And it was something we didn't want to lose as the business grew.
"People Aren't as Confident as You. They Want to Fit In."
Meanwhile, our apparel business was growing, and more people were taking chances on the alternative cycling clothes we'd created.
But our products still weren't what most cyclists expected.
We didn't have a traditional mountain bike jersey.
We didn't have technical baggy MTB shorts.
We didn't have our own padded cycling bib shorts.
And for a long time, I didn't want to make any of those things.
My argument was pretty simple.
Other companies already made that stuff.
Why would we want to do the same thing?
I wanted HANDUP to show people that they didn't need a purpose-built mountain bike outfit for every ride.
They could wear our stretchy jorts, technical chino shorts, and button-up shirts, ride comfortably, and still look normal when they got off the bike.
I thought we should change the industry rather than follow it.
Jamie eventually put it into perspective.
"People aren't as confident as you. They want to fit in."
And she was right.
Not everybody wants to show up to a group ride wearing jean shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.
Some people want to look like the other riders around them.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
We realized that if we really wanted HANDUP to be for the everyday rider, we needed to offer the products those riders were already comfortable wearing.
So we decided to start making more traditional cycling apparel.
But I had one condition.
We weren't going to pick something from a factory catalog, slap a HANDUP logo on it, and call it a day.
We needed to figure out why each piece belonged in our lineup.
Spring 2024: Making Traditional Mountain Bike Apparel Uniquely HANDUP
After a lot of riding, sampling, and development, spring 2024 became a major turning point in our apparel lineup.
We launched products that looked more like traditional mountain bike gear, but still had the little functional details we'd become known for.
The VenTop Jersey
Our VenTop Jersey was one of the first products to come from this new thinking.
We wanted a lightweight, long-sleeve mountain bike jersey with UPF protection that still breathed well in warm weather.
So we added heavily ventilated mesh panels across the upper front and back to help body heat escape.
We also wanted a small pocket for a gel, credit card, or other essentials.
But I'd always hated how some jersey pockets sagged when you put something inside them.
So we positioned a small zippered pocket along the upper back seam, where the jersey's construction could help support the weight.
A simple solution to a problem that had bothered me for years.
I liked the final product so much that I even started racing dirt bikes in it.
Trail Rambler Shorts and Pants
We also launched our Trail Rambler Shorts in spring 2024, followed by the Trail Rambler Pants that fall.
These took some time to figure out because we wanted them to look and perform like technical MTB apparel while still functioning like regular everyday shorts and pants.
We added inner-thigh ventilation that you can feel even while riding slowly.
We created a perforated HANDUP logo across the upper rear panel to allow additional airflow.
And then we did something very HANDUP.
We gave them five discreet pockets, including secure zippered storage, so you could carry your phone, wallet, keys, and other essentials like you would in regular everyday clothing.
The pants also feature lower-leg zippers that make it easier to roll them up or remove knee pads.
This was almost the opposite of our original apparel philosophy.
Our A.T. Plus Shorts looked casual but performed technically.
Our Trail Ramblers looked technical but offered the everyday convenience of casual clothing.
I remember being at Cyclocross Nationals at the end of 2023, knowing these products were coming the following year.
A customer stopped by our booth, and we started talking about mountain bike shorts and pants.
I casually asked him what he'd think about a technical MTB short or pant with all those pockets, and pants with lower-leg zippers to make knee-pad removal easier.
Hypothetically, of course.
He was pretty excited.
I think he might have been one of the first people to order when they finally launched.
Those conversations are still one of my favorite parts of this business.
Finally Making Bib Shorts Our Way
Here's a funny one.
Around 2018, I noticed Jamie had a new pair of leggings with pockets along the sides.
I remember thinking, That would be a pretty good idea for cycling bib shorts.
Then I immediately dismissed it.
We weren't going to make bib shorts.
Other companies made bib shorts.
Well, eight years later, here we are.
In 2026, we introduced our Cargo Bib Shorts.
And because I can't seem to leave well enough alone, they took way longer to develop than I wanted.
We tested different chamois pads with riders who regularly completed four- to six-hour rides, multi-day events, and even overnight races.
We experimented with the straps, leg grippers, materials, and overall construction.
We wanted four deep cargo pockets, a comfortable chamois, wide grippy leg bands, and flat straps that you could almost forget were there.
The samples took a beating.
Development dragged on.
And there were plenty of times I wished we'd figured them out sooner.
But the finished bibs have quickly become one of our best-selling newer products.
Customers have been telling us how comfortable the chamois, straps, and materials feel.
I sometimes wonder whether we could charge more for them.
But there's something in me that always wants to be fair.
Our motto has long been Fast, Fun, & 'Ffordable.
We want more people to enjoy riding bikes without feeling like they need to spend an arm and a leg on their gear.
So if we can make a great product and keep it reasonably priced, that's what we want to do.
We also finally introduced our 6-inch Short Liners in 2026.
We wanted a minimal chamois that provided comfort for normal rides without making it look like you were wearing a diaper.
We made the liners roughly the length of regular boxer briefs and used mesh construction to help heat escape.
Again, nothing revolutionary.
Just something we wanted to wear that we couldn't quite find the way we wanted it.
Bringing Workwear Into Cycling
In 2025, I started wearing more traditional workwear.
I liked the rugged look and durability.
I wore it working in the yard, wrenching on bicycles and dirt bikes, and digging in the dirt.
And naturally, I started wondering how we could make it better for riding bikes.
