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Handmade Slingshots for Bikepacking
Looking for endless campside entertainment while out bikepacking? One of our favorite post-ride toys is a slingshot. Why not hone your target practice skills and while away lazy afternoons by picking up a beautiful handmade slingshot from one of these talented builders!? Find options from Sour, WZRD, Hunter Cycles, and Zodiac Engineering here…
There’s something incredibly satisfying and nostalgic about taking out a slingshot, searching for the perfect pebble, and hitting your target on the first try. Better yet, pass that wrist rocket around to your buddies and see who can knock a can off a log some 15 meters away. In my opinion, it’s among the best ways to spend a summer afternoon after a big ride. Just this past July on our second annual Klunk ‘n’ Float trip, we made sure to stop every few hours to hone our skills just to make sure we didn’t loose our edge. Plus, slingshots serve as a last resort defence tool if your fellow riding companions try to steal your snacks. Only kidding of course; don’t shoot people!
Thankfully, there are talented makers in the bike industry looking out for us, and there’s something of a mini slingshot revival happening at the moment. Hunter Cycles has been offering their Chromoly steel slingshots for a number of years now, but some other brands have recently joined in on the fun, including WZRD Bikes in Canada, Sour Bicycles in Germany, and Zodiac Engineering in California. Check them out below.
Hunter Cycles Hip Shooter
Made in the same shop as Hunter Cycles frames and forks, the Hunter Cycles Hip Shooter is one of the first frame builder-made slingshots to hit the market. Because of this it has somewhat of a cult following. The Hip Shooter features a full Chromoly steel construction, TIG welding, durable powder coat finish, and a secret stash spot in the bottle of the handle for ammo and other necessary supplies.
The Hip Shooters are available on a pre-order basis and sell out quickly, so you’ll need to keep an eye on Hunter’s Instagram page if you want to snatch one up. When they are available, they cost $95 USD at HunterCycles.com. They usually come in a variety of flashy colors and, fro what we’ve heard, are built to last.
WZRD: The Whisper of Reckoning
Launched this fall, The Whisper of Reckoning from WZRD Bikes in British Columbia is handmade from 4130 Chromoly steel, has a 22.2mm handle that’s compatible with any push-on grip, and the design has been dialled in after years of slingshot prototyping and target practice. I was lucky enough to swing by WZRD headquarters in Victoria, BC a few weekends ago and snapped some photos of the slingshots in person. While I’m much more used to the dollar store variety, I have a feeling The Whisper of Reckoning packs a punch.
The Whisper of Reckoning comes in your choice of five colors, including a snazzy raw clear coat, and has WZRD’s trademark “goop” design laser cut right into the arms. It costs $130 CAD and is available on a pre-order basis. Check it out at WZRD.Bike.
Zodiac Engineering Classic Slingshot
We spotted the Zodiac Engineering Classic Slingshot on the ATW Builds Instagram account and couldn’t resist sharing it here. While not a frame builder, Zodiac is a CNC machining shop based out of Orange County, California, and they set a new standard for incredibly over-engineered slingshots.
They are machined from 6061 aluminium, the main body is hard anodized, and the leather band is made in house with 5oz English Bridle Leather from Wickett & Craig, laser cut by Abyss Tools. The slingshot isn’t cheap at $165 USD, but I bet it shoots damn straight! Check it out here.
Sour Bicycles Sweet ‘n’ Sour Slingshot
According to Sour, the Sweet n’ Sour Slingshot is small enough to pack into your trouser pocket but packs some serious power and provides an ergonomic grip thanks to its 22.2mm handle size and integrated grip. The two-piece body is precision laser-cut, the edges are rounded by hand, and the handle brazed on individually before a final clear powder coat.
The small hook on each side is for opening your favourite cold beverage. Slingshots and fizzy water, what could go wrong? The Sweet ‘n’ Sour Slingshot costs €45 and is available from Sour.Bike.
Have a favourite handmade slingshot that we missed, preferably made by folks in the bike industry? Let us know in the discussion below and we’ll add it in.
Further Reading
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