Author Topic: distributors (Read 500 times)

58 delray · « **on:** June 25, 2013, 02:09 PM »

we all know about shiners and the masive roll they played in importing parts and bikes into the country but what about the other distributors, what happened to them, does anyone know?

ammoco (mongoose) went bust as far as i know
gecko (kuwahara) i dont know
alans (Robinson/Torker) still going

what others were there and where are they now ?

Dannywhac · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2013, 02:53 PM »

Hot Wheels distro'd a load of stuff - now Cycling Sport Group UK?

That Swan Guy · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2013, 02:57 PM »

GT was solely Wheelways in Grimsby in the eighties.

The shop has long gone and as we know GT sold it's soul to the commercial devil that is Halfords etc.

neil · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2013, 04:08 PM »

There was Ron kitching this they did suntour

PHIPPSIO · « **Reply #4 on:** June 26, 2013, 09:08 AM »

Freewheeler leisure were the importer for Haro before Shiner. They brought the first Freestylers into the UK. Shiner then took on a joint deal with them but quickly became more successful due to other brands they had like SE and the relationship they had in the trade. Freewheeler went on to create Prolite and were then sold. I think it was acrimonious.

pickle · « **Reply #5 on:** June 26, 2013, 09:15 AM »

Didn't Hotwheels import Mongoose as well?

58 delray · « **Reply #6 on:** June 26, 2013, 09:31 AM »

rob, ammaco/malcom jarvis was the importer of mongoose all the time i was in the trade back ibn the eighties, he was largly responsible for bringing bmx to the uk. he was also the original importer/distributor for se racing and vans

he also built the first ever track in the uk in his back garden so he could demonstrate the bikes, then jointly with halfords the reditch track was built closely followed by buckmore park