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Mark and PeteAuthor: Mark and Pete Language: en Genres: Business, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Raleigh Bikes: is it the end of the road?
Monday, 10 August, 2026
zRaleigh bikes, the future of Raleigh, Accell Group insolvency, British bicycle history, the Raleigh Chopper and the decline of iconic British brands are at the heart of this episode of Mark and Pete. Raleigh has been part of British life for well over a century, but now the famous Nottingham-born bicycle name faces a very uncertain future. Could Raleigh really disappear? And if it does, what exactly are we losing?For generations, Raleigh was simply the bicycle. Not a bicycle brand among many, but the bicycle you knew. Children wanted a Chopper, teenagers wanted something faster, adults rode Raleighs to work, to the shops and, quite often, into a hedge because bicycle brakes in those days seemed to regard stopping as more of a suggestion.Founded in Nottingham in the nineteenth century, Raleigh became one of the great names of British manufacturing. At its peak it was producing enormous numbers of bikes, exporting around the world and employing thousands of people. The Raleigh Chopper became a genuine cultural icon. Then there were the Grifter, the Burner, racing bikes, touring bikes and the sort of sensible three-speed machine your grandfather could ride while wearing a jacket and tie, apparently without breaking sweat.But the modern bicycle business is a very different beast.Raleigh is now part of the Dutch-owned Accell Group, which has run into serious financial trouble after years of debt, changing demand, excess stock and a post-pandemic bicycle market that has proved rather less buoyant than some investors had hoped. The result is insolvency proceedings, possible rescue bids and a deeply uncertain future for some famous cycling names.So we ask whether Raleigh can survive, and perhaps a more awkward question: when does an iconic British company stop really being British?If the factories have gone, the ownership has gone and production has moved elsewhere, does the badge still matter?We think it does.Brands such as Raleigh are part of the texture of ordinary British life. They carry memories with them. First bikes. Scraped knees. Christmas mornings. Cycling to school. And, yes, those magnificent Choppers with handlebars apparently designed by somebody who thought steering should involve upper-body exercise.This week we look back at Raleigh’s extraordinary history, examine what has gone wrong and ask whether this really could be the end of the road for Raleigh.z
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