Fat Lad at the Back to close

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livpoksoc

Guru
Location
Basingstoke
FLAB have decided to close their doors at the end of the season. An interesting decision given they were reportedly valued at £5m earlier this year.

Given the brand got an absolute 'roasting' on Dragon's Den a few years ago, because the dragons didn't have a sense of humour, they seemed to have done well to keep going.

I kept hovering over the 'buy' button on their shorts a couple of times, but never brought myself to do it and can't really put my finger on a reason why.

Either way, another cycling industry name walking away. At least in this instance it seems they are doing so as solvent.
 

wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
Bugger. Literally just got one of their jackets and its one of the best fitting I've got. I better get back online and hoover up a couple more before they close.
 

craigwend

Grimpeur des terrains plats
Extract from the Flab website.

The Final Lap 🚴❤️
by Amy Curran April 25, 2025

Well, here we are, 12 years, 100’s of 1000’s of riders and about a million bacon butties later...

We’re writing with big hearts and slightly wobbly chins to let you know that this will be the final season for Fat Lad At The Back.

It all started when Richard had a moment of pure genius (or madness—jury’s still out) and wondered why on earth there wasn’t decent cycle kit for people who didn’t look like pro racers. Pedal forward and that spark turned into something way beyond what we ever imagined: a brand, a movement and a global community of glorious misfits who proudly wear their kit (and their curves) with pride.

FLAB has never just been about the clothes. It’s always been about the people and including every body, every shape, every size. We’ve stood firm on our values (no sweatshops, no shortcuts, no BS) and we’ve loved every second of it.

But, like all good rides, this one’s coming to an end. Not because the wheels have come off—far from it! The business is doing well and we’re proud to say it’s going out on a high. But for me (Lynn), this path was never the plan and after over a decade at the helm, it’s time for a change. I’ve been itching to start a new chapter and the time has come to close the lid on the FLAB toolbox.

What does this mean for you?

💥 We're still open! You can still shop as usual, but this season’s stock is the last of it.

❄️ No Autumn/Winter collection. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

🛍️ No sales or price slashing. This isn’t a clearance sale, it’s a respectful roll-down of the shutters.

📦 Backorders and custom kits are still being made and will be delivered as planned.

🎁 Got a gift voucher? Use it sooner rather than later—we’d hate for you to miss out.

🧦 More gear incoming! Final bits like socks and undershorts are still en route—so keep your eyes peeled.

And yes, the legend that is Amy is sticking around to help me see it all through, with her usual brilliance and sassery. After that, we’re off to explore pastures new (probably not on bikes, though!).

So, one last thank you!

You lot. You’re the reason we kept going. Your stories, your smiles, your “I never thought I’d wear lycra but now I love it” moments—they’ve meant the world. You helped us shift attitudes, challenge nonsense and make cycling a space for everyone.

We’re leaving with full hearts, no regrets and a hell of a lot of love for each and every one of you.

The FLAB flame will keep burning in every one of you who believed in what we stood for: that you don’t have to look a certain way to ride, to move, or to belong.

Ride on, you beautiful bunch and thank you—truly—for everything.

With all our love,

Lynn & Richard 💛
Team FLAB (Forever in Spirit)
12 comments
It would be good to see a company like Raging Bull take up the reins.

Adam Reynolds April 26, 2025
Thank you for providing relaxed fit cycle-wear for those of us that are not pro shape. Good luck in your next adventure and for having “that moment of pure genius”. You have been a pleasure to deal with and you will be greatly missed.

Martin Perera April 25, 2025
Probably my favourite brand, this sucks!

Hope someone comes along to swoop up the designs and continue this great fitting, inclusive gear for years to come!

Pete Harper April 25, 2025
So sad to hear this, your clothing has given me the confidence to get out there as a larger lady and not look stupid. I’m losing weight steadily and will invest in a couple more jerseys in the smaller size so I still feel good when I’m out. Thank you for being there and good luck for the future xx

Angela West April 25, 2025
Such sad news and I suppose now I had better get my arse into gear and lose the 20kgs so that I can wear some other gear🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️ … Good luck for the future though and thank you … 😎😎😎
 

wiggydiggy

Legendary Member
I did check last night but the stock is now too low, I've had some success with AliExpress lately so going to chance my arm for my next jacket from there.

