MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
It's being reported that Stanton Bikes has called in the administrators. As a brand with a committed fanbase, this will no doubt be a source of sadnes ...
By stwhannah
Get the full story on our front page at:
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/stanton-bikes-calls-in-administrators/
);min-height:50px">
We need your support - Find out how you can help by clicking the link below.
Why is the original thread being closed and replaced by this one?
Seems a bit odd
Absolutely gutted for them. Really hope they can find a way through this.
Why is the original thread being closed and replaced by this one?
News stories get their own thread now. Duplicates closed ASAP, even if they are older, to try and keep everything in one place.
thegeneralist
Full Member
Why is the original thread being closed and replaced by this one?
Its annoying but they do it when there is an article that results in the duplicate thread. Would be better if they could merge the two
This is terrible news 🙁
Sad, this 🙁 Never had one of their bikes but they were always on the list and Dan seems a good egg. Really liked what they did with the full suss
Why is the original thread being closed and replaced by this one?
Seems a bit odd
We were discussing the OP's specific situation on the other thread.
Do you read them before you click the "Close" button STW?
As I said on the other thread, terrible news, some really nice guys working there, hope they find new roles soon if he brand really does dissapear.
Real shame! I was one of the people that did suffer from some quite major delays in 2021 (but looking back now those issues were much bigger than Stanton), but I felt I really got to know some of the people that worked there as a result. Regardless, I am super happy with my Sherpa - great bike.
Surprising that it appears you can still order bikes (and not just in stock sale frames) on the website, at the moment.
It's a shame... both Stanton and Cotic are a little on the aspirational side of things for me, they look epic, seem epic.
I saw a Cotic at a race the other week, full suss jobbie... just looked EPIC
the Slackline, i could buy one all day....
Ah, that sucks. Perfect storm for them i guess, COVID messing up supply chain, Brexit totaling their exports, and UK approaching recesison as they try to bring in manufacturing and move upmarket.
Oh no. Their frames are on my 'would buy' list for the next time I needed a hardtail. Really well thought out.
I looks like (from the article at least) the administration is the result of a petition by a single creditor, FWIW.
Surprising that it appears you can still order bikes (and not just in stock sale frames) on the website, at the moment.
If an Administrator is doing their job correctly they will keep the business trading for as long as possible to enable a buyer to be found, so that the creditors get (at least a proportion of) their money back.
Ah ok. That’s useful to know.
This is very sad - love the brand and what they were doing.
Really sad news. I love my Sherpa, and always found them a really helpful company to deal with. I ordered a bike through the middle of the pandemic. yes it took a while to arrive, but it was getting hold of rockshox/shimano that took the time, hardly their fault. When it did arrive, they decided the frame wasn't up to their usual standards and sent me another one.
I really hope they can find a solution to keep trading. We need brands like this and I wish them all the best.
Totally gutted for them. Only live a 20 minute drive away and have always lusted after an original Sherpa 853 in metallic green. Unfortunately always above my budget.
As someone said a perfect storm of COVID, Brexit, increasing inflation and bringing production into the UK.
Did notice the other week/day they seemed to have a bit of a fire sale on, and started to think the worse.
My only concern is that it's the start of a trend for other small businesses. Desperately hope I'm wrong ☹️
I'd ordered a UK made Slackline. Now in the lap of the Administrators as to whether it comes or not. From their point of view, why would it? I've already paid and they potentially have a built bike that they could sell and get the same again in.
Can't be great news with 11 employees. I hope they sort something out.
Well that's just shit!
Genuinely the worst news I've heard in the industry for a long time. I've a lot of respect and admiration for what Dan has achieved and is doing in the UK, really hope it continues in some form on the other side of this.
I’d ordered a UK made Slackline. Now in the lap of the Administrators as to whether it comes or not. From their point of view, why would it? I’ve already paid and they potentially have a built bike that they could sell and get the same again in.
credit card?
It is a shame they are still (appearing) to let people place orders
From their point of view, why would it? I’ve already paid and they potentially have a built bike that they could sell and get the same again in.
Arguably they're trying to keep the business going and there are a lot of ways you can scupper that, not fulfilling paid for orders is a very good start to trashing the brand.
