This is an interesting thread for me to read, thanks for all the interest.
Here's a bit of history that I haven't told before, mainly because the cycle trade in the UK is very small, and now I guess much water has passed under the bridge; the main character is dead. There may have been a conspiracy, I don't know.
Here is the reason Cleland Cycles went out of business:
Cleland Cycles was run on a shoestring. There was no 'working capital'. I depended on the credit of my suppliers for working capital. In other words; I ordered parts, built the bikes, sold them, then paid for the components.
Aventuras were produced in batches of ten. Nearly all the components were ordered in tens from Ron Kitching in Harrogate, and I mostly dealt with Jack Conroy who was the depot manager. Most components were fairly standard and could be sourced elsewhere if necessary. However, there was one item which was a special order from SunTour and not available anywhere else. This item was critical to the whole build of each Aventura.
So, there I am, ready to start the next batch of ten, components begin arriving from various suppliers, work on sub-assemplies starts, with the help of my unpaid helper Mark Henfield.
All the stuff from Kitchings arrives; I lay it all out, sorting into batches for each bike; and then I discover, no freewheels. I phone Jack in Harrogate.
It was clear; I wouldn't get them until I paid the bill for this lot of components ~ my account was up to date for all previous purchases.
I was stuffed. I was also probably an idiot to tell them how critical this component was to my business.
Chickens at Dunstable was not too far away. They could supply a french-threaded freewheel of slightly lesser quality than SunTour (I can't remember the brand, but it was good and well-known) but the cluster was not at all right for the Aventura. I'd have to buy the blocks complete along with sets of sprockets, then dismantle each one and rebuild a compromise cluster. The wide-range clusters now so readily available simply did not exist in those days; the SunTour ones were made up specially in Japan. This matter was getting urgent, I wasn't getting much sleep and my garage was already full of surplus, unwanted componentry that I didn't have time to dispose of.
I explained my dilemma to Cedric Chicken; he said 'no problem, for a relatively small extra cost, he would have the freewheel blocks made up with the required sprockets for me.
Phew! Problem solved.
A week passed, no news from Chickens. Final demand from Kitchings.
Another week passed, Cedric was getting very irritated when I phoned about the freewheels. What do I do now? Several bikes are ready for my customers, just waiting for the freewheels. Three were tracked-down at Richmond Cycles by a friend, who very kindly purchased them and brought them up to the Cleland 'factory' at Rowsham, and such is my gratitude that I can't remember now who it was.
Meanwhile Ron Kitching, in the voice of Jack Conroy, is adament; "You cannot use our credit facility for your working capital." They had the freewheels I ordered, but would not release them until I paid up, and I simply did not have the cash, and wouldn't, until I sold the completed Aventuras.
Bank loan? You're joking, of course.
After several more calls to Cedric, it eventually became obvious I would not be getting any freewheels from there.
Then Kitchings sent the bailiffs in to bankcrupt me.
Cleland Cycles Limited was not officially liquidated, but the there was so little left afterwards, and I was completely frazzled, that production could not continue. Financially I had nothing left. Sources of finance to continue the business required such ridiculous conditions they were useless to my situation, most requiring match-funding from (you guessed it) MUGGINS! Sweat equity? Pah!
Another episode in the enthralling Cleland Cycles Story. If you've read this far, thankyou. Although I've referred to it obliquely, I've not really detailed this aspect of the Cleland history before, and it's quite a relief to get it off my chest after all these years.
But still the question remains; why did Ron Kitching behave in this way? It is inexplicable, unless there were forces at work behind the scenes.
Who knows, who cares now...
