Customers of Mercian Cycles expressed their concerns about the manufacturer’s service. Several stories were shared about problems with orders or dealings with the company in the months before it went bankrupt.
Last week we reported the news that the 78-year-old Derby-based bicycle manufacturer had ceased trading, an agency appointed to assist with the process after Mercian went into voluntary liquidation.
A source confirmed to road.cc that all employees were fired on May 3, as the company’s directors reportedly “just crawled under a rock and let it all happen, nothing was checked to close the company”.
“Yes, it is sad that they have closed their doors, but a company like Mercian needed work to make it work and the current directors were almost never present,” the source said. “This had a detrimental effect on quality, resulting in several bad reviews and expensive returns and rework. The current directors treated the company like a cash cow and did not keep up with the times.”
We reached out to Mercian for comment but have not received a response. Numerous online reviews and social media posts have highlighted customer problems with products and services in recent years.
One review suggests a “total disaster” rebuild took twice as long as expected, with the customer reporting problems with the paint when it arrived.
“Not once did I get a straight answer about delivery dates. I called them a total of 24 times throughout the process and it got to the point where I was just dreading having to listen to the ‘I don’t care “-attitude from the two gentlemen I spoke to in the office, I was continually told it will be next week, please call us back and every time I called back I was given a different excuse,” the customer said.
“On the positive side, the rebuild was great. Just a shame the overall experience was so poor for the extremely high price I had to pay. If you want to have your bike repainted I would recommend going elsewhere. If I If I knew what I know now, I would definitely have gone somewhere else.
Another customer who wrote a review early this year said they “cannot put into words how dysfunctional, poorly managed and non-customer focused this company is.”
“I ordered their most expensive custom frameset, a Pro Lugless44, and was very specific in what I wanted. It finally arrived after a two year wait, but couldn’t actually be ridden because they built the frame incorrectly. I then had to repeatedly sending refund requests. When I finally got my money back, they refused to compensate me for my ‘loss and inconvenience’ or for the money I had to pay to my local bike shop to first build and then disassemble the bike return the frameset.
“I can’t tell you how many times throughout the process I sent emails or called asking for updates that simply went unanswered. When I did get a response, there was no apology, no remorse, just lame excuses after lame excuse. The frame had to be repainted once because they painted it the wrong color even though they sent a graphic model. I was also expected to pay for a second set of custom transfers when they sent one placed upside down.
“All in all, I have wanted to own a bespoke Mercian for the past 40 years and now regret wasting two years of my life waiting for a product and a ‘bespoke experience’ that was completely lacking. I would urge anyone looking to buy a custom bike to take their hard-earned money and go to a company that really cares about their product, their customer base and their professional reputation. There is so much to choose from now.”
Other reviews mention problems with workshop maintenance and products purchased online that apparently never arrived.
The source we spoke to also said that due to the sudden shutdown of the company’s operations, “there are several frames in the workshop for repair” and “as far as I know, no owners were contacted before the closure to get them back to come and get.”
A post on Facebook group Mercian Cycles explained how one owner, who has now got his bike back, wanted to have it repainted but had heard nothing since the company went into administration.
Another commenter said: “My wife bought me a £600 restoration voucher for my 50th birthday. We excitedly booked an appointment to drop off my frame on May 19th. We arrived very sad to find a locked Mercian building and didn’t do it. I was able to contact everyone for a refund. Extremely sad times for British bicycle companies.”
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Since last week’s news, there have of course been many tributes and messages sharing positive memories and experiences with Mercian’s bicycles. Opus Business Advisory Group, hired to assist with the process, is “working closely with the company to help manage a controlled wind-down of the business and a smooth transition for stakeholders.”
The company was founded in 1946 by Lou Barker and Tom Crowther, with its acclaimed steel frames receiving critical acclaim as the work of one of Britain’s most skilled manufacturers.
The company was known for its beautiful lugs and looks, and the rather eccentric and unique barber pole paint job on the seat tubes. Over the years Mercian Cycles had sponsored many professional teams and riders; not only in Britain but also in America, where the brand had quite a cult following. The frames were often custom made, sometimes even with hand-cut lugs, and were traditionally built with steel, originally Reynolds 531, although as of 2010 newer steels such as Reynolds 853 and Reynolds 953 and part carbon construction were in use.
In 1984 the Mercian store moved to larger premises on Shardlow Road, Alvaston, where it continued to operate until 2019, before returning to the manufacturing base in Derby.
From the original founders, the company passed to Ethel Crowther, ex-wife of founder Tom Crowther. It then passed to Mercian frame builder Bill Betton. In 2002, Mercian Cycles was acquired by Grant Mosely and Jane Mosely.
Other notable people who have owned a Mercian include film star Ewan McGregor, who had a frame handmade a few years ago, as well as famed British clothing and accessories designer Sir Paul Smith, who owns and rides several Mercian track bikes . The brand had also recently ordered several frame colors from the unique and eccentric designer.