State of the industry: a running thread

[brocklanders023]

What happens now anyway? They had loads of bikes they couldn’t sell even at reduced prices which are now on Start Fitness even cheaper. Who’s going to be buying their full price bikes when they do restart production?

Same people who will buy the Santa Cruz or Specialized bikes at full price I'd imagine? Both are offering similar discounts.

 

[al-onestare]

Yup, great choice of administrators. Wrote off the company with all the expensive equipment and sold it back to the debt free newco bike company for pennies, while all the companies owed money get next to nothing back.

Good point is the Orange jobs are protected for now but at the expense of how many jobs in other creditors companies? I know it’s all perfectly legal but it just doesn’t sit well with me.

What happens now anyway? They had loads of bikes they couldn’t sell even at reduced prices which are now on Start Fitness even cheaper. Who’s going to be buying their full price bikes when they do restart production?

Yep, something smells fishy

 

[brocklanders023]

However unpalatable, it’s pretty normal isn’t it?

 

[Retro Spud]

However unpalatable, it’s pretty normal isn’t it?

So true - and as highlighted in an earlier post, I’m sure there will be suppliers out there with some very difficult conversions with their bank managers ahead of them

 

[coomber]

No different to stanton

 

[desmondo]

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/langsett-cycles-infirmary-road-sheffield-one-of-uks-oldest-bike-shops-announces-closure-4502408

 

[Retro Spud]

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/langsett-cycles-infirmary-road-sheffield-one-of-uks-oldest-bike-shops-announces-closure-4502408

What a shame after 134yrs ! They've served customers across three different centuries and seen two world wars come and go

so sad

 

[al-onestare]

What a shame after 134yrs ! They've served customers across three different centuries and seen two world wars come and go

so sad

To be clear, it's up for sale and, apparently, is solvent. The owners are moving onto something else.

 

[rwm1962]

speedwork is a slightly different frame, and frankly should be more different as it needs a longer top tube

Having just bought one online for commuting I agree wholeheartedly! I'm on cusp of medium & large & so glad I went large. I'm hoping a set-back seat post & longer stem normalise it.

 

[CassidyAce]

Sales of new bikes in 2023 were the lowest in the UK since 1985:

2023 saw the worst bicycle sales in the UK since 1985, reveals Bicycle Association report

The bike industry organisation has warned a “long-term continuum of decline is likely without Government intervention”

road.cc

In an average year, 3m units are sold; in 2023, 1.55m units were sold. It would be interesting to know if the secondhand market experienced a similar downturn or whether many buyers shifted to buying used bikes instead of new. And it would also be interesting to know whether there was an impact on how many millions of miles were travelled by bike in the UK last year.