That said, you've started a charge back I think? That might be a good reason not to.
Arguably they’re trying to keep the business going and there are a lot of ways you can scupper that, not fulfilling paid for orders is a very good start to trashing the brand.
Nobody would argue with that.
But administration brings legal responsibilities which might compel the administrators not to send bikes that have been paid for.
Shame the other thread was closed as it had more info.
But administration brings legal responsibilities which might compel the administrators not to send bikes that have been paid for.
I think their legal obligation is to maximize the value of what's left? I'm not an accountant. It may be better though for them to give customers the bikes they paid for, than to have to add those 'debts' to the pile and have to sell the bikes at a knock down price.
i.e. they currently owe you £1000, they can either give you a bike and you go away, or they can not give you a bike, the debt stays £1000 higher, and they've got to put the bike on ebay where it will make half that (and then they have to pay staff to manage all that).
Loved the Ti Switch FS they showed at the Malverns last year, seemed to be a brand really going places> Such a shame the wheels have fallen off. Hope they can find a way to keep going. If I'd won the lottery it'd now be on my list of businesses to get involved with.
Best of luck Dan and team.
Gutted for the guys! Such a great bunch to deal with. Had a few frames and still have two. Awesome machines and really hope they come through
Damn shame. Lovely bikes - still riding my mk1 Sherpa.
Thats damn sucky.
I think their legal obligation is to maximize the value of what’s left? I’m not an accountant. It may be better though for them to give customers the bikes they paid for, than to have to add those ‘debts’ to the pile and have to sell the bikes at a knock down price.
I'm not an accountant either, but I believe there is a hierarchy of creditors.
And the punters who actually buy the products are usually at the bottom.
Fingers crossed for brokenbanjo and any other customers.
Shame the other thread was closed as it had more info.
It's still up - so that info is not lost:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stanton-bikes-go-in-to-administration/
Looks like they are still trading while they try and find a buyer.
I’m not an accountant either, but I believe there is a hierarchy of creditors.
And the punters who actually buy the products are usually at the bottom.
Another non-accountant too, but this was also my understanding. It feels like it borders on criminal that a customer could have paid for a product but because it has not yet been despatched to said customer the administrators could sell them to another customer instead to maximise value.
Hopefully as they are still trading this won't be the case for Stanton customers.
Gutted for the employees and owners - good people, making good things; does not seem fair.
I did wonder how strong their finances were when they couldn't get 853 Taiwanese frames and Cotic could. Perhaps if they'd stuck to just importing from Taiwan? But hindsight's a wonderful thing. Really hope someone steps in.
This is sad news, but like others have said, as a subscriber to their newsletter, they did seem to be continuously trying to shift frames.
I can see they are still selling frames through their website, but the component section of the store is down. Hopefully they can trade and get some cash into the business. I'll try to get a spare set of 148x12 Swapouts to future-proof my Slackline.
Sad times 🙁
Just spotted that Dan himself posted on our Facebook page, thought you’d like to see that your support has been appreciated:
‘We’ll get a more detailed explanation on what’s happened and what we’re looking to do out in circulation later today.
Big love to all for the support, I’m totally blown away by all the love ❤️‘
We were discussing the OP’s specific situation on the other thread.
Do you read them before you click the “Close” button STW?
The moderation on here is a bit poo lately tbh, threads just get closed with no explanation
Don't think it needs much explanation? It's a side effect of how they upgraded the news stories to also be threads- mostly good, since it means you don't have the old daftness of "here is fresh goods friday with a couple of comments" and "over here is the thread with the link to fresh goods friday and the actual discussion", but it does mean that if there's going to be a news story on something it also has to be the thread.
sorry to hear this. not an owner myself but have found myself looking at their website on more than a few occasions. all the best to the crew there.
The moderation on here is a bit poo lately tbh, threads just get closed with no explanation
I understand their desire to drive more traffic to their news content, but they're making it look clumsy and opportunistic.
I'm slightly surprised the forum doesn't have a Merge functionality to merge multiple threads into 1.
It'd potentially be slightly messy at times, but would make more sense.
I’m slightly surprised the forum doesn’t have a Merge functionality to merge multiple threads into 1.
Don't think this talk of magazine price increases has mentioned the need for extra hamsters to power such functionality.
