Just found out that Red Planet in Swindon have closed. Shame as it was the best MTB shop for miles around. Too much competition from the new Hargroves?
Bike Forum
Anyone know why Red Planet Bikes closed down
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Posted 6 months ago #
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I've never heard of it so that's probably one reason.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Thats a shame they were good folk
Posted 6 months ago # -
I met Ivor and business partner a couple of years ago in Italy. A fantastic bikeshop and setup. Really into providing a good experience for customers. Very much a shame.
Oli
Posted 6 months ago # -
http://www.redplanetbikes.co.uk/ off riding the local trails
Posted 6 months ago # -
Saw that. Having so much fun they packed it in?
Posted 6 months ago # -
I believe the landlord wanted them to sign a spanking great new lease for loads of money, this forced a decision as to whether they carried on working all hours or went back to an easier life. May be wrong though as they didn't tell me..bit peeved as I needed some work doing on the Lapierre I bought from them!
Posted 6 months ago # -
I always found red planet to be a bit of a cliche shop with their coffee maker and dressed in lycra!! The young guy's were ok. They closed because of old lease was running out and they were being forced to sign a long 10 year lease deal I believe which the owners would not commit to, its also an expensive area to run a shop but you would have thought if they were commited to the sport they would have set up shop some where else so obviously was owned by some suites who just wanted to make money! Big adventure store in Swindon is much much better customer care.
Posted 6 months ago # -
so obviously was owned by some suites who just wanted to make money!
Not sure about that I thought Ivor owned the business. As for going back to an easier life Ivor started the shop after he was made redundant.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Red Planet were a great shop. Ivor & Freddie are really nice people, & I have been out nightriding with Ivor a few times, & from what I know it was a case of the long hours/8days a week kinda thing.. Something that happens after several years of running a shop! getting back into more normal working hours leaves anyone more time to ride
In the meantime, not so far away (Newbury) is my new shop, opened early jan. called supernovacycles(.co..uk)
Not sure if I'm allowed to do that, so slap me if not, but just trying to help out anybody that needs good service & some cool products, with a lifetime of experience.
Cristian
Posted 6 months ago # -
Yep.. sky high rents are forcing lots of businesses out of business...
That's the problem with an economy like ours that makes jack shit and so just buys slave labor Chinese made stuff. Our economy for over fifteen years was mostly powered and propped up by ever increasing house prices and rents. And the banks that lent money they never had.....
If you are having to make £300 to £1500 per week just to pay rent..... where does the profit come from?
Posted 6 months ago # -
I always found red planet to be a bit of a cliche shop with their coffee maker and dressed in lycra
welcome to the world of cycling.
Ivor was a good guy to do business with, and David his mechanic new his onions.
He will be missed.
Posted 6 months ago # -
What van cough cough said... Plus. It your rent is £40k pa you have to shift almost £250,000 just to pay the landlord. That's a hell load of gear cables.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Sounds like a daft landlord to me, could be an empty property for years now, there's quite a few empty round there already. We moved recently and negotiated 40% off of the asking price. Surely if trade was still brisk they would have relocated?
The story I was told was that they simply weren't making money.
My experience of them when I popped in last year was not good, wanted a pucture kit and a tube, they didn't have them in stock. Took them a few minutes to even notice I was there.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Sorry to hear that. Met Ivor on a "sShokwave" holiday on Levkas in '92.
"Hey Ivor, aren't your tires a bit under-inflated?"
"Yea, but I like to hear them chewing the ground...".
Posted 6 months ago # -
but you would have thought if they were commited to the sport they would have set up shop some where else so obviously was owned by some suites who just wanted to make money!
Yes, obviously
Posted 6 months ago # -
Anyone want to buy a Red Planet £10 voucher that I won at some Trailquest type event about 5 years ago? £5 for cash (might be collectable).
Posted 6 months ago # -
Hey, they were offered cheaper rent .. ! Ivor had just wanted a change of scene.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Sounds like a daft landlord to me, could be an empty property for years now,
Nope, within weeks it became a high end coffee shop/letting agency??
Posted 6 months ago # -
Unfortunately most landlords arent real people. They're your pension fund or a listed property company in whom your pension fund invests. Just about every town high st in the UK is majority owned by such investors. For decent high st units there's sufficient market in tenants to keep rents up.
But secondary stuff is on it's knees. That's really where deals are to be done. There's no rates relief on vacant property any more so any tenant paying any rent to save a landlord from leaking cash would be acceptable. Its not all one big tenant-raping world out there. You just need to match your expectations to the right product. Just like in everything else.
Posted 6 months ago # -
It is most certainly a tenant raping world (in the UK and elsewhere) for most of us. We have generations that will never own a house even a 1/3 or half the size of their parents' house. And we make **** all. Some of us with jobs will sometimes pay £3 for a cup of coffee though, from the many coffee houses that moved into the lots vacated by real shops.
It's also a world where if most of were made redundant tomorrow, most of us would still be without employment in six months time.
MADE IN CHINA
Posted 6 months ago # -
Gutted, just found out they closed myself (from elsewhere, then found this thread).
Such a shame. Lost 2 more local bike shops to me in the last few months too
Posted 6 months ago # -
just to clarify.
landlord was owner of building (and restaurant below)and was a real person. really Italian.
the problem was the struggle to dedicate another 7 years to a lease and working lots.
The mechanic Dave is now working at Hargroves cycles down the road so anyone who wants the same service can find him there for the foreseeable future.
great bike shop. nice people. not very good at business. loved by most. envied by some. shame they couldnt find a way to make it work.
They will be missed.Posted 6 months ago # -
Yeah, found out they'd called it a day a few months ago. Sorry to see the shop go - always found them a good bunch.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Never thought they had much in there.Strange place Swindon.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I've always found Mitchell Cyles to be helpful
Posted 6 months ago # -
ian_current_dale_rider - Member
I've always found Mitchell Cyles to be really helpful<irish accent> It's the only bike you'll ever need</ irish accent>
gotta love Mr Mitchell
Posted 6 months ago # -
lowering rent = lowering property value = less collateral for raising loans and gambling on the stock market
Posted 6 months ago # -
Just heard about this and sad to hear the news. I always found Ivor to be a really nice geniune guy. It can be hard to make such a specialist a shop like Red Planet work with such a value of stock and increasing rents, rates and the rise in VAT and the growth of the internet do not help matters.
Posted 6 months ago # -
lowering rent = lowering property value = less collateral for raising loans and gambling on the stock market lowering rent = lowering property value = less collateral for raising loans and gambling on the stock market
Since banks can and do lend 10-500 times what they actually "have" in reserve (aqs deposits by depositors), we can see that is only part of the horror story.
Banks lend money they do not have. You pay back that money (they never had) plus interest. The majority of money in circulation is actually debt money created by private banks. Only some 4% of our money is cash and coin created by the government.
We are all slaves to private bankers.
Posted 6 months ago #
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