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Royles Cycles Cheshire

by notfastenough
Mon, Jul 25, 2016 13:16
4

Hey folks, those of you who have ridden through Wilmslow in the last 12 months or so (longer?) may have noticed that they vacated their nice spot just off the roundabout.  They relocated to the strangest place, out of sight at the back of a gym on a rather industrial-looking site that is accessed via a road that no-one in their right mind cycles on (dual carriageway, 70mph, no pavement or cycle path).  Total Fitness in Handforth Dean opposite the M&S/Tesco retail park, for anyone that knows it.

Having noticed a new sign pop up on the access road that mentions a new Trek store, I found this:

https://cyclingindustry.news/trek-acquires-triathlon-specialist-royles/

So Royles has gone bust, or rather, their parent has, and Trek has acquired the business to protect their market share in the region I suppose.

Always looked like a thriving business to me, I got my Madone there.  Seems weird for such a longstanding business to go south when sport (they're into Tri as well as cycling) is so popular.  Anyone else know anything about this?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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Edgeley | 8 years ago
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Royles have been around for decades.  Originally bottom of Knutsford Road.   I lived in Wilmslow from the age of 10, before it became the current pit of footballers' wives, and used Royles a lot.   How sad.  And also how odd, given the money around the place and the fashionability of cycling.

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CygnusX1 | 8 years ago
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From the link you gave, it sounded like Royles Cycles themselves may have been viable, it was the parent company (Paragon Commerce) that wasn't, but having looked up that company's details, the shareholders & directors all have the surname Royle.

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notfastenough | 8 years ago
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I did think you could probably get through from there, but since I moved house I don't regularly ride over that side of the A34.  I was admiring a Cervelo RCA there (I think it was about £8k just for the frameset), and asked if they even sold any.  Was told they'd sold 4 of them just recently.  Seems odd that such a business was struggling. 

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CygnusX1 | 8 years ago
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To be honest, I wasn't aware of Royles in their old location - although given Wilmslow is also home to Royles Jaguar (wonder if there is a family link there?) I may just have assumed it was part of their car dealership empire.

As for the new location - I agree where Total Fitness is located, on the A34 dual carriageway and opposite sparks would not be anywhere top of my list of roads to cycle on, however there is a quiet back way in...

If you head north from Woodford on Hall Moss Lane just before it crosses the A555 there is Dairy House Lane off to the left. Follow this down parallel to the A555, and after a little while it turns left (south) and then shortly after there is a branch off to the right. Take this and it ends at the back of the TotalFitness car park - there are barriers but you should be able to wheel around the ends

Here's the streetview of the end of the lane:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.3512133,-2.1949987,3a,70y,226.91h,88.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssnhg5eUZK403bNjaoBmqSg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

And the start of Dairyhouse Lane (note the big signs for TF!):

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.3512896,-2.1810901,3a,75y,272.86h,77.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZYY8knTE7YY9LECS3Qbt1A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

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