Jack Fraser introduced the mainstream cycling world to messenger-style knickers when he unveiled the Hypnotic brand about six years ago. The original Hankster Messenger Knickers created a significant buzz and in the following years a number of companies jumped on the bandwagon. Some produced more technical versions, others focused on the fashion element with little regard to the subtle touches that made the original Hanksters so popular. At $140, relatively few cyclists were ready to take the plunge, but those who did rarely had a complaint. Word of mouth spread and Jack sold enough knickers to introduce a women’s model.

Hypnotic updated the original design in 2006, resulting in a lighter, more functional and arguably more stylish product. Unfortunately for the cycling community, family life takes precedence over business for the Frasers, and with the recent arrival of twin girls, Jack officially closed up shop. He admits there is a chance he’ll jump back into the apparel game down the line, but for now the chance of finding a pair of genuine Hypnotics are slim.

This entry was posted by Urban Jeff on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 8:14 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.