Cody Wallis’ knowledge of sponsors from his time in motocross gave him an edge when trying to market and spread his idea for Handup Gloves. The name comes from a practice in cyclocross where spectators hand out water or food to racers. While the national races forbid the practice, Wallis says it’s a fun aspect to the sport, and something he wanted his company to emulate.Grab a pair
Interested in trying out a pair? Maybe getting some for a friend? Head to www.handupgloves.com for a list of products, dealer locations and more.
Cycling gloves. That piece of equipment people always seem to forget on their gear checklists. Even when we do remember, though, it too often feels like we’re modeling some haute piece of art rather than functional equipment. For how abused gloves get, they should be comfortable, simple and durable.
Cody Wallis from Handup Gloves right here in Chattanooga agrees, which is why he designs his gloves to be fun and functional. After spending a year developing them, he’s now got his gloves in 80 shops around the country. What’s more, 20 cycling teams across numerous disciplines proudly wear Handup Gloves when they race.
“I grew up racing dirt bikes, and when I transitioned into mountain biking for cross-training I just wore my motorcycle gloves,” Wallis says. “When I looked for cycling gloves, I didn’t find any I liked. They were all too bulky.”
When he noticed that all his friends and associates wore dirt bike gloves to ride too, he set out to give them something more their speed.
“It might have been a small niche, but it’s definitely worked out,” he says. “There’s a ton of companies making cycling apparel, but so many just used gloves to finish out their gear line like an afterthought.”
Whereas other glove companies promise extra technological features, Handup follows Wallis’ belief of simplicity and “no B.S.”
“Gloves are going to get wrecked and torn up,” he says. “They shouldn’t break the bank.”
Handup Gloves are standardized at $26 a pair, which Wallis says is the lower end of the market. However, their durability and straightforward appeal makes them an excellent value. The low cost means picking up a few pairs is within reason – and with how often Handup comes out with new designs, you might want to consider it.
“Most of the industry just does one new release each February, but I wanted to keep it fresh,” Wallis says. “Let the customers have fun with it.” After all, the slogan is “Handup Gloves are the best for grabbin’ bars and beers!”
Wallis laughs about the line, and recommends Hutton & Smith Brewery as a go-to place to test the latter half of Handup Gloves’ tagline.