Anything up at Bowman Cycles?

rwoofer
rwoofer Posts: 222
in Road general
Ordered and paid for a bike back in Feb, was expecting Aug delivery, which got bumped to December (understandable as all bike brands are having problems). Last week my payment was refunded and I'm unable to contact them via phone or email since then.

The site seems fine except for the contact page, which now doesn't work.
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Comments

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,485
    Bad news I'm afraid. They had a big clear out at the end of July and are now being struck off. Hope you can claim off your credit card.

    https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13006256
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rwoofer
    rwoofer Posts: 222
    That is a different company as far as I can tell.
  • rwoofer
    rwoofer Posts: 222
    Just to set the record straight, I double checked and they are BB Velo Ltd, which is still listed as active at Companies House. Bowman Bikes is a different company altogether.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,485
    edited October 2021
    rwoofer said:

    Just to set the record straight, I double checked and they are BB Velo Ltd, which is still listed as active at Companies House. Bowman Bikes is a different company altogether.

    Thanks for the clarification. Apologies for the confusion.
    Very confusing.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    They only released the Palace 4 a few months ago....


    Tbh, it would be gutting if they were going under - they were incredibly cool, especially the original Palace in green/black that, with deep rims, was utterly stunning and a very, very good frameset at a mega price
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • alwaystimetotorque
    alwaystimetotorque Posts: 226
    I have one of the incredibly cool green/black framesets for sale if there's any interest - the rear triangle is out of alignment slightly - appears to have been one of the early batches which had this issue. It probably requires a slightly off centre dished rear wheel. There's some tyre scrub to the inside of left chain stay but otherwise the frame and forks is immaculate and has covered a couple of hundred miles only.

    If anyone is interested then drop me a message and i can sort some photos. It's a size 56.

    Ref contacting bowman - they aren't the quickest to respond but I've always found that they will - seems odd that they are out of comms.

    info@bowman-cycles.com or orders@bowman-cycles.com
  • rwoofer
    rwoofer Posts: 222
    Well despite emails to chase, calling multiple times and leaving messages still not heard a thing after trying for two and half weeks. Something must be up even if it is just a loss of staff/illness/holidays on the service side of the business. Can only hope, but if anyone is better connected, do share.
  • herbie_leinster
    herbie_leinster Posts: 22
    I emailed them 2 weeks ago but no reply. Tried phoning but answering machine only.
  • rwoofer
    rwoofer Posts: 222
    Yes, answering machine only for the last few weeks. Something clearly not right, but wish they would just put something on their website if it is simply lack of staff or other temporary issues. The longer it goes on, the more I suspect the worst.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,833
    https://road.cc/content/news/absolute-clusterfk-bowman-cycles-supply-issues-287963
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,610
    What a shame for them. The lack of response to emils etc is inexcusable though!
  • rwoofer
    rwoofer Posts: 222
    Should have just put a notice on their website, if answering emails was too difficult.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,833
    One would think if they'd had no parts to build any bikes they'd have had time on their hands to reply to a few emails.
  • collie27
    collie27 Posts: 25
    BB Velo Ltd went into liquidation 4/1/22 it's over.

    https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08933432
    woot
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    gutted.

    the Palace was seriously, seriously cool.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Too many people wanting carbon fibre and hidden cables, don't know a good thing when someone offers it.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    Ben6899 said:

    Too many people wanting carbon fibre and hidden cables, don't know a good thing when someone offers it.

    That had fuck all to do with them going bust.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited January 2022
    thegreatdivide said:

    Ben6899 said:

    Too many people wanting carbon fibre and hidden cables, don't know a good thing when someone offers it.

