Ribble Cycles bought by True Capital investment firm

This hasnt aged well. 

Hang on, none of us know what's happening here. What if the owner wants to sell up and retire? How's he going to ensure his son gets to stay on- by selling to a competitor or by bringing in n investment partner?

This could of course be good for Ribble...access to capital for investment, directors with experience of developing new markets / supply chains which will help them survive and hopefully prosper against Chainreaction and Wiggle (who trace their routes back to a small shop and have been equity capital backed for sometime).

This article is just lousy PR for Ribble. It makes the whole thing look like horrible faceless corporate money-grubbing, with all that hideous jargon like the whole of:

 "The structural growth of cycling, the changing consumer attitudes to their health and wellbeing and the fragmented nature of the market look attractive drivers for one of the world’s leading heritage cycling brands to significantly accelerate its presence and market share both in the UK and internationally."

Shudder. As if the customers are just pawns in their capitalist game.

Probikekit became cheaper and more efficient when they were sold, the personal touch has gone completely though.

Speaking as somone who was brought up in the Lake District, I 'm as sorry as the next bloke [cyclist?] to hear this news.

I just hope the name doesn't disappear, or that the bikes end up being made in Taiwan. They probably are, anyway!

Hopefully they'll make some nice looking bikes now.

Or it could be that with most consolidations they are now able to source higher quality items at lower cost. Just because they are owned by a bigger company doesn't mean they're losing all their staff or changing course. Indeed it sounds like they will now be able to accelerate improvements they had planned thanks to the extra capital.

Agree with all the comments so far -

I'm an owner of two ribble bikes, and lots of other stuff from them.
They've sold out here.
I'm not judging them, hell I might have been tempted to take the money myself, but is it a good thing. Hell no.

In the long run once all the manufacturers have sold out, imagine how good those that still stand will feel, and how much money they will make!
I dont think there's any large scale manufacturer of bikes (frames) in the UK, since the Rayleigh factory went, but those niche framebuilers, although comparitively expensive, are really making hay now.

At the end of the day its all about Branding nowadays, we as consumers must realise its all the same, and real brands hardly exist anymore.

Take MINI, ROLLS ROYCE, etc - they are German cars. They name has Birtish heritage its only a name now.

You just know the prioritories of any company that uses "capital" in its name will have the employees and customers best interests at heart. "Have you seen how much people pay for push bikes these days? We'll have a bit of that thank you". Sorry Dove family I hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it.

Well, they would say that wouldn't they.  

In the real world we all know what will happen now; the prices will rise, the bargains will be fewer and the whole feel of dealing with a family firm will disappear.  In a couple of years' time Ribble will be indistinguishable from all the others, which is a shame.

But hey, at least they didn't go the way of Parkers.