Planet X set to go into administration
Discussion
Another great retailer set to go under: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/british-bike-co...
That news has been a long time coming, I used to use them for loads of kit and bits, I worked local to the Rotherham store and used to nip in all the time. I haven’t bothered for maybe five years, the stock level have dropped, as has the range, and the closure of the retail outlets have removed the convenience factor as well. Still a shame though.
t news, hopefully they can work something out to continue the business in another form. A shame, I got a bike from them recently which I'm looking for excuses to ride. However, after it arrived I got an email inviting me to talk to them about raising the spec, which really should be an auto reply on a 12 hour delay.
From the articles that I saw this morning the company is making money so hopefully they can be picked up by someone more commercially astute.
From the articles that I saw this morning the company is making money so hopefully they can be picked up by someone more commercially astute.
As a PX free ranger owner, sad news indeed. Great bikes and even with the recent (last 6 months) price rises, still good value for money.
They've been selling stuff off dirt cheap lately too, my recent purchases from them...
Bottle bag - PX/ £2 - wiggle/ £12
11 speed SRAM chain - PX £7.50, web £15+
GXP bottom Bracket - PX £10.50, web £20
They've been selling stuff off dirt cheap lately too, my recent purchases from them...
Bottle bag - PX/ £2 - wiggle/ £12
11 speed SRAM chain - PX £7.50, web £15+
GXP bottom Bracket - PX £10.50, web £20
That's a pity. I have a Planet X SL Pro Carbon, years old but still going strong and TT frame (what was the Ridley TT frame from 2002).
They were ahead of the game in the early 2000's - sourcing open mould carbon frames and kit, but I guess were over taken when numerous other retailers also got their Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers and entered the market.
The only competition they had for years would have been Ribble and Dolan, now though, there's loads at it, along with the likes of Hunt selling the wheelsets.
Add to that the online suppliers such as Chain Reaction / Wiggle, Merlin, Tredz (Halfords I think) and they're chasing a diminishing pool of customers.
lufbramatt said:
Have heard rumours of Mike Ashley picking it up and merging it with Evans.
Ashley recently acquired ProBikeKit so he could be interested but I think the bike bubble has well and truly burst. By and large we’ve all bought the starter bike, the upgrade bike, then the keeper. What’s left? The spare cash isn’t flying around like it used to anymore and surely no one can be arsed paying £50 for a sportive these days? Much like the surfer brand bubble in the late 90s when we all had Quiksilver and Mambo shirts, times have changed.Planet X did commuter stuff so well and had a bit of a niche in affordable gravel/mtb bikes but commuters are tight and try to make stuff last,
Castrol for a knave said:
That's a pity. I have a Planet X SL Pro Carbon, years old but still going strong and TT frame (what was the Ridley TT frame from 2002).
They were ahead of the game in the early 2000's - sourcing open mould carbon frames and kit, but I guess were over taken when numerous other retailers also got their Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers and entered the market.
The only competition they had for years would have been Ribble and Dolan, now though, there's loads at it, along with the likes of Hunt selling the wheelsets.
Add to that the online suppliers such as Chain Reaction / Wiggle, Merlin, Tredz (Halfords I think) and they're chasing a diminishing pool of customers.
Fellow SL Pro Carbon owner here too. Mine came via the C18 offer when they were knocking them out with Dura Ace for £899 if you built it yourself. That must have been around 2009? It lives on the turbo now, so is a bit ratty from all the sweat - the headset bearings are knackered (who needs to steer on the turbo though?) and I'm down to only one working bottle cage boss.They were ahead of the game in the early 2000's - sourcing open mould carbon frames and kit, but I guess were over taken when numerous other retailers also got their Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers and entered the market.
The only competition they had for years would have been Ribble and Dolan, now though, there's loads at it, along with the likes of Hunt selling the wheelsets.
Add to that the online suppliers such as Chain Reaction / Wiggle, Merlin, Tredz (Halfords I think) and they're chasing a diminishing pool of customers.
They won’t be the last to go I’m afraid. Everyone in the bike industry is heavily discounting at the moment. It's a tough market and a bad time to be selling bikes. Shops, dealers are all awash with stock, some over ordered in the Covid boom, maybe some naively thinking it would carry on. For a lot of others though the big issue was the lead times on components was insane and then multiple orders that were meant to drop everything few months were all made together then dumped on the brands who ordered them and now the covid customers have gone.
It's tough out there for sure. In the past couple of months Moore Large & 2Pure have gone, now Planet X look set to follow. The first two aren't household names but were sizeable distributors. A few cycling clothing firms too, Milltag, Presca & Velovixen all went this year altiough Velovixen were rescued.
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