Owner of bike maker Raleigh files for insolvency

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, Raleigh created the famous Chopper and was once the biggest bike maker in the world

ByLiam Barnes

East Midlands

Updated 1 hour ago

The company that owns iconic Nottingham bike manufacturer Raleigh has begun insolvency proceedings.

Accell, based in the Netherlands, bought Raleigh for $100m in 2012 but said on Wednesday it had "exhausted all the available options" and was "no longer able to meet its financial obligations".

It comes after a difficult period for Raleigh, which saw redundancies in 2024 and losses of £30m in accounts released the following year.

Jonas Nilsson, chief executive of Accell, said it was "a deeply sad and frustrating situation".

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, The Raleigh Chopper became famous for its extended handlebars

Raleigh was founded in Nottingham in 1887 and at one stage was the biggest bicycle maker in the world, employing about 8,000 people at its peak.

It was sold to Accell in 2012 to join its roster of European bike brands, including Haibike, Winora and Ghost.

Having stopped making bikes in the city decades ago, the firm vacated its headquarters on Church Street in Eastwood in 2024 to move to new premises less than a mile away.

Accell went through a restructuring in February, securing additional funding from shareholders and lenders, and reducing debts.

Image source, Raleigh

Image caption, Raleigh moved to its new headquarters in Nottinghamshire in 2024

Announcing plans to initiate insolvency proceedings, Nilsson said the company had worked "to restructure [its] operations and finances".

"Every realistic option for the future of the business has been tirelessly explored, and none have resulted in a solution to continue the group in its current form," he said.

"Our immediate focus is to support an orderly process, provide clarity wherever possible, and work with the relevant court-appointed administrators to preserve viable activities and employment where circumstances allow."