Maybe someone will take it over though.
 
Good morning.

I found their web site quite a while back, when all of the stuff was labelled Fat Lad At The Back, I looked round, smiled and bought nothing.

I didn't realise that they had been on DD, so I found a clip of their presentation and in that clip it seemed to me that 4 of the 5 dragons "got it" but they were concerned that the branding would be off putting to many customers and I think that they were right.

The name is funny the first time you run into it but on frequent exposure it can become irritating and not something that many would want to be associated with.

In the DD clip thay did say that they were looking to move away from being explicit, but couldn't really explain ehat that would mean for the business as they would just be a supplier of large sized clothing

I went back to the site a couple of days ago and it looked like they had dropped the explicit references and just used FLAB, but I also saw triathlon suits, bib shorts, £35 T shirts and it all looked a bit sad to me, as if the energy had gone from the business.

There is nothing per-wrong with abandoning "the thing" that started the business, CarphoneWarehouse prospered long after car phones had mostly disapperaed, but Poundland lost their way when they completely abandoned the founding principle and just became "A Woolworths".

So I suspect that there isn't much to sell, a web site that looks like a pretty generic shopping site, some relationships with suppliers set up to produce larger sized clothing, possiblly a few resale arrangments and a customer list. But in my mind not a Brand, just a trading name and this just doesn't add up to much that couldn't easily be recreated.

It 's easy to see someone saying "You could sell this business for £xMillion" and anyone with £xMillion saying "not worth it", quite possibly the only real sucession plan would have been to have an employee who was interested in making it a bigger business and having a gradual transfer of ownership.

Bye

Ian
 

PaulSB

Squire
I think @IanSmithCSE nails it. FLAB is a bit of an "in" joke amongst cyclists, possibly not everyone gets it.......possibly not everyone likes it? In my club we have riders of all shapes and sizes, some, not many, who could definitely benefit from shedding a few pounds. I've never seen a club member wearing FLAB kit, most choose well-known mainstream brands.

I suspect their market was pretty small and the company limited it's potential customer base through it's branding. I buy kit, I'm very happy to pay for quality from companies I perceive as offering the best kit around.

I'm a pretty standard size person. I wouldn't expect a company branded Fat Lad at the Back to offer kit I could buy. Consequently I've never even visited the website because the brand told me not to. Dragons Den was probably able to see this immediately.

From the little I've read the founders seem to have had a blast for 10 - 12 years. They've decided to move on. Good luck to them.
 

vickster

Squire
I did check last night but the stock is now too low, I've had some success with AliExpress lately so going to chance my arm for my next jacket from there.

Maybe someone will take it over though.

Try eBay or Vinted?
 
Looking at FLAB Ltd on companies house, the business is losing its net worth year on year for the last couple of years. They look to be getting out via a solvent liquidation while they can. Shame but not surprised given the cost of Brexit and tariffs etc.
 
OP
OP
livpoksoc

livpoksoc

Guru
Location
Basingstoke
Interesting takes from above. As a larger lad, I didn't really take offence to the branding when I first saw their Dragon's Den pitch.

In fact I was grateful that there was a brand willing to cater to the weekend warriors like myself where the more elite brands' quality wouldn't be extended to my size.

That said, I never found myself buying anything and now find Le Col a trusty source for comfy bibs, and jerseys I tend to get from my club/sportive momentos.
 

midlandsgrimpeur

Active Member
Looking at FLAB Ltd on companies house, the business is losing its net worth year on year for the last couple of years. They look to be getting out via a solvent liquidation while they can. Shame but not surprised given the cost of Brexit and tariffs etc.

Yes, the owners comments that things were going well and they were just seeking pastures new doesn't really chime. I own/run a business, it is my livelihood as well as that of all my employees. You don't just wind down a successful business that it paying everyone's bills (unless you are now very wealthy and can afford to). Sounds as though they knew they were on borrowed time and closing up before they were forced to which is a shame if so.
 

Bristolian

Über Member
Location
Bristol, UK
I for one will miss FLAB. As someone who is about 2ft too short for my weight ^_^ their kit was a breath of fresh air. The mainstream brands either don't cater for people of my size or want to charge the earth for it.
 
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