Leading British children's bike brand sold to Sports Direct owners after entering administration

Frog Bikes, a beloved British children’s bike manufacturer, has reportedly been sold to the owner of Sports Direct after it entered administration last month.

According to Sky News, the deal was completed with Mike Ashley's Frasers Group in the last few days, but it is not known how much it cost. The company has also bought Evans Cycles and Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles in the last decade.

Frog Bikes filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators in early February, in a move described as “precautionary” by co-founder Jerry Lawson at the time. It then went on to appoint FRP Advisory on 19 February.

Founded in 2013 by Jerry and his wife Shelley, Frog Bikes has sold more than half a million bikes, but has struggled in recent years against an industry-wide backdrop of rising costs and financial constraints.

According to BikeBiz, the intellectual property, brand and bike stock have all been sold to the new owner. The brand has also been unable to secure financial means to continue manufacturing within the UK.

An email sent to suppliers, seen by BikeBiz, read: “It is, of course, disappointing that we were unable to find an investor to take on the factory and continue operations as they were. However, we are pleased to have found a buyer who sees value in the brand and intends to take it forward.

“At this stage, we do not yet have full visibility of the plans or how Frog Bikes will be represented across different markets. As we learn more, we will share updates with you.”

As part of the initial administration, there were 15 redundancies, FRP Advisory confirmed to Cycling Weekly last week. Frog Bikes employed 49 people at the time of the appointment, the administrators said. Its unclear

Following the Covid pandemic, Frog Bikes made a £250,000 pre-tax profit, but slumped to losses of £500,000 in the year to February 2022. At the time, the directors cited the “continuing friction” caused by Brexit, a factor they noted again the following year, when the company halved its losses.

Frog Bikes’ most recently published accounts, however, which cover the year to the end of February 2024, showed a return to profit of £200,000. The company’s latest accounts, for the year to the end of February 2025, are currently overdue on Companies House.

In a statement shared with Cycling Weekly in February, co-founder Jerry Lawson said there was still demand for Frog Bikes’ products. “The business remains the clear market leader in premium children’s bikes in the UK and continues to be trusted by parents and loved by children,” he said.

The company was based in Ascot, but manufactured its products in Pontypool, Wales.