    That had censored all to do with them going bust.
    i wouldn't say it was the be all and end all and i wouldn't say it had nothing to do with it but the marketing that has sucked in people around around carbon/hidden cables/Di2/ discs does, undoubtedly mean that mega, mega bikes, such as the Palace and rim braked bikes and mechanicals have been eschewed by the deep throated masses who don't know wtaf they are on about apart from what journos and the bloke in the shop are telling them.


    a Palace or a CAAD is a far better frameset than carbon at equiv or slightly higher prices but they won't have it.

    rim brakes are perfectly good and outbreak most people 90% of the time, but they won't have.

    mechanical is as good as electronic, but they won't have it.

    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    thegreatdivide said:

    Ben6899 said:

    Too many people wanting carbon fibre and hidden cables, don't know a good thing when someone offers it.

    That had censored all to do with them going bust.

    Why did they go bust? Maybe we can work our way to the absolute root cause?
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    edited January 2022
    Is it worth dropping Sue Gray an email?
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited January 2022
    Ben6899 said:

    thegreatdivide said:

    Ben6899 said:

    Too many people wanting carbon fibre and hidden cables, don't know a good thing when someone offers it.

    That had censored all to do with them going bust.

    Why did they go bust? Maybe we can work our way to the absolute root cause?
    i would say expenditure and debt was greater than future profit and retained earnings tbh.

    and nigel farage, but as he's a websters bell end i'm more than happy to blame him for anything.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Probably supply chain issues - lack of stock, increased prices (COVID and brexit related), lack of cash, lack of clout with overseas manufacturers who prioritised companies who were spending more / order higher volumes.

    As for frame vs price discussion - nothing beats the old 2008 boardman pro carbon, beijing olympic gold medal pedigree.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited January 2022
    so nearly there re the above Boardman but would go for the 2007 Pro over the carbon one: lovely, lovely ali/carbon mix, full carbon forks, full Dura Ace groupset, WCS 'bars, stem, seat post and wheels.

    Really sweet classy metallic grey paintjob with funky frame shapes and mega, mega geometry.

    With discount voucher: £400

    I have one in Italy, brother has one as well.

    oh how the clubbies got enraged and brand snobbery came out. how we dgaf and laughed in their dumb faces.

    #clubbiesgettingangry
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,127
    Appears to be fairly straightforward, unfortunately they didn't have the supply to fulfil their orders. If that's the case, you aren't generating enough cash and pretty soon you run out of money and go bust.

    I feel for the guy and all the staff. Have seen friends and relations go through the same thing, facing circumstances beyond their control, which seems to be the case for Bowman.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Gutted for them. They had a glowing review in one of the mags only recently. I suspect they simply didn't have the scale and clout with suppliers to withstand the impact of COVID and Brexit. Real shame, I was sorely tempted by a Palace, but there was no disc option when I was buying.
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Really sorry to hear the news.

    Just my thinking but I reckon they've suffered as a result of the big marketing drive (relatively speaking) they began at the worst possible time - just as covid was striking, demand for bikes and parts hitting a peak but the supply chain stalling, not to mention brexit. So the likelihood is the promo campaign brought an influx of orders which they simply could not deliver, no doubt impacting their income and eventually caused their demise.

    Such a shame as their bikes had such a great reputation.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    https://bowmancycles.co.uk/blogs/news/facebook-is-live
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    ooooh! exciting! good luck to them.

    reeeeaaally hopebout they re-release the green and black jobbie. now that was lush.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Charlie_Croker
    Charlie_Croker Posts: 1,727
    MattFalle said:

    ooooh! exciting! good luck to them.

    reeeeaaally hopebout they re-release the green and black jobbie. now that was lush.

    quote "...we are a new company. We don’t have any access or connection to stock from the previous company which was trading as BB Velo." unquote

    source: https://bowmancycles.co.uk/blogs/news/bowman-we-re-back
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    It’s not the Bowman of old though – some bloke (Lee James Crossland) bought the brand and assets out of insolvency back in April. So what they produce will probably be completely unrelated to the previous bikes. They even state “don’t come to us about the old stuff” in the mission statement and they’re still ‘sourcing’ new bikes.

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