Sixth Element Wheels Ceases Trading

Sixth Element Wheels is reported to have ceased trading. Forum users who are Sixth Element customers have reported receiving an email containing the f …

By stwhannah

Get the full story here:

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/sixth-element-wheels-ceases-trading/

The while you’re here article of “Quit Your Job! Work with pushbikes instead!” is a bit unfortunate.

@dissonance that article includes the story of how Graham came to start Sixth Element, so it’s relevant if bittersweet.

@stwhannah sadly I think there will be more articles like this in the coming months.

Sad times. While I was never the target audience for the wheels, the shop is less than a mile from my house and was originally set up in the old Eddie McGrath roadie shop around the corner.

Sad times. I bet it’s the hardest thing Graham has ever written. Unfortunately it looks like there are more similar stories on the horizon.

It’s interesting that only 2 of the 5 people in the “quit your job” article are still involved in the businesses mentioned, and only one is a “household name”.

The self employment/founder life is a challenge at the best of times.

Sad news for the company and it’s employees, but also for customers who bought the product with a warranty that is now worthless.
I am told they are great wheel, but I do know people who have cracked them, and while the warranty has been good, any future damage will now be costly.
I have a set of Reynolds carbon wheels, and the warranty policy has changed twice since I bought them, so ultimately I feel at the whim of the manufacturer, and the premium paid for a product with good the warranty feels exploited. Great as they have been, I think in future I’ll be sticking with good quality alloy rims, which will be cheaper and easier to buy and replace, in exchange for the small weight penalty.

I collected my ISEN Workshop frame  in April last year. By this May they’d gone under. I only found out after trying to sort a replacement rear mech hanger. I suspect there will be plenty more small companies going under in the near future

To sum up: this is just 5hit for everyone to be honest. Gutted for the company, its employees and suppliers alike.