Women of Altura: Changing the Industry from Within
We took a trip to Darlington to meet the women championing change
Altura was formed in North Yorkshire, UK, in 1995. With its combination of quiet roads, rugged terrain and very variable weather, it seems the perfect place to design, test and produce some very British technical bike wear and bike luggage. The company’s focus is on providing innovative, practical and affordable products for a wide range of different cyclists. Altura produce dependable and well-designed clothing and bags for mountain bikers, road racers, commuters and leisure cyclists alike.
While they do cater to most of the market, Altura are probably best known amongst commuter cyclists. They produce a range of high-visibility clothing called ‘Night Vision’ which is pretty much standard issue for the commuting community. It’s good quality stuff, which balances as best it can, the need for comfort and style with the need to be highly reflective and glaringly obvious to vehicles. Their range of panniers, rack packs and rain covers are widely praised on the basis of build quality and ease of use. For road cyclists, they produce a wide range of affordable gear under the ‘Ergofit’ brand. Their off-road kit is called ‘Attack’
While most of the clothing and luggage they produce is accessible in terms of price, Altura maintains a strong interest in research and innovation, as well as product quality. The staff and management are all keen cyclists and the gear is all rigorously tested in British conditions. The company also sponsors Team Sportscover Strategic Altura, which proves a useful testing gound for their products.
