When Oscar Onley rode himself to within 73 seconds of a Tour de France podium finish in 2025, it wasn’t only the then-22-year-old Brit who raised eyebrows on the world stage.
His bike’s wheel manufacturer – Ursus – was also a relative unknown on the roads of France, having made its WorldTour debut in 2020 with Total Direct Energies and become a partner with Onley’s old team, Picnic-PostNL, in 2025.
But the Italian brand isn’t some new disruptor intent on buying its way to the top table with flashy marketing and bold performance claims.
In fact, its approach is the antithesis of the weight- and aerodynamics-dominated trends of development and manufacturing. Instead, Ursus is focused on durability and reliability.
“Reliability is very important for us – more than the light weight,” says Mirko Ferronato, CEO at Ursus. “We are not the lightest wheelset, we are not the lightest hub, but reliability and smoothness is key.”
It’s this engineering- and industrial-centred ethos that has driven and sustained Ursus throughout its near 60-year existence. And it is an attitude the brand hopes will help it stand out from the crowd in the professional and amateur pelotons.
Here, Ferronato shares how this approach has taken Ursus from a garage-based workshop to cycling’s top table.
Inventive origins
Ursus was founded by Sergio Ferronato in 1967 and the utilitarian side of cycling has always been at its heart.
The innovator had patented a quick-release system for seatposts in 1966, and he set about producing them from his garage-based workshop in northern Italy.
His invention proved popular, making saddle-height adjustment a tool-free task, while the system was also applied to early folding bikes.
“There was a very famous folding bike company in Italy called Carnielli, that was a very popular product at that time. Everyone was using these small bikes in Italy, and so he made millions of pieces,” says Ferronato.
This industrialised approach to production laid the foundation for the multinational company that Ursus is today, but manufacturing is still all completed in-house, in Rosà, Italy. There remains a familial, personal feel to the company, with Sergio Ferronato’s son Mirko.
Industrial heritage
While cycling has been an ever-resent in Ursus’ history, it hasn’t been the company’s driving force.
“It doesn't come from a passion for cycling; it comes from a passion of doing things in a good way,” says Ferronato.
Cycling components such as quick-release systems and kickstands remained Ursus' main market until the 1990s when a crisis in the sport saw Ursus diversify its production.
“We started to serve several industrial opportunities – automotive, home appliances – because we were able to do things in a very high quality for a good price. [Ursus] was a good option for the likes of BMW and Porsche to have very high-performance components made in Europe,” Ferronato adds.
Today, 25 to 30 per cent of the company’s turnover remains outside of cycling, and its factory in Rosà caters for it all.
“[Production] lines are not separated by discipline or industry – it’s the same machine, with the same quality control. We have a lot of automation robots; one day, they do a Porsche suspension piece, the day after, they do a kickstand for a city bike, and then they do a hub for a WorldTour team.”
Ferronato explains that rather than confusing things, this approach helps to guarantee reliability.
“We have the IATF [International Automotive Task Force] certification. It’s the certification for automotive production that is very strict, and that's why we are able to achieve such high standards," he says.
“For example, our cycling hubs have to go maximum 100kph, so the [minimum] strengths and everything are relatively low. For Porsche, it must be 300kph.”
Getting things rolling
Ursus’ production of cycling wheels started around 20 years ago, and was founded on its manufacturing of hubs.
“We do wheels, because we do hubs – it's not vice versa. We specialised in manufacturing high-quality hubs and provide hubs to several manufacturers in Germany and the Netherlands, especially for [touring] bikes. We also do a lot of wheels for other brands."
Ferronato adds that at one point, Ursus was the biggest hub producer in Europe. The rise of the Asian market dented its dominance, but it is now focused on recovering this position by doubling down on quality.
He explains that the brand’s focus has never been on chasing the most exclusive names in the market, but on building high-quality products in the right way.
Rather than positioning itself around hype or marginal gains, the company sees itself as a dependable presence in the wheel sector – one associated with safety, durability and long-term reliability.
He explains that its target customer is someone who is interested in making an investment with their wheelset rather than following a trend. “We make things in a good way as we would do it for ourselves – we don't make things to sell. The selling part is as a result of what we do.”
But while performance isn’t necessarily the number one priority, the brand also has its own proprietary tech that sees it rival some of the main players.
Its tool-free U-press system enables mechanics to easily and quickly disassemble hubs for servicing and maintenance, while its Xeramik™ ceramic bearings offer greater longevity and smoothness.
Elsewhere, its patented Y-Star lacing pattern helps reduce overall weight by relying on fewer spokes without sacrificing strength and performance, and its UD-shaped rim profile aids aerodynamics.
WorldTour credentials
Ursus’ approach to wheel design and manufacturing has already been well received in the professional peloton, where Onley piloted its Ayra wheels to fourth in the 2025 Tour de France and a podium finish in the Tour de Suisse, while Casper van Uden claimed a stage win in Ursus’ home grand tour – the Giro d’Italia.
It’s not a one-way relationship either, with Ursus and Picnic-PostNL collaborating on the development of its range.
“They are very straight and strict with performance, but we don't sacrifice what we believe is our core,” says Ferronato. “They asked us to have lighter wheels, but we demonstrated that reliability during a season plus improved rolling resistance is better, even if it's heavier.
“The mechanics were very happy, because they serviced very few wheels. In one season, we delivered more than 400 pairs of wheels, and we got 12 back for some noises on the spokes. When mechanics are happy, riders are happy.”
