Bowman Cycles enters liquidation as supply chain crisis continues to grip bike industry

Bowman Cycles has entered liquidation and looks set to close.

Filings made at Companies House show BB Velo Limited, Bowman Cycles' trading name, has appointed a voluntary liquidator, noticed by cyclingindustry.news.

It appears the continued supply chain issues in the bike industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic have contributed to Bowman Cycles' demise, the company's founder Neil Webb telling road.cc last year the situation was an "absolute clusterf**k".

“We’d put in orders for 12-1400 frames over the course of 2020 but didn’t see the first of those arrive until May this year. There are still 600 frames from that order which haven’t been shipped," Henderson said back in November after customers began to complain about incorrect or missing orders.

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At that time a few months ago Webb admitted the writing was on the wall for the brand and that assistance or financial restructuring would be necessary.

In February 2021 Geoffrey Butler Cycles also closed down after 40 years of business.

Supply chain issues that have blighted the bike industry in 2021, stemming from the outset of the coronavirus pandemic that affected the manufacture and transport of machines from Asia, and are set to continue into the future.

Paul Darke, the operations manager of In Gear and Maison du Velo, has told Cycling Weekly that bikes not already pre-ordered are unlikely to arrive in bike shops until 2023's stock comes in and a large proportion of bikes that have been pre-ordered are not expected to arrive until next July or August, even if it is sold as a 2022 model.

As well as bikes, a major shortage of components is ongoing as well. Shimano are apparently struggling to source all the electrical components that they need, with bigger brands like Apple and Panasonic willing to pay more. 

Bowman Cycles have been contacted for comment.