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Raleigh bikes could go Dutch
British bike brand Raleigh could soon be taken over by a Dutch company. Accell said yesterday it is in exclusive talks with Raleigh and its shareholders to acquire the famous bicycle-maker. Raleigh, founded in Nottingham in 1890 by Sir Frank Bowden, has operations and distribution companies in the UK, as well as across the pond in the US and Canada, and is best known for its Raleigh, Avenir, and Diamondback brands. It reported $260m in sales last year and sold 850,000 bicycles worldwide. Several Raleigh firms were bought by management from Derby Cycle Corporation in 2001. Accell, meanwhile, is one of Europe’s biggest bicycle makers, reporting €40.3m profits last year on sales of €628.5m.