Kids’ bicycle company Frog Bikes faces administration after a turbulent few years that have been reflective of many other brands' experiences across the cycling industry.
The company filed an intention to appoint an administrator on Friday, which provides temporary protection from creditors.
Frog Bikes said this was a “precautionary measure” while it explores “potential funding and restructuring solutions”, The Telegraph reported today.
The Welsh company was founded in 2013 by husband and wife Jerry and Shelley Lawson after they struggled to find suitable bikes for their children.
It quickly found success and, like many cycling brands, grew significantly during the Covid pandemic before facing tougher trading conditions.
Frog Bikes made a pre-tax profit of £249,016 in 2021 but that dropped to a loss of £530,476 the following year, which it attributed in part to the “friction” caused by Brexit.
Jerry Lawson blamed Frog Bikes’ situation on a “series of significant and well-documented challenges”, which included higher employee taxes, Brexit and lower consumer confidence.
In its most recent accounts for the year ended February 2024, Frog Bikes reported a pre-tax profit of just under £200,000, but said the year had been “one of continued headwinds for Frog Bikes, and the industry as a whole”.
It said sales had dropped further as retailers continued to grapple with surplus stock and consumers remained cautious with their spending.
Brompton is another British cycling company that experienced a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic. But in January this year, it reported losses of £2m and a drop in sales.
This followed a crash in profits the previous year, which CEO Will Butler-Adams said was due to global economic uncertainty and challenges in cycling, such as overstocking, which he described as evidence of an “industry in turmoil”.
Raleigh reported losses of £30m in 2025, which it said was due to the overstocked market after Covid.
In 2023, manufacturer Islabikes ceased the sale and production of its children's bikes due to a “turbulent and difficult time for the cycle industry”.
In January, Alpkit entered administration before quickly announcing its new financial structure and investment. The outdoors company, which owns Sonder bikes, said it faced rapid cost inflation, a challenging retail environment and trade barriers.
Frog Bikes' Jerry Lawson told The Telegraph that: “All parties are committed to securing a positive outcome for the business, its employees and wider stakeholders.
“Frog Bikes’ priority remains supporting its employees, customers, suppliers, and retail partners while working with its advisers to determine the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.”
