One of Britain’s most respected children’s bike brands has a new owner - and it’s not one that will fill the cycling community with confidence.
Mike Ashley is pretty much never good news but this one has potential to work out well. They might drive the brand into the ground but alternatively they might make use of the IP and actually make decent bikes that are easily available on the highstreet, you never know.
The Ridgeback that I bought for my grandson recently was easily as good quality as a Frog, if not better and I think a more reasonable price!
they might make use of the IP and actually make decent bikes that are easily available on the highstreet, you never know.
Oh, my sweet summer child.... 😉
Pinnacle & Vitus, albeit with a reduced range are still going when they wouldn't have been under their former owners.
we’ve all watched Ashley’s empire absorb established names before, and the results have rarely been cause for celebration.
I mean, I dislike Big Mike as much as the rest of us, but it’s hardly like he steals brands away from us. They are usually put in that position well before he buys them; he steps in when it’s typically either him or nothing. Frog will either disappear into distant memory, he’ll bugger it up and lose a load of money, or they’ll just churn out existing models and sell them in Evans/Sports Direct.
Shaky peg indeed. I have a bit of a suspicion that the kids' bike market is in a bit of bother more significant than the overall bike market. Kids don't trash bikes that much, and the top end ones (Frog, Isla etc) hold their value well because most get quite lightly used by riders who are little (and not that strong) themselves, and who grow out of them quickly. So long as it's an awesome colour, the latest tech or wheel size trends don't make a huge difference either. The result is a second hand market crammed with good bikes in (generally) good condition, and the market is saturated.
I assume that he's just bought the old stock and IP and that none of the staff will be employed except maybe to shift said stock. Just another ghoul out to strip the bones.
Shaky peg indeed. I have a bit of a suspicion that the kids' bike market is in a bit of bother more significant than the overall bike market. Kids don't trash bikes that much, and the top end ones (Frog, Isla etc) hold their value well because most get quite lightly used by riders who are little (and not that strong) themselves, and who grow out of them quickly. So long as it's an awesome colour, the latest tech or wheel size trends don't make a huge difference either. The result is a second hand market crammed with good bikes in (generally) good condition, and the market is saturated.
There is a strong market in S/H kid's bikes, I expect it is a greater value relative to the new bikes market than in road or MTB. But kid's bikes are seeing better sales and recovery than road and MTB these days.
And 'kids don't trash bikes much' .. I know what you mean but also LOL .. 'yeah not much' : )
You've probably got a bit of a better view than I, Jameso! I'm just very grateful that Islabikes and later Frog were turning out cracking bikes at the same time as our children were moving up from a toddlebike. They're both keen riders now, and that's likely because they got to get on a 'proper' bike very early on in life.
…or they’ll just churn out existing models and sell them in Evans/Sports Direct.
Most likely^^
I walked into the local Evans a few months back, out of curiosity and yep you can still buy a “Pinnacle Arkose”, aside from the paint scheme and much cheaper groupset the actual frame looks to be pretty close to what you would have bought a decade or so earlier (which wasn’t a bad frame at the time, or even now TBF).
They don’t kill the brands, just hack them back to being the cut price, in-house brand option, sold alongside side mid-tier Trek and SBC products. Basically the same as Apollo/Carerra in Halfords, or Rockrider/Btwinn/Triban in Decathlon, this isn’t unique to Mike’s retailers.
It is interesting, there must still be someone within the group advising on these purchases. Someone who knows the market and companies and recognises the value in specific brands. It’s just that they’re working in an organisation that doesn’t do any real development.
Here’s a question, assuming the same Frog bikes pop up at about the same prices in Evans, would you recommend them to any mates, with kids, looking for a new option (once they’ve turned their nose up at used). I’m not sure I would steer someone away from Frog just because of Mike’s ownership.
Shame.
Their manufacturing kit is up for auction (no bikes so I assume that's all going out through Evans et. al.). There's a nice Park Tools station if anyone has a monster workshop!
they’ll just churn out existing models and sell them in Evans/Sports Direct.
No bad thing, it's not like kids bikes suffer the same niche proliferation and standards attrition of grown-up bikes.
Sorry little Tarquin absolutely must have a new Isla gravel bike, and his Specialized Rockhoper isn't even boost! How will he know if the trails are alive or not?
And 'kids don't trash bikes much' .. I know what you mean but also LOL .. 'yeah not much' : )
I work in a bike charity and we see a lot of Islabikes that have been ridden into the ground!
Which in a roundabout way is more annoying because the pedals/BB/grips etc aren't of the shelf parts!
