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British bike company LIOS has unveiled its latest product: the Nano carbon fibre folding bike.
LIOS was founded by Steve McCulley, a former Major in the Royal Marines who served around the world from 1997 to 2011, at which point he concentrated his efforts on creating the LIOS brand.
McCulley explains: “In 2011 I was commanding a company of 175 men in Afghanistan, when I was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device, which resulted in very serious injuries. I owe my life to the quick thinking and professionalism of my Marines and the amazing skills of the Medical Emergency Response Team who fly in to evacuate injured personnel.
“My last memory of Afghanistan, before losing consciousness, was the Trauma Consultant crouching over me with a cordless drill, in the back of a Chinook helicopter, saying “this is going to hurt but it will save your life”. The doctor drilled directly into my sternum (without anaesthetic) to administer life-saving drugs as quickly as possible as the helicopter skimmed, at tree-top height, back to Camp Bastion.
“I was then flown back to the UK within 24 hours and spent three weeks in a coma and three months at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, before being transferred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court in Surrey. In total I spent almost three years in rehabilitation.
“I have always been a keen cyclist, including competing for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines at national level; however, it was clear my injuries were going to mean an end to my military and cycling career so I decided to turn my passion for cycling into a business.
“Therefore, during the breaks in my rehab and with significant support from Help For Heroes, the Royal Marines Trust and Heropreneurs, I created LIOS which is named after my children Lily and Oscar. The LIOS Nano is a new and totally different product and alongside my business partner Wayland Austin, we have created something special which we think is going to completely change people’s perceptions of a folding bike.”
The Nano has come about following development and testing and with initial advice from Andrew Ritchie, the inventor of the Brompton folding bike.
LIOS say the Nano has a strong and stiff carbon frame and forks, which is matched with the high-end components: carbon wheels, Gates carbon belt drive, hydraulic disc brakes, full carbon components and a Shimano finishing kit. It has been designed to offer a far superior ride compared to other folding bikes.
Bryn Parry OBE, Help for Heroes Co-Founder and CEO said: “Our mission is to inspire, enable and support wounded, injured and sick service personnel and that is exactly what we did with Steve when we worked with him during his rehabilitation programme. When we first met Steve in 2012 his passion for cycling shone through and as a charity we were delighted to be able to support him with gaining qualifications and accreditation, as well as providing a grant towards some of his start-up costs. What Steve has achieved is a testament to us all in terms of battling back from adversity and we are absolutely thrilled to see LIOS going from strength to strength and to have played our part in this journey.”
The Nano is available for purchase now, either direct from LIOS or from Bespoke Cycling and Cyclefit, both of which are in London.