Traditional workwear was often too heavy, too stiff, or too hot for the kind of riding we did.
So we started developing our WorkHorse collection.
Stretch canvas shorts, pants, and eventually overalls that maintained the workwear look while adding flexibility, useful pockets, and bike-friendly features.
Our WorkHorse Pants feature reinforced double knees and six pockets for carrying tools, snacks, keys, and other essentials.
The overalls take that same concept further, with added lower-back storage and secure pockets for carrying things while riding.
We also offer overalls made from our more technical A.T. fabric for riders who want the workwear look but prioritize cycling performance.
I love the idea that someone can wear the same pair of pants to work in the yard, fix their bike, ride the trails, and head out for a beer afterward.
That versatility is what HANDUP apparel has always been about.
Two Questions That Guide Almost Everything We Make
Looking back, there have been plenty of products we haven't mentioned here.
Different gloves, shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, socks, and other things we've added along the way.
You can find those throughout our website.
But nearly everything we develop starts with one of two questions.
"This is cool. How can we make it better for our life around bikes?"
Or:
"This is what cyclists expect. How can we add something uniquely HANDUP to it?"
That's really our product development philosophy.
Sometimes the answer is a pocket in an unexpected place.
Sometimes it's a fabric change.
Sometimes it's moving a seam a fraction of an inch.
And sometimes it's simply putting a ridiculous graphic on a pair of gloves because riding bikes should make you smile.
We don't believe every product needs to reinvent the wheel.
But we do believe it should have a reason to exist.
Our Product Roadmap Is Really More of a Trail Map
I'd love to tell you we have a perfectly organized five-year product roadmap showing every new item we're going to release.
We don't.
We usually have a pretty good idea of what might come out over the next year because it's something we've already been wearing, riding in, and developing with our factories.
But products come out when they're ready.
Not simply because a calendar says they should.
Big companies might have product roadmaps built around investor expectations, seasonal launches, and revenue projections.
Our product roadmap is a little more like a trail map.
Sometimes we take a wrong turn.
Sometimes we add a few unexpected miles.
Sometimes we find a better route halfway through.
And sometimes it takes way longer than we'd planned to reach the destination.
But those extra miles usually mean more testing, more refinement, and a better understanding of how the product actually performs.
We'd rather release something we believe in than rush something out just to fill a hole in our catalog.
We're Still Learning, and We Don't Always Get It Right
Of course, that doesn't mean we've gotten everything right.
Far from it.
Over the years, we've had production issues, miscommunications with factories, products that didn't turn out exactly as we'd hoped, and things that simply didn't perform up to our expectations.
We're human.
And we're still learning.
If you've ever received a HANDUP product that wasn't up to par, hopefully you had the chance to work with someone on our customer support team who made it right.
If you didn't, and you wrote us off because of that experience, we'd genuinely love the opportunity to earn your trust back.
We've gotten better over the years.
Better at product development, better at working with our factories, better at understanding materials, and better at running the business.
And we're still trying to improve.
That might not be the most polished thing for a brand to admit, but it's the truth.
The Everyday Rider Has Always Been Our Favorite Rider
We want the everyday rider to feel just as special as the person who wins the race.
When I think about what HANDUP means today, I don't think about the number of products we sell or how big the company might become.
I think about the people who wear our stuff.
The dad squeezing in a 60-minute ride before picking up the kids.
The person commuting to work on a bike because they love being outside.
The weekend warrior lining up for a race knowing they probably won't win, but they're going to have a great time trying.
The gravel rider spending six hours exploring back roads with friends.
The mountain biker who wants to ride in jean shorts and a button-up shirt.
The bike shop employee who wears our products, believes in them, and recommends them to customers.
And yes, the professional racer who needs every little detail to be just right.
We want all of those people to feel like HANDUP is for them.
Because somewhere along the way, cycling became a sport where people can feel like they need the right equipment, the right clothes, the right fitness, or the right race results to belong.
I don't believe that.
I learned that lesson years ago watching somebody near the back of a cyclocross race become the crowd favorite because they accepted a ridiculous handup.
They weren't the fastest rider.
They were just having the most fun.
And for that moment, they were the most celebrated person on the course.
That's the feeling we've been trying to capture since 2014.
What Comes Next for HANDUP?
We're going to keep doing what we've always done.
Riding bikes.
Wearing the products we're developing.
Listening to customers.
Trying new ideas.
Improving the things we think could be better.
And occasionally making something that might seem a little ridiculous until you actually try it.
We want to keep bringing everyday clothing trends into cycling and finding ways to make traditional cycling apparel more versatile, comfortable, and uniquely HANDUP.
We want to keep supporting the bike shops, riding communities, and customers who've helped us get here.
And we want to keep making quality gear that everyday people can afford.
To everyone who's ever purchased a pair of gloves, worn one of our shirts, supported a local event, recommended HANDUP to a friend, or taken a chance on one of our unusual ideas:
Thank you.
You helped turn a $6,000 gamble by a young husband-and-wife team into something we never could have imagined.
And if you've never tried HANDUP before, we hope you'll give us a shot.
We might not have everything figured out.
But we promise there's a reason behind what we make, and we care a whole lot about making it better.
Because at the end of the day, Jamie and I are still just two people who love riding bikes and think everyone deserves to have a little more fun doing it.
Fast, Fun, & 'Ffordable. Since 2014.
— Cody, Co-Founder of HANDUP
