Saddleback, the major UK cycling distributor that entered administration on 29 May 2026, had a more complicated last few years than previously known. New public filings and accounts from former employees show the owners taking dividends out of the business even as it took on large bank loans and built up debts to more than 150 creditors, many of whom now face being left out of pocket.
Suvi Loponen
The documents, published at Companies House, are from FRP Advisory – the firm that also handled the administrations of kids' bike brand Frog Bikes, Le Col, and earlier Wiggle/Chain Reaction Cycles.
FRP explains the 29 May 2026 administration happened due to several factors. First was Saddleback's loss of the Enve and Cannondale contracts, in February and March 2026 respectively — two brand deals that together accounted for around 60% of the distributor's turnover. The company also struggled with cash flow, driven by industry-wide overstocking linked to the pandemic, Brexit and a run of rival collapses.
Sinking ship
Before the administration, Saddleback had been operating for 22 years and built a strong reputation distributing major brands, but in the years following the bike boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, broader industry headwinds increasingly weighed on the company.
FRP was brought in during January 2026 to review the situation. It decided there were two options for the company to keep going: merge or sell the business.
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