Saddleback heads into administration

Reports abound this week that Yate, Bristol-set distributor of 22 years Saddleback has gone into administration, bringing a roller coaster year or so for the business to a sad end.

Reports from The Times indicate 42 jobs will be lost, meanwhile Cyclingnews reported that staff were informed on Friday that the business was shutting (UPDATE: However it seems the business went into administration on Wednesday, see below). The unwelcome news will leave a number of brands without UK distribution deals going forward.

The signing of the UK Cannondale distribution deal appeared to set the distributor on an upwards trajectory, and there will doubtless be much speculation on the effect that had on the business. When CIN and other trade execs walked around Saddleback HQ in April 2025, there was an understandable air of excitement, with much talk of the infrastructure being put in place to handle the expected increased business. However, by March 2026 –  within what you could probably term the honeymoon period of the deal – the huge bike brand switched away from Saddleback, partnering with Pon.Bike UK.

This year also saw ENVE part ways with Saddleback, after a 15 year long distribution partnership. However premium carbon wheel brand Princeton CarbonWorks joined the Saddleback distribution portfolio in March of this year.

The UK (and global) cycling industry has seen a rocky few years for cycling distributors, with a number of administrations and profound business transformations taking place in the years following the Covid boom, however that danger period is largely thought to be over – albeit with significant after effects still being felt, not least with overstocks of bicycles in the sales channel.

Official accounts on Companies House cover up to the year ended 31 January 2025, and note improvements in gross margin (from 16% in 2024 to 25.8% in 2025) as well as the transformative development of working with Cannondale, which was anticipated to have “a significant impact on the Company’s revenue from February 2025 onwards and has materially enhanced its market position… the results seen post year end in 2025 have cemented that [transformative] belief”. It also notes Saddleback’s focus on premium brands had given it some insulation against wider economic impacts. Sadly, the accounts do note the inherent risks if “a manufacturer could decide to switch its distributor in our geographical market” but noted a number of competitors had ceased to trade in the (then) previous 18 months, reducing the likelihood of that. In terms of financials, Saddleback’s loss after taxation was £1,566 (2024 loss: £1,707,580).

As of 13:00 on 1 June 2026, the Saddleback site has become a holding page, clearly undergoing changes in readiness for the next phase in the company.

UPDATE 03/06/2026: The Saddleback now has official confirmation the business entered administration on 29 May 2026: