MooreLarge (Forme / Tern / Lake shoes / others distributor) into Administration

[DCLane]

Moore Large hits trouble with a notice to appoint an administrator: https://road.cc/content/news/moore-large-enters-liquidation-299931

It's probably another of several in difficulty. And another sad day for the industry.

 

[dan_bo]

Tough times. Bike shop near me closed down after a tough Christmas. Too much money sat on the shelf.

 

[sevenfourate]

What a shame. Be interesting to see how the affairs of those brands are handled going forward (I’m a big Forme fan)…..

My local bike shops prices, coupled with average attention to detail: don’t encourage you / me to go back if I’m honest. I supported it for as long as I could - but no longer really do. Choice, price and service are just better, lower and more attentive elsewhere. I find it hard to fathom out how the shop makes a living - as quiet it appears when I’m passing or in there. I hate to say it - but it wouldn’t surprise me if next time I pass it; it’s closed it’s doors for the last time.

My local Bicycle mechanic however: does the whole social media thing, blogs / YouTube’s his servicing and services; and has an incredible eye for detail. He seems to just get busier and busier. So the work is out there for him. And of course the money and bikes to enable that to happen. **Most of the bikes he works on do appear to be middle to top end. People always have money for hobbies goes the saying I believe……

 

[Mo1959]

That’s sad. My first bike was a Forme. I think the brief cycling boom caused by the lockdown is well and truly over. The roads just seem to be getting busier and busier and many cyclists, including myself are no longer enjoying it nearly as much and even toying with packing it in.

 

[classic33]

Wonder how much is down to the recent stepping down of Nigel Moore as Chairman and the buyout.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Wonder how much is down to the recent stepping down of Nigel Moore as Chairman and the buyout.

Perhaps he was astute enough to see which way the wind was blowing.

Many cycle related businesses probably over expanded during the boom period, of which Covid only marked the peak of the popularity cycling which began with the track successes at the Olympics in 2008 and accelerated after the London games in 2012. There was bound to be some bloodshed as things slowed down again, particularly now when multiple economic events have combined to bite into disposable income.

 

[PaulSB]

Moore Large hits trouble with a notice to appoint an administrator: https://road.cc/content/news/moore-large-enters-liquidation-299931

It's probably another of several in difficulty. And another sad day for the industry.

The article links to reports about several other businesses making cutbacks, redundancies etc. I don't feel its a real surprise. Outside of boom times the cycling industry will always struggle to have significant sustained growth as the products are very durable.

I'm 68, own three bikes with a replacement value of +/-£12000, have all the clothing along with the spares, lights, Wahoo etc. that I need. My love of cycling isn't diminishing at all but I have no reason to spend significant amounts of money and I think this is the nub of the problem.

Would I like a new bike? Well, yes it's a nice idea but......... my summer bike is a Cervelo C3 and my LBS tells me I'd be starting at £6000 to replace her and in truth I don't want to replace her. For me this Cervelo is a superb machine. I love riding her. Why would I change?

My spending these days is limited to replacing worn out or broken equipment and servicing. I spend every £ I can with my LBS first and only go online if they can't help me. The exception is when I come across a product which genuinely improves my pleasure. Last autumn I spent +/-£90 on a quilted gilet. WOW! Why didn't I buy one years ago.

As a "mature" customer, that is one who has everything he needs, the cycle industry has to come up with products which genuinely improve my experience and pleasure to persuade me to spend. I don't "need" a fancy light which glows brighter as I slow or tells me when a car is approaching.

The next major purchase I can foresee is an ebike. When the time comes if I have to invest £5/6000 or more I will happily do so. This is probably 6 years away. That's of no real use to the industry.

All this makes me a very poor investment as a potential customer. The only business likely to truly benefit from my cycling in the foreseeable future is my LBS. I need them as much as they need me!

 

[Chislenko]

I am pretty much as @PaulSB .

Getting on, have three bikes and enough clothing (cycling and non cycling) to last me until I leave the planet.

My only cycling purchases nowadays, the odd inner tube, an occasional chain and once in a Preston Guild a cassette.

Like many others on here I do all my own "spannering" so realistically I will probably never use an LBS.

 

[ColinJ]

I own a 20+ year old best road bike, a 20+ year old mountain bike, a 20+ year old bike on my turbo trainer, a singlespeed bike self-built mainly from spare parts and a donated frame/fork, a CX bike bought used on eBay, and a used bike bought on the forum. Nearly all maintenance is done by me...

If I had loads of money so I didn't have to worry about my spending, an LBS which sold fantastic bikes I wanted to replace my current bikes and had good mechanics who I trusted and who could work on my bikes at short notice, then I would use that LBS. I don't have loads of money, so I don't use an LBS! It's a pity, but that's how it is.

PS The best bike WAS bought from an LBS, for around £2,000 at a time when that was worth a lot more, but I had a decent income then.

 

[Jameshow]

I own a 20+ year old best road bike, a 20+ year old mountain bike, a 20+ year old bike on my turbo trainer, a singlespeed bike self-built mainly from spare parts and a donated frame/fork, a CX bike bought used on eBay, and a used bike bought on the forum. Nearly all maintenance is done by me...

