Cycle Clinic to close
Just read it on the website. Malcolm has been a very active contributor on this forum for many years and we all got bags of good advice free of charge.
Challenging trading conditions… not surprised, tough times for the industry.
Let’s wish him all the best for the future
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Sad news, tough times, good luck!
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.1 -
That's a shame. I have his wheels on both my roadie and my graveller. Better not damage them!
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Very sad, have wheels myself from Malcolm, lovely bloke to deal with and always been a very generous contributor to the forum.
I can't help but feel the changing tides of the industry have made it nearly impossible for small bike businesses like CC to survive and we all lose out in that instance.
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the bicycle industry decided to target the 1% who can afford to spend tens of thousands on a hobby… everyone loses out, including the big players themselves. I can’t think of a single winner.
Funny enough, the car industry seems to be following the same path… I should have a comfortable salary, according to all metrics, but I caertainly could not afford to buy a new car, not without going into a level of debt I am not comfortable going into… even a second hand car is beyond my reach to be honest.
So, who is the winner, I don’t get it….?
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Agree that the bike industry targeted the big spenders (I know bugger all about cars). They have largely fallen by the wayside and us cyclists that are left face massively over inflated prices and LBS closing all over the place. My guess is there are still enough mid range buyers out there to sustain the big brands, as the £10k super bike buyers are minimal and budget bikes don't really exist anymore.
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Disappointing news but not surprising in the current climate.
I had been planning to buy a set of wheels from him in the coming weeks. Any suggestions where to look for a set of road wheels?
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the bike is just the tip of the iceberg.
A road helmet with aero credentials will set you back around 200 pounds… a pair of racing tubeless tyres will be north of 160… a tight jersey will be around 100 pounds and if you want a skinsuit, well that will be 300 pounds or more… it might only last one season. Shoes another 200-300…. before you know, you’ve spendt a grand to dress up for the summer.
I was going to replace a pair of clear lenses on my Oakleys… they want almost 60 pounds for 20 grams of polycarbonate with no additives.
And then there is Absolute Black…
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Completely agree, the bike prices gave licence to push prices up for everything bike related. It will likely implode though, look at Rapha's continued mass losses. I have heard other big clothing brands are going under. Long term buyers like us are holding on to things much longer rather than replacing them and there are few new customers entering the market.
I would have some sympathy if their undoing wasn't through sheer greed (talking about the brands not bike shops obviously).
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I have a feeling that the manufacturers have forgotten their core and are chasing the aspirational.
It won't end well, for anyone.
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.0 -
That's a shame as I've had several sets of wheels off him and various tubeless bits tyres etc. He was very knowledgeable as are a fare few on here. Hope the staff and malcolm get sorted employment wise.
Too many bikes according to Mrs O.1 -
was he not a teacher in his previous life?
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I’m not so sure that the 10k buyers are minimal. My local bike shop does a lot of high end bikes and every time I’m there’s either people visiting from out of town or ringing up to enquire about some expensive bike or bit of kit.
They have people who have paid for stuff like Zipp wheels and have been waiting for 18 months for the customer to tell them what tyres, cassette etc and when they want them delivered. When they email “ Oh I let you know” They have another customer who has bought a bike on cycle to work, the shop has got the money yet 3 months later he’s not decided what he wants.
There seems to be still quite a few folk out there with a lot more money than sense.
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I think there are a lot of us stuck in this market.
I have a fairly competitive setup, for what I use the best bike to do. Tech is getting a bit obsolete, 11 speed and rim brakes, but if I wanted something with current tech and the same level of competitiveness, the starting figure would be around 6-7 thousand pounds, this is to get something current, not better, just a platform for future upgrades. It’s too much for CTW, so that means either cash, or credit card, with 19% interest on it. Neither option is realistic. Second hand market is full of scammers and even there, people seem to want unrealistic money for bikes which are 3 years old.
Hence, I don’t spend a penny and contribute to the decline.
