Major UK cycling distribution business Saddleback has reportedly entered administration.
The firm, which distributes kit brands including Castelli, Sidi and Sportful, has “”filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators” according to The Business Desk.
Cycling Weekly’s sister publication CyclingNews has spoken to two sources inside Saddleback who said staff were informed on Friday that the firm was closing and all staff had therefore been made redundant.
The Times reports that 42 staff have lost their jobs as a result of the decision.
When Cycling Weekly emailed the firm it got an automated reply saying it was “no longer operational, as of Friday 29th May 2026”.
It added: “If you have any inquiries about products, please get in touch directly with the brand.”
The collapse follows Cannondale bikes splitting from Saddleback in March. The American brand returned to a direct-to-dealer model for its UK distribution just 15 months after teaming with Saddleback in a move that Saddleback had described in its accounts as “transformative”.
That followed the loss of high-end bike and wheel brand Enve earlier this year.
The Business Desk reports that the Cannondale deal had driven a “£10m increase in turnover to around £24m in the year to January 2026”. The publication said Saddleback had been moving closer to breaking even after posting losses in the two previous years.
In its most recent set of accounts filed at Companies House, Saddleback Limited reported a pre-tax loss of £1.6m in the year to the 31 January 2025. Though this was an improvement on the £2.3m loss it reported in the year before.
It remains unclear what will happen to the UK distribution of the brands Saddleback handles.
Saddleback’s collapse follows a raft of UK cycling businesses suffering in the years since the covid pandemic. In March longstanding children’s bike brand Frog entered administration.
One time rival to Saddleback, i-ride entered administration in 2024 and Moore Large collapsed a year before.
Consumer-facing businesses have struggled too with WiggleCRC entering administration in 2023 before being bought by retail magnate Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group.
The entire cycling industry has struggled with over-supply of bikes and kit following a spike in demand during the pandemic, which prompted orders, followed by a sharp drop in demand as lockdown ended. This has also combined with a cost of living crisis in the UK to create a difficult trading environment for cycling businesses.
Cycling Weekly has contacted Saddleback for comment.
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