Mavic gone bust?

moonshine

Seems the famous Yellow neutral service may be a thing of the past

https://twitter.com/Kenny_Pryde/status/1258465823414509572

pblakeney

😱😢😢😢

ddraver

....bloomin' hell....😦

alistaird

Another one after Time going and the sale of Colnago...


A

ibr17xvii

If that's true I would genuinely be amazed.

Appreciate in these uncertain times no one is safe but they are a big worldwide brand & you could think of plenty of smaller companies that would go to the wall before them.

moonshine

Bicycle wheel manufacturer Mavic has been placed in receivership, according to a report in the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday. The French unions have demanded accountability from former parent company Salomon and its main shareholder Amer Sports after the company was sold in 2018.

"The Grenoble commercial court declared us in receivership on May 2, with an observation period of six months," Gérard Meunier, secretary of the Social and Economic Committee (CSE), told AFP.

Mavic employs 250 people worldwide, including 200 in France. The brand was created in 1889, and has been a supplier of the Tour de France for 40 years – its iconic yellow cars and motorbikes providing neutral service. In 2017, the company extended its contract with ASO through 2022.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-supplier-mavic-placed-in-receivership/

andyp

ibr17xvii said:

If that's true I would genuinely be amazed.

Appreciate in these uncertain times no one is safe but they are a big worldwide brand & you could think of plenty of smaller companies that would go to the wall before them.

Seriously? They are a small French company, less than 250 employees, whose main business line, aluminium rims and factory built wheels, is under threat on two fronts; the rise of carbon rims and cheaper manufacturers based in Asia. I'm not surprised at all that they are in financial difficulty, even without factoring in Covid-19.

ibr17xvii

andyp said:

ibr17xvii said:

If that's true I would genuinely be amazed.

Appreciate in these uncertain times no one is safe but they are a big worldwide brand & you could think of plenty of smaller companies that would go to the wall before them.

Seriously? They are a small French company, less than 250 employees, whose main business line, aluminium rims and factory built wheels, is under threat on two fronts; the rise of carbon rims and cheaper manufacturers based in Asia. I'm not surprised at all that they are in financial difficulty, even without factoring in Covid-19.

I honestly thought they employed more people than that with the size & stature of the brand.

I've always had no problems with any Mavics I've bought, winter wheels have been bombproof although never owned any higher end stuff.

Appreciate they would've been getting squeezed as everyone will be but I thought they would be OK.

jam1e

Mavic have been a huge pain in the **** to deal with for years.

An incomprehensible but also outdated product range, weird compatibility issues, proprietary parts, none-existant or slow spares availability assuming you could figure out the SKU you actually wanted because wheels built on Wednesdays were actually slightly different than those built on other days unless it was the second full moon of the year, excluding leap years and it was all topped off by the attitude "we're Mavic, we know what we're doing".

No_Ta_Doctor

Bit of a rubbish time to be going bust, with many major cities putting temporary bike-lanes in that (with a bit of luck and some pushing in the right places) could become permanent and lead to a proper cycling boom.

pblakeney

True but the majority of those riders will be short distance leisure and commuting.
People who spend £250-£500 on a bike, not on a set of wheels.

DeVlaeminck

I liked Mavic - my experience of their wheels has been pretty good. I'm still using a pair of those Ksyriums with the red spoke on an old Look 585 occasionally - must have done a good 12-15k on those wheels and bar lubing the freehub when it squeals not had to touch them.

ddraver

I liked the road ones I had, I rode them till the rims looked like a 'c' and never touched them in all that time.

The MTB ones I had were more problematic though in ways Jimbo described...

ugo.santalucia

I also thought they were a larger company... but there you go.

In fairness, lately they haven't been nearly as innovative as they were in the 1990s

Ksyrium, Cosmic, all stuff that hit the market nearly 20 years ago

Pross

I assume very little of their actual manufacturing was done 'in house' judging by the number of employees. I'd also thought they were a much bigger company with the sponsorship and sheer number of Mavic wheels you see around. I guess it shows how insular Tour sponsorship is even today that they played such a major role

racerex

Sorry to hear, I’ve done my part to support the brand. Love my Kysrium Pro’s, love my bib shorts, love my shoes, I’ve bought Mavic every chance I get.