If I had loads of money so I didn't have to worry about my spending, an LBS which sold fantastic bikes I wanted to replace my current bikes and had good mechanics who I trusted and who could work on my bikes at short notice, then I would use that LBS. I don't have loads of money, so I don't use an LBS! It's a pity, but that's how it is.

PS The best bike WAS bought from an LBS, for around £2,000 at a time when that was worth a lot more, but I had a decent income then.

My bikes are very much like yours :-
2012 Focus izalco race frame £250 + £150 parts?
2010 Cannondale six £350
2012 Scott CX from mate who was very unwell.
My old student bike British eagle 501 £50
Raleigh SPDU 531 from bike library £50
Ridgeback rapide from eBay £40.
Giant MTB £40+ blue Ribble frame to a mate.

 

[wafter]

Sorry to hear of another longstanding player in the industry going to the wall, however sadly I don't think they'll be the last

That’s sad. My first bike was a Forme. I think the brief cycling boom caused by the lockdown is well and truly over. The roads just seem to be getting busier and busier and many cyclists, including myself are no longer enjoying it nearly as much and even toying with packing it in.

That's a shame but I hear where you're coming from - maybe look towards more off-road routes - tow paths, bridleways etc..?

Perhaps he was astute enough to see which way the wind was blowing.

Many cycle related businesses probably over expanded during the boom period, of which Covid only marked the peak of the popularity cycling which began with the track successes at the Olympics in 2008 and accelerated after the London games in 2012. There was bound to be some bloodshed as things slowed down again, particularly now when multiple economic events have combined to bite into disposable income.

Yeah, tbh I think he'd have been the world's worst businessman not to have seen a post-covid collapse in the industry after all his years of experience. Seems to have played a blinder tbh and I'm surprised the execs were so keen to buy him out... perhaps it's been on the cards for many years and they were dazzled by the profitability during Covid.. even I can see that this was a bloody awful business decision though!

Despite the money and a very viable means of escape, must still be a sad thing to see a business you've nurtured over decades reduced to nothing.

The article links to reports about several other businesses making cutbacks, redundancies etc. I don't feel its a real surprise. Outside of boom times the cycling industry will always struggle to have significant sustained growth as the products are very durable.

I'm 68, own three bikes with a replacement value of +/-£12000, have all the clothing along with the spares, lights, Wahoo etc. that I need. My love of cycling isn't diminishing at all but I have no reason to spend significant amounts of money and I think this is the nub of the problem.

Would I like a new bike? Well, yes it's a nice idea but......... my summer bike is a Cervelo C3 and my LBS tells me I'd be starting at £6000 to replace her and in truth I don't want to replace her. For me this Cervelo is a superb machine. I love riding her. Why would I change?

My spending these days is limited to replacing worn out or broken equipment and servicing. I spend every £ I can with my LBS first and only go online if they can't help me. The exception is when I come across a product which genuinely improves my pleasure. Last autumn I spent +/-£90 on a quilted gilet. WOW! Why didn't I buy one years ago.

As a "mature" customer, that is one who has everything he needs, the cycle industry has to come up with products which genuinely improve my experience and pleasure to persuade me to spend. I don't "need" a fancy light which glows brighter as I slow or tells me when a car is approaching.

The next major purchase I can foresee is an ebike. When the time comes if I have to invest £5/6000 or more I will happily do so. This is probably 6 years away. That's of no real use to the industry.

All this makes me a very poor investment as a potential customer. The only business likely to truly benefit from my cycling in the foreseeable future is my LBS. I need them as much as they need me!

Indeed, and tbh this is how it should be; as we all know perpetual sustained growth is an obvious fallacy. The size of an industry should be limited by the amount of legitimate need it can service, not by how much it can stretch itself though dubious practices to drive sales.

You make an interesting point about the bikes being "durable", however I think this is one of many areas where manufacturers are seeking to limit product lifespan to drive sales. Same with proprietary kit and its inevitable obsolescence.. and something that turns me right off anything new; along with most of the other trends constructed out of desparation to sell more.

 

[stephec]

Raleigh SPDU 531 from bike library £50

You can't tease us like this without posting pictures. 😊

 

[Jameshow]

You can't tease us like this without posting pictures. 😊

 

[PaulSB]

You make an interesting point about the bikes being "durable", however I think this is one of many areas where manufacturers are seeking to limit product lifespan to drive sales. Same with proprietary kit and its inevitable obsolescence.. and something that turns me right off anything new; along with most of the other trends constructed out of desparation to sell more.

I'm sure there is a drive to make some products obsolete but I don't feel the basics of a bike can be deliberately built with a limited lifespan. Frame, wheels, bars etc. have to be "durable," for want of a better word, a frame with a deliberately limited lifespan would be too dangerous to consider.

The introduction of new "technology", again for want of a better word, does create obsolescence in the very longterm. The introduction of disc brakes, for example, slowly renders rim braked wheels obsolete and ultimately renders the frames obsolete. That must take decades to work through the system?

 

[Jameshow]

I think bkes are very much at the durable end of consumer products. Esp compared with indoor or garden goods.
Yes the standards have slowly evolved but the older components are still readily available, compatible and used on lesser bikes.