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I recently bought a set from a wheelbuilder on Ebay that I'm very happy with. The seller is called Synchrotaxi. Communication was good and they built exactly the spec I was after. Wheels seem very nicely built. Came with tubeless tape already on and even some valves.
Not sure who is behind it but they seem to have a stock of DCR parts together with hubs from Hope, DT Swiss etc.
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100%, this started a few years back and they are now feeling the burn. I am amazed at how badly they misunderstood their market. Cycling in all disciplines is a niche sport. They got carried away with the pandemic boom and thought it was now a lifestyle market with long term mass appeal. The rapid growth was always going to subside.
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A couple of the big 2nd hand platforms are betting that this is the new market. There was an article somewhere interviewing a couple of them. Their idea was that their are thousands of unused bikes bought during the pandemic that will push new bike buyers towards supposedly better value 2nd hand. Not convinced the market of potential buyers is as large as they believe it is.
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I have seen them… their pricing is unrealistic and bikes bought during the pandemic are kind of old news in 2025…
a friend of mine used them to buy a Sagan lookalike Tarmac with Dura Ace… it was a nice bike 10 years ago, but well obsolete now
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I wonder just how obsolete my steel bike with mechanical gearing and rim brakes must be today.
Then again, I don't care.
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.2 -
My LBS used to stock giant, cube and moda plus there'd get anything else required in to order. With covid etc they've stopped stocking and only get in to order because they can't afford to give stuff away. Wonder what will happen over the IRC tyres as he was uk stockist.
Too many bikes according to Mrs O.0 -
A 10 year and older bike tech is perfectly suitable for training and racing, but a potential buyer may soon be facing difficulties with getting replacement parts as manufacturers may at any point discontinue their support for those. Obsolete in this sense. Such as the rim brake SRAM Red Etap electronics, for instance. Discontinued. Not supported. Let any of the electronic bits break down or you crash in a race and damage any and there is 0 chance of getting a replacement other than a second hand used from Ebay, but at or close to the price of a new.
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the maket for non tubeless top end tyres is also shrinking… the Corsa are only tubeless now.
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Glad I bulk bought at £35 each then!
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.0 -
There is a certain irony in a thread made up of middle aged men bemoaning the price of aero helmets and low rolling resistance tubeless tyres, and how things aren't what they used to be.
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there is no irony…
prices have gone up at least 30% in the past few years, my salary has gone up about 12% over the same period, on top of that, most of us pay a few extra hundred quid a month in interest on borrowing… it’s no surprise we moan about the price of cycling gear and feel it was the worst possible time to bring new expensive tech on the market
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The irony is that you are the target market.
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I think the trick is to start a cycling clothing company, then get bought out. There was a made to measure carbon fibre Sarto tandem in my LBS ordered by the people who started Endura, apparently ordered on a whim by the wife.
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VeloElite
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Q36.5 have new bib shorts you might like
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That is sad news indeed - I've spoken to him on e-mail, in the past, and do own a pair of his wheels.
He's always been helpful and very knowledgeable - is it possible he is retiring? (I have no idea as to his age)
@dubwise2004 I would personally recommend Spokesman wheels: https://www.spokesmanwheels.co.uk/
I had a bespoke set made up by Mark a couple of years back, and they are brilliant, and beautifully understated.
Tell him your budget, your weight, and what you are trying to achieve, and he will come back with suggestions for the rims, spokes and hubs, and alternative options above or below your budget, then you make the choice from there.
As long as he has or can get the parts quickly enough, it will be a couple of weeks or less to be delivered to your door in a proper wheelbox.
As I believe he is a one man band, there's a fair chance he might be on holiday currently, so maybe don't expect a reply for a few days.
Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
Scott CR1 SL 12
Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
Scott Foil 180 -
No, he is younger than me, not even 50, I reckon.
Website clearly refers to challenging trading environment.
Funny enough, disc brakes delivered on their promise to make wheels last forever…
I seem to remember he was teaching physics or something in his previous life, so maybe he is back doing that… decent salary, 5 days a week, lots of annual leave, there is a lot to like
left the forum March 20231
