Mercian Cycles ceases trading and enters voluntary liquidation

After almost 80 years of crafting and designing bicycle frames, Mercian Cycles has ceased to trade and has appointed an agency to help with the process as the company enters voluntary liquidation.

The company confirmed this news to road.cc this morning, saying: "Mercian Cycles Ltd has ceased to trade, and we have instructed an Insolvency Practitioner to assist us with taking the appropriate steps to place the Company into Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation."

Opus Business Advisory Group, hired by Mercian to assist in the process, told road.cc that it is "working closely with the company to help manage a controlled wind down of the business and a smooth transition for stakeholders".

Mercian Cycles was founded in 1946 when Lou Barker and Tom Crowther first set up shop in London Road, Derby, and have been producing superb steel frames since then. In fact, they are frequently named as one of the most esteemed and skilled British manufacturers.

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The company is well-known for its superb lugs and looks, and the quite eccentric and unique barber's pole paintjob on the seat tubes. Over the years Mercian Cycles had sponsored many pro teams and riders; not only in the UK but also in America, where the brand had quite the cult following. Their frames are often custom-built, sometimes even using hand-cut lugs.

Mercian frames were traditionally built using steel, originally Reynolds 531, though as of 2010, newer steels such as Reynolds 853 and Reynolds 953 and part-carbon construction were in use.

Before steel was displaced by lighter materials such as aluminium or carbon, riders using Mercian won national and international competitions, including the legendary record-breaker and time trial cyclist, the 'Mighty Atom' Eileen Sheridan, as well as one of England's greatest athlete ever, Beryl Burton, who dominated not just women's cycling, but also set a women’s record for the 12-hour time-trial which exceeded the men’s record for 2 years.

In the 60s and 70s, the bike brand also sponsored the Mercian-Bantel Pro team, with the initial three riders who signed for the team being Derrick Woodings, Eddie White and British cycling legend Mick Ives, who passed away in January this year.

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Until the 1980s, the company operated out of its small shop in London Road, with the bikes being crafted in Castle Street, off London Road. The shop had developed the nickname of 'Crowbars' among the locals, a cheeky play on the last names of its two founders.

The famous 'barber's pole' paintjob, usually applied to the seat tube but also with a matching fork on this custom frameset

In 1984, the Mercian shop moved to larger premises at Shardlow Road, Alvaston, where it continued to operate from until 2019, before relocating back to its manufacturing unit within Derby.

From the original founders, the business passed to Ethel Crowther, ex-wife of founder Tom Crowther. It then passed to Mercian framebuilder Bill Betton. In 2002, Mercian Cycles was acquired by Grant Mosely and Jane Mosely.

Other notable persons to have owned a Mercian include the movie star Ewan McGregor, who had a frame hand-made a few years ago, as well as famed British clothing and accessories designer Sir Paul Smith, who owns and rides several Mercian track bikes. The brand had also recently commissioned several frame colour schemes from the unique and eccentric designer.

Earlier this year, Orange Bikes, another beloved bike brand integral to the UK mountain scene, was put up for sale and deemed "unable to continue trading" by administrators. However, the company was able to avert its ill-fated destiny and was saved from permanent closure, after acquiring its frame manufacturing partner, the Halifax-based Bairstows has been Orange’s frame building partner since its foundation in 1988.