Mercian Cycles customers have raised concerns about the manufacturer’s service, with several reports of problems with orders or dealings with the company shared in the months before it went into liquidation.
Last week we reported that the 78-year-old Derby-based bicycle manufacturer had ceased trading, the agency appointed to help with the process after Mercian went into voluntary liquidation.
A source confirmed to road.cc that all staff were let go on May 3, with company directors reportedly “just crawling under a rock and letting it all happen, the closure was not a controlled thing”.
“Yes, it’s sad they’ve closed their doors, but a business like the Mercian needed work to make it work and the current directors were hardly there at all,” said the source. “This had a detrimental effect on quality, leading to several bad reviews and costly returns and reworks. The current directors treated the company like a cash cow and were out of step with the times.”
We contacted Mercian for comment but did not receive a response, with numerous online reviews and social media posts highlighting customer issues with products and services over the past few years.
One review suggests the “total disaster” rebuild took twice as long as expected and the customer reported problems with the paint when it arrived.
“Not once did I get a straight answer on completion 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 them saying they don’t care.” the two gentlemen i spoke to in the office kept telling me it would be next week call us and every time i called back i got a different excuse,” the customer said.
“On the plus side, the rebuild was great. It’s just a shame that for the extremely high price I was charged, the overall experience was so bad. If you’re looking to get your bike repainted, I’d suggest going somewhere else. If I had to do it over.” If I knew then what I know now, I would definitely go somewhere else.”
Another customer who wrote his review earlier in the year said he “can’t put into words how dysfunctional, poorly managed and customer focused this company is”.
“I ordered their most expensive custom frameset, the Pro Lugless44, and I was very specific about what I wanted it to do. After a two-year wait, it finally arrived, but it wasn’t really rideable because they built the frame wrong. Even then i had to send repeated requests for a refund, when i finally got my money they refused to compensate me for either my ‘loss and inconvenience’ or the money i had to pay my local bike shop to build the bike first and then take it apart to return it frame sets.
“I can’t count the number of times throughout the process I sent emails or made calls asking for updates that I simply didn’t respond to. When I got responses, there was no apology, no remorse, just lame excuse after lame excuse. The framework had to be repainted once because they painted it the wrong color way, even though they sent me a graphic mockup, I was also expected to pay for a second set of custom gears when they put one in reverse.
“All in all, having wanted to own a custom Mercian for the past 40 years, I now regret wasting two years of my life waiting for a product and ‘custom build experience’ that was completely lacking. I would strongly encourage anyone looking to buy their own 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 are so many to choose from now.”
Other reviews mention problems with workshop service and products purchased online that apparently never arrived.
The source we spoke with also said that due to the sudden closure of the company, “there are several frames in the shop to be repaired” and “to my knowledge no owners were contacted to come get them back prior to the closure. “.
A post on the Mercian Cycles Facebook group explained how one owner, who has now got his bike back, had it sprayed but has not heard anything since the company went into liquidation.
Another commenter said: “My wife bought me a £600 restoration voucher for my 50th birthday. We were excited to have an appointment booked to hand in my frame for the 19th May. Very sad to find the Mercian building locked and haven’t done it yet. ” they could contact anyone and ask for a refund. Extremely sad times for British cycling businesses.”
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Of course, since last week’s news there have also been many tributes and messages recounting positive memories and experiences with Mercian bikes. Opus Business Advisory Group, hired to assist in the process, is “working closely with the company to help manage an orderly exit of the business and a smooth transition for stakeholders.”
The company was founded in 1946 by Lou Barker and Tom Crowther, highly regarded steel frames that have earned recognition as the work of one of Britain’s most experienced fabricators.
The company was known for its excellent lugs and looks and the completely eccentric and unique barber pole paint job on the seat tubes. Over the years Mercian Cycles has sponsored many professional teams and riders; not only in the UK but also in America where the brand had quite a cult following. Its frames were often custom-made, sometimes even using hand-cut lugs, and were traditionally made from steel, initially Reynolds 531, although as of 2010 newer steels such as Reynolds 853 and Reynolds 953 and part-carbon construction were used.
In 1984, the Mercian store moved to larger premises in Shardlow Road, Alvaston, where it continued to operate until 2019 before moving back to its manufacturing unit in Derby.
From the original founders, the business passed to Ethel Crowther, ex-wife of founder Tom Crowther. This then passed to Mercian framebuilder Bill Betton. In 2002, Mercian Cycles was acquired by Grant Mosely and Jane Mosely.
Other notable people who have owned a Mercian include movie star Ewan McGregor, who had the frame hand-made a few years ago, as well as famous British clothing and accessories designer Sir Paul Smith, who owns and rides several Mercian racing bikes. The brand also recently commissioned several frame color schemes from the unique and eccentric designer.