Aurélia Maruéjol

FFC Snow Bike Ugigrip-Vallgrip

Ugigrip-Vallgrip MTB studs made a strong impression at the FFC Snow Bike Championship alongside Eric Barone.

Riding down the snowy and icy slopes of Les Gets by bike — with the glide and grip performance riders expect — is possible!

We achieved this by developing studs specifically for this purpose with Eric Barone, former Masters Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion and snow speed record holder in mountain biking, reaching 227.72 km/h.

We were on site on February 3rd and 4th, 2024, offering our studs and raising awareness among participants about their use in this emerging discipline.

Out of the approximately sixty bikes entered in the race, more than half were equipped with our studs, demonstrating their success and rapid adoption by the community of enthusiasts of this motor-free winter mechanical sport.

(Photo credit: Richard Bord)

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The Strengths of Our Studs

Studding of Ugigrip-Vallgrip FFC Snow Bike Studs

Safety in the service of thrills

The key strengths of Ugigrip-Vallgrip studs, praised by competitors at the end of the race, lie in their performance and their ability to ensure rider safety:

  • Superior grip, ensuring better control on snow and ice
  • Optimal hold, even in the tightest turns
  • Simplified installation, allowing riders to fit their studs independently
  • Extensive customization, offering the possibility to choose the number and placement of studs according to each competitor’s preferences

Our experts confirm this success

Our team also had the opportunity to test the studs directly on the slopes, confirming their effectiveness and their significant contribution to the Snow Bike riding experience.

Building on this success, we are already working on new innovations to continue pushing the boundaries of this unique sport with our studs.

Stay tuned to discover what Vallgrip has in store for the future…

(Photo credit: Richard Bord)

Aurélia Maruéjol

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Best wishes!

The whole Ugigrip-Vallgrip team wishes you its best wishes for 2023.

We wish you all your projects come true and that “Made in France” keeps growing!

Aurélia Maruéjol

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year christmas tree Ugigrip-Vallgrip

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ugigrip-Vallgrip wishes you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

See you in 2023 for new projects, news metal parts and new challenges!

Aurélia Maruéjol

Vilesta logo_Ugigrip-Vallgrip

Ugigrip-Vallgrip joined Vilesta in the summer of 2021.

Who is Vilesta?

A cluster dedicated to industrial and passenger vehicles, this network of companies based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region enables each member company to share its expertise, products, and much more.

Through Vilesta, we have joined a dynamic and supportive regional network that allows us to collaborate more closely with our peers, take part in joint projects, contribute our know-how, experience, and solutions, and foster collective intelligence in the design and production of industrial and recreational vehicles.

Aurélia Maruéjol

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Ugigrip-Vallgrip manufactures the ice grip for EVVO snowshoes: when R&D drives innovation

Born in the heart of the Pilat mountain range, just a few dozen kilometres from Ugigrip-Vallgrip, EVVO is a young, innovative brand created by Martin Plastiques Innovation (MPI).

MPI invented the EVVO Snowshoe, which is far more than a traditional snowshoe. It is a “Snowshoe”: a 100% technical innovation developed and manufactured in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, designed for walking, jumping and running on snow without constraint.

For grip on ice, it is fitted with Ugigrip-Vallgrip studs. This led to the development of the EVVO Snowshoe’s 100% rubber sole, inspired by the technologies used in MICHELIN winter and ice tyres, the renowned tyre manufacturer based in Auvergne.

Its unique geometric design and snow and ice grip provide excellent traction and exceptional durability.

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Interview with Olivier Reboulet

Innovation Manager

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How did Ugigrip-Vallgrip manage to address your product challenge?

We were looking for a specialist in ice grip (anti-slip studs) for our Snowshoe.

As our project prioritised French manufacturing, it was important for us to find local expertise and to achieve a solution that was both technically high-performing and competitively priced.

What can you tell us about the bespoke development?

The R&D teams at Ugigrip-Vallgrip provided invaluable support through their technical expertise and in-depth knowledge of aluminium and steel studs. We started from their existing product range and combined our respective technologies to adapt it to our specific requirements.

The synergy between our savoir-faire made it possible to create this fully bespoke and innovative product. Working in close proximity also facilitated discussions regarding both cost and performance.

Aurélia Maruéjol

Rolling Steps – Ugigrip-Vallgrip

Like cold-forging, rolling is a metal forming process.

At Ugigrip-Vallgrip, rolling is mainly used to produce threads, knurling, grooves, etc., from a headed blank

It takes place in a second stage, after the cold-forging operation that gives the part its basic shape. This process deforms the part by pressure between two dies to obtain the final shape, according to predefined machine settings.

To provide production finishes, several options are available, such as coating (zinc plating) or heat treatment.

Caution

Important

Rolled Parts and Rolling Comb – Ugigrip-Vallgrip

What should you pay attention to?

It is essential to always consider the volume of the blank in order to anticipate the deformation created during the rolling process.

Why ? Because the part will elongate during deformation, so it is necessary to have sufficient material to produce the final component.

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