Leading British bike manufacturer Raleigh could be about to be taken over by Dutch firm Accell.
Accell can already boast Lapierre and Ghost on their books and the acquisition of Raleigh will only strengthen their position as one of Europe’s biggest bike firms. A brief statement on their website confirmed the talks, saying it was in discussions “which, if successfully concluded, could lead to the acquisition of Raleigh”.
Raleigh confirmed that while talks were underway, they are at a very early stage.
Raleigh, best known for its 1970 Chopper bike, celebrates its 125 year anniversary this year. It started out in Nottingham in 1887 but hasn’t manufactured a bike in the UK since 1999, and moved bike assembly to the Far East in 2003. Despite a decline since its mid-20th century heyday, it still employs 430 people worldwide and sold over 850,000 bikes last year. In 2010, it re-entered the world of pro cycling with the Continental level Team Raleigh-GAC squad.