I’m not an accountant either, but I believe there is a hierarchy of creditors.
There is, but that's not the same thing as administration with a view to selling the business as a going concern.
That hierarchy of creditors kicks in when doors close.
At present it'll be the suppliers (and potentially staff) getting the short end, so rent reduction, pay you 90p in the pound on our orders, asking the bank to reduce interest or renegotiate the term of loans etc etc in order to try keep the business turning over money and trading its way out of administration and paying them back in the longer term.
Currently it'll pretty much be a reverse of that hierarchy you mentioned, the only person they won't be asking for help is the VAT man, beyond that tax right offs etc will all be at the top of the pile to look at as ways of reducing the debt.
"administration" covers a few different things but the general perception is always the worst one.
Dan has posted on Facebook just now an explanation of the situation. Basically, orders will be completed, looking for a new owner.
… if it was a brewery we’d be crowd funding it by now
… if it was a brewery we’d be crowd funding it by now
if the STW hive mind owned a bike brand...
if the STW hive mind owned a bike brand…
I'm in
if the STW hive mind owned a bike brand…
Seriously, we'd end up with a high pivot, idler, gearbox, single speed with 26" wheels, 20mm through axle front and 135mm qr rear, a 200mm front and rear travel and built to a target weight of 24lb.
high pivot, idler, gearbox, single speed with 26″ wheels, 20mm through axle front and 135mm qr rear, a 200mm front and rear travel and built to a target weight of 24lb.
I'm in!
The moderation on here is a bit poo lately tbh, threads just get closed with no explanation
I understand their desire to drive more traffic to their news content, but they’re making it look clumsy and opportunistic.
I reckon we can probably get over it though, given that they do have to (continue to) make a living too.
I do wonder though if the actual thought is as completely daft as it sounds of a Go Fund Me type page to keep them running, not the high idler SS/Hybrid/Gravel thing.
Would it be completely stupid ?
Would it be completely stupid ?
Without a good look at the company accounts - yes.
STW crowd funded bike models include: The Badger, Sudocreme Cat and Picolax. All come equiped with Marzzochi Bombers as standard.
All come equiped with Marzzochi Bombers as standard.
Unless it was bought for your brother in law, then it can't be owned with bombers.
Without a good look at the company accounts – yes.
The company appears to owe a load of money to Dan and some other chap called robert Atkinson - £800k ish in total from the last accounts. This seems to rise each year due to losses.
Dans loan was interest free but roberts loan (720k) was interest bearing so I suspect he’s the external investor who has called time on it. Maybe doesn’t want to put more money in?
The Picolax would be a gravel bike, but we could market it as a new skool 'pebble dash' bike.
Is the Baby Robin a DJ or kids’ bike?
I suspect he’s the external investor who has called time on it
Q: How do you make a small fortune in the bike industry?
A: Invest a large fortune!
With regard to the moderation/ thread locking, a comment stating that a new article had been posted would have saved me a few minutes of wondering what was going on.
Didn't a German forum kind of do that? Design & build a bike, not fine tune forum moderation.
Seriously, we’d end up with a high pivot, idler, gearbox, single speed with 26″ wheels, 20mm through axle front and 135mm qr rear, a 200mm front and rear travel and built to a target weight of 24lb.
Yes! Exactly what I'm after (a singlespeed gearbox for extra extra nicheness).
Not sure if I've got 800k myself, let me just check the price of bitcoin...
Ooooh, I’d be interested in a bike that came with an inline auto-Plutoliner.
Erm, the Frozen Wax Sausage?
That's the wurst idea yet.
Oh, I dunno, sounds like a right banger to me.
26″ wheels, 20mm through axle front and 135mm qr rear
You just described so many of my bikes. That I still own.
What's the problem with any of those BTW? Or did marketing do it's job 🙄
What’s the problem with any of those BTW? Or did marketing do it’s job 🙄
Any one of the things in that list? Nothing particularly. Everything on that list all together? Yeah quite a lot.
That being said though the things in that list are mostly old hat which does bring problems and difficulties and certainly means developing or buying new of them now would be daft.
