I just noticed this notice in a UK paper:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...al-Accell.html

Wotsay?

If I remember correctly Accell was split off from Atag in the early 90s. Atag was involved in equipment for heating and cooking and the management decided bicycles are not part of their core business. Current Accell is listed on the local stock exchange. Investors have seen good revenues in the past years, for example due to the popularity of electric bikes and other continuous innovation. Three large Dutch brands that are part of Accell group are Batavus, Koga-Miyata and Sparta. The group owns large brands in other countries too.

Personally I think the deal has potential for both Accell and Raleigh.

It's a long time since Raleigh (UK) has made good bikes, since they closed their Special Products Division (which made great bikes), they have made little of interest to most riders, and more importanty buyers in the UK, go back 30 years+, and most bikes were Raleigh, now they are uncommon, was very supprised to see 2 out during a club run on Sunday, I knew they produced new carbon bikes but was the first time I had seen one out.

Would look at the buyout by Accell being as a very positive move, Raleigh have lost their position, for the ultra low end, there are the supermarkets who sell really cheap bikes, and as you go up in price, there are many other & better brands out there. Non of the big bike retailers carry them either, Evans, Cycle Surgery or Edinburgh and Halfords only have a very small part of their range. It used to be most bike shops carry them, but not anymore.

Just looking at their website the range they have is un-inspiring, and it's hard to differenciate between the base and high end models, hopefully Accell will reinvigorate them.

Raleigh stopped making their iconic bicycles with all of the branding that made them special; essentially walking away from what would have remained a strong niche market. What they've continued to make are a range of generic bicycles (if it weren't for the decals & head-badges one wouldn't even know they were Raleighs), without anything special to set them apart from the competition, and that's not a winner in the general market. I'd hope that new ownership would take a page from Brooks & Sturmey-Archer and have a small heritage line to cater to the niche retro/transportation business, while providing new competitive and unique offerings to the general market.

I do find this potential Dutch takeover ironic in that Raleigh did own Gazelle for many decades.

Blogger gets sniffy, two decades too late: https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...hopper-bicycle

+1 to #3 and #4...................................meh.