Chickens on fire

Bronzie
Bronzie Posts: 4,927
edited November 2007 in Workshop
No, not that sort of chicken................heard on the local news this morning that there was a big fire overnight at R J Chicken & Sons warehouse at Kensworth near Dunstable. Major importers and supplier to the trade of Mavic, Time, Campag, TA, Selle Italia etc.

Could some of these components be in short supply for a while?
It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
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Comments

  • martins2463
    martins2463 Posts: 51
    When they were in business, parts were in short supply!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    http://www.bikebiz.com/news/29203/RJ-Ch ... the-ground
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    Hence http://www.jedi-sports.de/js-shop/index.php amongst others!

    I don't resent paying taxes in this country, but I do resent not being able to get bits you can get in Europe (or as with some items like Zipp wheels paying a premium because there's an additional distibution layer in the UK for whom you pay a huge markup).
  • itsaghostcar
    itsaghostcar Posts: 59
    Does that increase the worth of my non burnt Tifosi frame? :wink:
  • martins2463
    martins2463 Posts: 51
    Apparently lost everything, won't be able to communicate with the outside world for a few days-no change there then, wheels, saddles, frames, snooker cues, CD's and sheep skin jackets all gone, thank goodness for insurance!

    Police believe a customer who resented paying 20% over the odds for good may be at the bottom, so that rules 3 people out,
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/s ... pany-13019
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Got a friend who works there, so I hope for his sake they get back in business, but I suspect it may be the end of the road for them. Cedric Chicken is.......................er, no spring chicken.

    The thought of all that lovely cycling bling laying in a melted puddle on the floor.......... :cry:
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • acorn_user
    acorn_user Posts: 1,137
    Branford bike in the US burnt down. All that Campag up in smoke. I blame SRAM!
  • martins2463
    martins2463 Posts: 51
    Police suspect Foul play!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    What a lovely bunch of people on here.
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    Is chicken a relation of yours?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Now if you're trying to impress me with wit and repartee you'll have to do a lot better than that.
    Have a pill and try again when it kicks in. Tarah for now.
  • carlstone
    carlstone Posts: 602
    I though this post on the on one site was a bit close to the bone :shock:

    http://www.on-one.co.uk/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=554

    :?
  • campagsarge
    campagsarge Posts: 434
    Yep, its got a lot people in a bit of a flap. I would expect the offender to have their neck wrung.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Sources confirmed " the suspected arsonists was confirmed to be a disgruntled cyclist who was dismayed at the 6 months wait for a product that was apparently "in stock".... Like others, I'm surprised that their premises were bigger than a garden shed having experienced indeterminable delays for a part that was supposedly in stock.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • PhilofCas
    PhilofCas Posts: 1,153
    they had some red hot deals....
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Monty Dog wrote:
    Sources confirmed " the suspected arsonists was confirmed to be a disgruntled cyclist who was dismayed at the 6 months wait for a product that was apparently "in stock".... Like others, I'm surprised that their premises were bigger than a garden shed having experienced indeterminable delays for a part that was supposedly in stock.

    Lovely folk these cyclists are'nt they.
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    Man questioned about giant rotisserie

    Firefighters spent ten hours tackling the blaze
    A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire which destroyed a bicycle factory in Bedfordshire.

    Fifty firefighters spent more than 10 hours tackling the blaze at RJ Chicken and Sons in Kensworth near Dunstable which broke out on Wednesday night.

    Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service said efforts were hampered by a lack of water in the area.

    Two articulated lorry trailers parked near the building were also damaged by the intense heat.