Eg the dinky snippet you posted leaves very little choice of good tyres, good forks*, or wheels in the modern age, that's not marketing its just reality. Same as I don't fit the much better** clothes I had years ago but they'd still be perfectly functional as clothes.
*though I'm not sure if dh forks do tend to run 20mm axles still or not.
**I may think otherwise if they still fit, I mean that turtles jumper was bloody awesome when I was little, now, maybe it wouldn't be so good.
Dan posted the following on Facebook.
It's been alluded to above but worth repeating here:
"our collective aim is trying to make sure that the handful of customers who have frames boxed up are ready to get their frames as fast as possible. We are currently in the process of having these shipped which is great news, and we are just waiting on new trading accounts being opened with the suppliers to achieve this.
As regards the 8 customers waiting on bikes, we are working hard to find a solution to get their new trail weapons shipped too, and we will provide an update on this situation in due course."
----------
In full:
Dear friends
11 years ago, Stanton Bikes became a business built on the popularity of the first frame I ever made. It wouldn’t have happened without the faith and support shown by others in what I do, people who love the culture of MTB as much as I do. I appreciate it now as much as I did when I first started.
So, now I find myself in the heartbreaking situation of seeing the business I built falling into Administration, and I want to be as open as I can with everyone.
Like many businesses who want to grow, particularly in manufacturing, we rely on financial backing. The last 2 years have obviously been extremely difficult to navigate, and the exposure to severely unpredictable market forces has tested us to the limit. We now find ourselves in an unfortunate situation where our backers are looking to minimise their portfolio exposure. Meaning that we need to look for a new source of investment, and that’s the task that the Administrators have been brought in to achieve.
As things stand, Stanton Bikes Ltd is now under the control of the Administrators and our collective aim is trying to make sure that the handful of customers who have frames boxed up are ready to get their frames as fast as possible. We are currently in the process of having these shipped which is great news, and we are just waiting on new trading accounts being opened with the suppliers to achieve this.
As regards the 8 customers waiting on bikes, we are working hard to find a solution to get their new trail weapons shipped too, and we will provide an update on this situation in due course.
Goodwill and trust are hard earned, and it would be the worst outcome for me and the staff to see that damaged, and that’s why we are all working collectively to try and save this business and protect our customers and our brand. It’s clearly taking time to put new processes into place, but we are confident we can save this business, and continue to build premium bikes and frames for our loyal customers.
We understand there will be many questions and worries, and we will do our very best to answer them. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch with messages of support, it keeps us going and lets us know that you’re there for us whatever the outcome. What binds us here are our customers, and the wider MTB community, and together is our love and passion for the scene.
Keep the faith
Dan's bounced back.
Dan’s bounced back.
Elaborate ?
Dan’s bounced back.
...moved into the trouser business? Stanton Strides? 🙂
Might take him a while to get up and running though, coming out of administration is always a protracted process esp if you need to open trade accounts with the same suppliers who just lost money from the same company. You get shit payment terms (understandably) and that makes your cash flow much worse from day 1, which also make it more likely you fail second time around....
which also make it more likely you fail second time around
And without wanting to be negative, why did they go bust in the first place and what will be fixed?
Had they just been spending more than they were making?
Invested too much in full-sus development and didn't sell any?
Production/management problems a while ago? (I have a vague memory of unhappy customers)
why did they go bust in the first place and what will be fixed?
Probably Covid supply chain issues which would stretch any cash flow to breaking point.....
My current company (Telco) is in the same situation, we make money by selling Telecoms kit and we can't buy the chips to make anything, so we can't sell anything which means no revenue. Yet we have salaries to pay. We've survived by importing scrap kit from Africa and having people individually de-solder key components off the boards, which we can then re-use! We have orders we simply can't fulfill as we still can't access key components...
Best of luck Dan and the rest of the Stanton bikes crew.
Great bikes that ride extraordinarily well.
Looks like a deal is done. Hope this works well.
So, Stanton bikes owned by Dan Stanton, has closed, but Stanton Bicycles owned by Daniel Stanton has bought the company?
You are mixing up Daniel Stanton, director of ‘Stanton Bicycles Ltd’ and ‘Fire House Design Ltd’
With Daniel Stanton, director of ‘Stanton Bikes Ltd’
Easily done
Fair enough. 👍