PHILADELPHIA (BRAIN) — For most, spilling coffee creates a mess. For Adam Saplin, it created an opportunity. A few years after Saplin spilled coffee in a basket while riding a beach cruiser in California, he developed a shock-absorbing bar-clamp cup holder that can be used not only for bikes, but scooters, wheelchairs, and strollers.
That was the beginning of Handlestash, which makes all of its products in the U.S. and now includes handlebar bags and insulated stem bags. It also partners with companies to offer bike bells and Xnito Ebike Helmets.
But it's Handlestash's bags and cup holders that have Saplin excited about the future. For the first time since opening in April 2020, he broke even last year — selling about 3,000 cup holders and about 1,000 handlebar bags — and was happy to share the good news at the Philly Bike Expo on Sunday.
"In my first couple of years in this business, my goal was that if you Googled best bike cup holder, my stuff would come up, and that's universally the result now," said Saplin, who is based in Denver. "But we're still very unknown in retail, and so my next step is really to become the de facto option for retailers nationwide."
Saplin said Handlestash is available at 40 dealers in the U.S. and is looking for a distributor. His experience in California led him to a bike shop to find a cup holder that actually prevented spills.
"I went to the shop and looked at their cup holders, and I saw they were rigid. They were not adjustable. It looked like they would transfer all that same force and vibration directly into the coffee, just like the basket would. And I questioned why there wasn't something soft and something that could isolate the beverage from the bumps."
About eight years passed, before Saplin, an electrical engineer, began designing his version of the cup holder, which retails for between $35-$39. While working in the railroad and transit industry, he created a heater attachment clamp for railroad switches that remains in use today across North America.
So how difficult could designing a no-spill cup holder be? He developed it to have a built in spring with an elastic cinch at the top.
"I was a little nervous, of course," he said. "It was my first time designing a consumer product, starting my own business, doing anything like that. I listed them for sale, and my mom bought one, and then my brother's college roommate bought one, and then another friend bought one, and then, within a few days, I started to see orders from people I didn't know."
All fabric is imported and comes from various U.S. sources. Cup holder support rings are injection-molded by Irwin Enterprises in Lafayette, Colorado. Sewing is done by Erike Hale at Third Eye Gear in Broomfield, Colorado.
Handlestash can do custom orders with logos and different colors for groups or companies as long as the minimum order number is met. "I see the custom side having a ton of room for growth," Saplin said.
In fact, Handlestash will manufacture the official handlebar bag for RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. In addition to Philly Bike Expo, RAGBRAI is one of several events and trade shows Saplin will attend this year. It's his primary marketing strategy to get his products out to riders and retailers.
While improving the cup holder idea was a fairly simple process without much competition, Saplin said the handlebar bag market is a much more competitive market.
"There's a ton of good bag companies out there. I definitely had to really work on some distinguishing features. Working with my pattern maker, working with my sewer, we came up with this unique opening that makes it super easy to access and built with the structural foam. People who have purchased one tell me that they love the opening and a lot of riders can access it while riding."
Saplin said new product development is a priority for 2025. He debuted the smaller (1.5 liter) and less expensive Bar Snack bag ($49) to complement the 2-litre Bigmouth Burrito Bag ($75) at the Expo and has plans to design more bags, including those for the frame, seat, and top tube.
"Most people are using our handlebar bags to put their cellphones in, but people say the bag is perfect for their repair kit, snacks, keys, wallet, and there's often still room for an ultralight jacket in there."
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Adam Saplin was busy at the Philly Bike Expo. -