    At the scene of the blaze, a dismayed Cecil Chicken commented "thank god the wheels were mostly open pros on group hubs - they're fine!"
  • martins2463
    martins2463 Posts: 51
    Poor old Cecil , lets all hope he is able to open some state of the art purpose built premises on some nice new industrial Estate in the very near future, so that he can soon be over charging us all and providing the service that we have come to expect from them,
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    martins2463 wrote:
    Poor old Cecil , lets all hope he is able to open some state of the art purpose built premises on some nice new industrial Estate in the very near future, so that he can soon be over charging us all and providing the service that we have come to expect from them,
    I'm beginning to form the impression that you really don't like Chickens - if they are as bad as you say, can you not get your goods from another importer, or do they have a monopoly on some of the brands?
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    We'd love to have a choice, but as 'warranties' are now being used to create artificial barriers to trade within the EU - if you can find someone else in the EU to sell you Mavic wheels, you then find they have no valid warranty in the UK. Hence a dislike for these "20 percenters" who often carry little stock. The same goes for Corima wheels through Yellow and Fulcrum wheels through Jim Walker who make it as difficult as possible to buy at a fair price. Chickens have had an appalling reputation for years - when I worked in the trade a few years ago we strongly advised not to put any special orders on Chickens because of their poor deliveries.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    So were Chickens the only importers of Mavic to the UK? Does this not breach monoplies trading rules?
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • martins2463
    martins2463 Posts: 51
    They and one other UK Distributor have carved up the major cycle brands between them, and both refuse to honour worldwide warranties offered by companies on their products brought through Mainland European suppliers, Thus creating a barrier to free trade and a single market,

    Yeah, I don't like em
  • fnb1
    fnb1 Posts: 591
    It was (alledgedly)Arson, disaffected former employee who lives locally in the village of Kenton.

    Due out on bail today!
    fay ce que voudres
  • Wooliferkins
    Wooliferkins Posts: 2,060
    Chickens are expecting to be delivering to the trade early next week. They have set up offices in a secondary warehouse and are working hard to get back on line. If some of the more informed people on this string can set up finance and run a distribution firm any better then crack on, or are you practising for a career at the Daily Wail?
    Neil
    Help I'm Being Oppressed
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    This'll make Monty Dog & Martins2463 smile:
    "Some data on outstanding credit account applications has been lost in the fire. This also applies to any products addressed to the Returned Goods Dept. In both cases contact Chicken."

    http://www.bikebiz.com/news/29207/Chick ... the-flames

    Fancy losing all those letters from moaning customers - how unfortunate! :wink:
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • campagsarge
    campagsarge Posts: 434
    Are they really that bad? I mean, I have never directly traded with them but what are they like with your local LBS for instance?
  • Wooliferkins
    Wooliferkins Posts: 2,060
    By comparison with some of my other distributors they are excellent. Occaisionally their electronic ordering system drops an order. They almost always phone if there is a problem. Billing accurate and stock visibility good. Problems, having to deal with European manufacturers who take August off, don't manage their production levels accordingly and then take months to get back on an even keel. Take note TA and Campag. If you want to know the difficulties with Adidas try finding anything specific on their godawful website. Mavic manage their warranties from their UK service centre send your problems there from your LBS or where you bought the goods from. It's all on the instruction sheet we blokes bin on principle.
    Neil
    Help I'm Being Oppressed
  • PhilofCas
    PhilofCas Posts: 1,153
    Wooliferkins wrote:
    By comparison with some of my other distributors they are excellent. Occaisionally their electronic ordering system drops an order. They almost always phone if there is a problem. Billing accurate and stock visibility good. Problems, having to deal with European manufacturers who take August off, don't manage their production levels accordingly and then take months to get back on an even keel. Take note TA and Campag. If you want to know the difficulties with Adidas try finding anything specific on their godawful website. Mavic manage their warranties from their UK service centre send your problems there from your LBS or where you bought the goods from. It's all on the instruction sheet we blokes bin on principle.

    with all due respect, i'd ditch the picture of your premisses from your website, hardly inspiring, sorry.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Quote: If some of the more informed people on this string can set up finance and run a distribution firm any better....

    I guess not - having established a JV in the US distributing and manufacturing products with an annual turnover of $100m, including OEM products to one of the largest US industrial conglomerates make me ill-disposed to pass comment on distribution and marketing. I've seen enough of the bike trade to know that minimal margins and fly-by-night box-shifting operators would make any such investment a folly and I'd be safer leaving the money in the building society...
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..

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