So related question, I’ve watched every televised minute of every stage of the tour for as long as I can remember. In all that time I don’t recall ever seeing anyone riding one of those yellow neutral support bikes. Is that just a complete faux pas for the riders from a sponsorship standpoint? So much so that the network is advised to not even show a rider on a yellow bike?

mrb123

racerex said:

Sorry to hear, I’ve done my part to support the brand. Love my Kysrium Pro’s, love my bib shorts, love my shoes, I’ve bought Mavic every chance I get.

So related question, I’ve watched every televised minute of every stage of the tour for as long as I can remember. In all that time I don’t recall ever seeing anyone riding one of those yellow neutral support bikes. Is that just a complete faux pas for the riders from a sponsorship standpoint? So much so that the network is advised to not even show a rider on a yellow bike?

Froome rode one after his little jog on Ventoux.

me-109

Like @racerex I'm a fan of the brand, their stuff fits me well - shorts, jerseys, helmets, shoes (especially). I do have a pair of wheels, but only Aksiums, though would have always bought rims in years gone past.

Time to try and find some more shoes before they're no longer available.

sherer

@racerex they are used, but the GC contenders at the front are rarely separated from their support vehicle and spare bikes. It’s mainly the bus and riders at the back that take them.

Generally they are only a stop gap until a rider can get back on a team bike.

I do like their shoes and was going to get a pair this summer

takethehighroad

@racerex I remember Jens Voigt having to ride one in about 2010 and said it was an awful experience

ddraver

They re obviously 'generic' bikes so as soon as the rider can get back on their own, perfectly fitted and tuned bike, they do so. They re not usually at the sharp end (where the cameras are) any more by then though...

It was rather lovely having salmon and Mavic shoes and ski boots all in the same size and knowing that they'd all fit because they all used the same last was rather nice. Unfortunately, they've been getting narrower recently and no longer fit me

rick_chasey

takethehighroad said:

@racerex I remember Jens Voigt having to ride one in about 2010 and said it was an awful experience

Wasn’t it a kids bike?

sherer

rick_chasey said:

takethehighroad said:

@racerex I remember Jens Voigt having to ride one in about 2010 and said it was an awful experience

Wasn’t it a kids bike?

That’s my memory too.

thegreatdivide

Receivership doesn't mean they've gone out of business. I'd be surprised if another buyer doesn't move in soon.

ugo.santalucia

thegreatdivide said:

Receivership doesn't mean they've gone out of business. I'd be surprised if another buyer doesn't move in soon.

The brand has appeal, let's hope for a proper investor, rather than someone who's only after the name...

But they need to innovate again... they used to be the name when it came to innovation in cycling

slowmart

thegreatdivide said:

Receivership doesn't mean they've gone out of business. I'd be surprised if another buyer doesn't move in soon.

Depends how French law attaches employment rights post administration. French employment law is heavily weighted towards employes

daniel_b

ugo.santalucia said:

thegreatdivide said:

Receivership doesn't mean they've gone out of business. I'd be surprised if another buyer doesn't move in soon.

The brand has appeal, let's hope for a proper investor, rather than someone who's only after the name...

Not Mike Ashley then?

specialgueststar

The clothing range has been a mainstay for me the cosmic pro bibs and jackets and shoes - very understated but excellent. I got two sets of the limited edition La France. May frame one of them now

mrb123

daniel_b said:

ugo.santalucia said:

thegreatdivide said:

Receivership doesn't mean they've gone out of business. I'd be surprised if another buyer doesn't move in soon.

The brand has appeal, let's hope for a proper investor, rather than someone who's only after the name...

Not Mike Ashley then?

He can spec them on his Muddy Fox bikes.

davidof

thegreatdivide said:

Receivership doesn't mean they've gone out of business. I'd be surprised if another buyer doesn't move in soon.

Yes it is more like Chapter 11 in the States. There is a 6 month (or longer) period in which the receiver tries to find a buyer and work out if the business is a going concern. Ok the same happens in the UK but things are more oriented towards keeping the business going than satisfying the creditors. In this case it seems like the unions were asking for receivership to be imposed. The creditors can also petition for the business to be wound up of course.

Mavic had already been bought by the Chinese.

flasher

Interesting:

https://cyclingtips.com/2020/05/mavic-is-in-receivership-but-who-owns-them-who-knows/