IN BRIEF
A fire hit the headquarters and factory of Atherton Bikes in Machynlleth, Wales, on Sunday 11 October. Around 30 firefighters attended, and the brand says everyone is safe and well. The company founded by siblings Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton builds its mountain bike frames there, including those of its flagship platform made of carbon tubes and 3D-printed titanium lugs. It is assessing the impact on production and deliveries, and promises its customers an update in the coming days.
Grey smoke rose above the Treowain business park in Machynlleth on Sunday morning. Firefighters from Machynlleth, Aberystwyth and Llanidloes were called to Atherton Bikes at around 8am, the mountain bike manufacturer founded by the Atherton siblings, a household name in downhill racing.
A fire at Atherton Bikes, with no one injured
Around 30 firefighters tackled the blaze, Welsh media report. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, from across the English border, lent a hand with an aerial ladder platform and a water tanker.
On the homepage of its website, the brand added a short message: it is assessing the impact of the fire on production and deliveries, and states that everyone is safe and well. In a statement published on its website, it also says it is “incredibly grateful” to Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and that it is still working to understand the full extent of the damage and disruption.
As of 11 October, the message published on the Atherton Bikes website said nothing about the cause of the fire.
“Absolutely devastated”, but the situation is under control
Gee and Rachel Atherton spoke in a video posted on Facebook. “We’re absolutely devastated but the situation is under control,” said Rachel Atherton, who praised the “amazing” firefighters. “The most important thing is no one was injured,” she added.
Gee Atherton addressed customers waiting for a bike: “We’ll update all our customers, all of you guys who are waiting for bikes over the next few days.” He added that he is “heartbroken for the team and all the staff that call this place home”.
A factory where the frames are born
In Machynlleth, Atherton Bikes builds the frames of its mountain bikes and e-MTBs in-house. The brand says its flagship platform combines carbon tubes with 3D-printed titanium lugs, and it also offers a range in CNC-machined 7075 aluminium, built in Wales. The brand also produces Ti-64 titanium cranks there, 3D-printed in Wales. MTB-News points out that the extent of the impact on production remains unknown.
The company bears the name of three siblings: Dan, Gee and Rachel Atherton have 49 World Cup wins and eight world titles between them. To launch their brand, they raised £1.4 million through crowdfunding, in a campaign that began in 2019.
