Knowledge

MSL was invited to have a nosey at Oxford Products HQ. There’s more going on than you’d think

A visit to Oxford Products reveals just how much effort goes into QA.

Established in 1973, Oxford Products is a household name for almost anyone on two wheels. If you have looked into adding some aftermarket luggage or accessories to your bike, the chances are you have come across their wares. In their own words, the guys at Oxford want to develop anything and everything that makes life on bikes better.

In the last 20 years Oxford Products has grown from an impressive, but hardly groundbreaking £3.5m turnover to a global player with a whopping £35m turnover. They deliver the goods to all the corners of the world, and constantly add new lines to their portfolio.

The biggest growth area for Oxford has been clothing. The company started by offering budget options for money-savvy riders. Over the years the quality has improved to the point that the top-of-the-range items now feature technologies such as trilaminate waterproof coating (Oxford’s own version of the category-leading GoreTex Pro fabric). At the same time pricing has remained reasonable, putting the UK brand in a competitive position in the global market place.

MSL was recently given access to the 100,000sq.ft. purposebuilt Oxford HQ in the leafy, you guessed it, Oxfordshire. The same site houses everything from product design and admin to warehousing and quality testing. The level of detail and commitment put into ensuring high quality of the end-product was impressive.

Product designers have access to an on-site 3D printer, so they are able to produce early prototypes of items such as lever guards, grips, fasteners, etc. This means they can eliminate any issues at an early stage, and even use the prototypes in the real-world testing before full-scale production starts.

The most intriguing place during our visit was the Oxford Test Laboratory. Equipped with machinery able to simulate real-life wear and tear, but in a hugely accelerated timescale, the facility allows Oxford to test samples or entire products before they go on sale. It’s possible to test if fabrics hold their colour under intense UV light, how much weight it takes to break items such as paddock stands, and whether electric items are working as they should. It’s all very clever, and makes you appreciate how much ‘invisible’ work goes into a product before it hits the shops.

If you have previously dismissed Oxford Products as a below-par budget option, it might be worth having a closer look. The stuff we saw at the HQ was thoroughly impressive. And they have some very exciting products in the pipeline.