Frog Bikes, a beloved British children’s bike manufacturer, has entered administration following a period of “significant” financial pressures.
The company filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators in early February, in a move described as “precautionary” by co-founder Jerry Lawson at the time. It then went on to appoint FRP Advisory on 19 February.
Founded in 2013 by Jerry and his wife Shelley, Frog Bikes has struggled in recent years against an industry-wide backdrop of rising costs and financial constraints.
These challenges, Jerry previously said, were “compounded by the effects of Brexit, which added further complexity, cost, and uncertainty to international trade and disruption”.
As part of the administration, there have been 15 redundancies, FRP Advisory confirmed to Cycling Weekly on Wednesday. Frog Bikes employed 49 people at the time of the appointment, the administrators said.
A report by road.cc last month quoted former head of marketing Val Benyon, who was among those who lost their jobs, and wrote on LinkedIn: “After 12 years of building the brand and business I am immensely proud of, this is a difficult day.”
Frog Bikes will continue to trade during the administration process. The administrators have said they are considering a potential sale of the business, in which “several parties” have already expressed interest.
"Frog Bikes is a well-loved brand with an excellent reputation for producing high-quality bikes that are popular with children and families across the country. We're encouraged by the level of interest we've already received from prospective buyers,” said Tony Wright, joint administrator and partner at FRP.
"Our focus now is on continuing to trade the business while we work to identify the best possible outcome for all stakeholders. We would encourage any interested parties to contact us as soon as possible."
Following the Covid pandemic, Frog Bikes made a £250,000 pre-tax profit, but slumped to losses of £500,000 in the year to February 2022. At the time, the directors cited the “continuing friction” caused by Brexit, a factor they noted again the following year, when the company halved its losses.
Frog Bikes’ most recently published accounts, however, which cover the year to the end of February 2024, showed a return to profit of £200,000. The company’s latest accounts, for the year to the end of February 2025, are currently overdue on Companies House.
In a statement shared with Cycling Weekly last month, co-founder Jerry Lawson said there was still demand for Frog Bikes’ products. “The business remains the clear market leader in premium children’s bikes in the UK and continues to be trusted by parents and loved by children,” he said.
The Lawsons founded Frog Bikes with the mission of building lightweight, high-quality bikes for children. The company is based in Ascot, but manufactures its products in Pontypool, Wales.
