Coastal Group, the Cornwall-based manufacturer of premium door and window hardware, has announced a brand ambassador partnership with endurance explorer James Benson-King as he prepares to attempt the first solo, unsupported cycle to the South Pole in November 2026.
Loren Jenner, managing director, Coastal Group, said:
“James embodies everything we stand for: resilience, precision and never settling for anything less than built-to-last. When he approached us, it was immediately clear this was the right partnership.
“We build hardware that has to perform without failure; James puts that same demand to the test in conditions that are about as hostile as it gets.”
As part of the partnership, Coastal Group’s design and engineering team worked directly with James to develop and manufacture a bespoke fat bike hitch from stainless steel.
The component serves a dual purpose for James’s expedition: connecting James’s sled to his bike and providing a solid push point when terrain becomes too soft, steep or broken to ride.
Phil Walklett, design & engineering manager at Coastal Group, said:
“James came to us with a clear brief: one component that could do two jobs, built to take whatever Antarctica throws at it. Working in stainless steel is second nature to us, but designing for this kind of sustained load in extreme cold was genuinely new territory. But with testing and engineering, we’re confident it’ll hold up and look forward to supporting James in his challenge.”
The bike hitch is designed to withstand the repeated mechanical strain of pushing a fully loaded bike and sled, carrying in excess of 130kg of gear, food and fuel, across two months of Antarctic conditions, with temperatures falling below −40°C.
The partnership was marked earlier this month when James stopped at Coastal Group’s headquarters in St Austell during a training ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Three members of the Coastal team joined him on the road for over 50 miles of the route through Cornwall, with the visit also including the formal handover of the finished hitch and a team photo.
James Benson-King said:
“From my first meeting with Coastal Group, I had an immediate connection with their team… I think due to the pride they have in what they create, and their commitment to building products that truly last. I’m incredibly proud to be an ambassador for Coastal Group, to embody their resilience and determination, and to have their support on the challenges that lie ahead.”
James is also using the expedition to raise money for Cardiac Risk in the Young, a charity that funds cardiac screening for young people.
