# Chain Reaction Cycles > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chain_Reaction_Cycles > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chain_Reaction_Cycles.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_Reaction_Cycles > Source revision: 1352868504 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) English online sporting goods retailer Wiggle-CRC Group Type Private Industry Online sports retail Area served Worldwide Key people Will Kernan (CEO), Brian McBride (chairman) Products Triathlon equipment; bicycles, components and accessories; running shoes and apparel; swimming products; outdoor and casual sports apparel; tools Owner Bridgepoint Advisors **Chain Reaction Cycles** is an English online retailer of sports gear and equipment. It is the online brand of the [Frasers Group](/source/Frasers_Group), having been bought after WiggleCRC went into administration with losses of £97 million.[1] Previously it was an online retailer of cycling products based in [Belfast](/source/Belfast), [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland).[2] A 2016 merger with [Wiggle Ltd](/source/Wiggle_Ltd) resulted in the formation of the WiggleCRC Group, whose head office was in [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth), [England](/source/England). WiggleCRC entered administration in October 2023, and only the brands were transferred to the new owners.[3] ## History Chain Reaction Cycles started out as a small bike shop named [Ballynure](/source/Ballynure) Cycles which was opened in 1985 by George and Janice Watson[4] using a £1500 bank loan in the small village of Ballynure in Northern Ireland.[5] In late 1999, the company registered [domain name](/source/Domain_name) www.ChainReactionCycles.com and launched the Chain Reaction Cycles website.[6] The sales grew each year. In 2011 revenues were £136.4 million (€170 million).[7] Its peak sales were in 2013, at £155.6 million.[8] By this time the website was providing multi lingual service and currency options for many countries.[9] In 2013, the company became the co-sponsor of [An Post–Chain Reaction](/source/An_Post%E2%80%93Chain_Reaction), an Irish-Belgian professional cycling team established in 2006 by [1988 Vuelta a España](/source/1988_Vuelta_a_Espa%C3%B1a) winner [Sean Kelly](/source/Sean_Kelly_(cyclist)). The arrangement lasted until the team folded at the end of the 2017 season. The team mainly competed on the [UCI Europe Tour](/source/UCI_Europe_Tour) and took wins at races including the [Tour of Britain](/source/Tour_of_Britain), [Rás Tailteann](/source/R%C3%A1s_Tailteann) and the [Tour d'Azerbaïdjan](/source/Tour_d'Azerba%C3%AFdjan) while sponsored by Chain Reaction. [Ryan Mullen](/source/Ryan_Mullen) won two [Irish National Cycling Championships](/source/Irish_National_Cycling_Championships) as an An Post–Chain Reaction rider, winning the road race in 2014 and the time trial in 2015.[10] By 2015, sales had decreased to £136 million, with shares mainly going to [Wiggle](/source/Wiggle_Ltd), a UK competitor.[11] The company also required investment. A merger between Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles was announced in February 2016.[12] Chain Reaction Cycles also retain a bricks & mortar retail store on Boucher Road, Belfast. The store sells a selection of their stock, and has a workshop for cycle maintenance. CRC makes a small number of its own components and one complete bicycle under its own brand name, "Brand X".[13] ### Wiggle merger Main article: [Wiggle Ltd](/source/Wiggle_Ltd) After the [Competition Commission](/source/Competition_Commission_(United_Kingdom)) approved the merger in July 2016 and Wiggle bought 100% of the Chain Reactions Cycle equity from the Watson family, the Wiggle CRC group was formed.[14] CRC closed their Northern Irish warehouse to integrate their stock into Wiggle's 'Citadel',[15] but retains its own branding and website. The combined Wiggle CRC group generated an annual revenue of over £300 million.[15] In October 2017 Wiggle CRC bought German company Bike24 for over £100 million, which continues to operate separately.[16] The group's combined revenue is now estimated at £500 million.[16] On 27 October 2023, a notice was published to The Gazette announcing an administrator for the Wiggle Limited business following a period where the parent company's key financial backer pulled the plug on financing.[17] This eventually resulted in most of the staff being laid off in February 2024,[3] and in March 2024 the brands started to operate as part of the [Frasers Group](/source/Frasers_Group) alongside [Evans Cycles](/source/Evans_Cycles).[1] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-wcrc-company-ending-1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-wcrc-company-ending-1_1-1) Tom Davidson (7 March 2024). ["What the story of Evans Cycles can tell us about the future of Wiggle"](https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/what-the-story-of-evans-cycles-can-tell-us-about-the-future-of-wiggle). *[Cycling Weekly](/source/Cycling_Weekly)*. cyclingweekly.com. Retrieved 20 April 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Danske Bank gets top spot in Belfast Telegraph's Top 100 Companies "](http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/danske-bank-gets-top-spot-in-belfast-telegraphs-top-100-companies-31214127.html). *Belfast Telegraph*. By Margaret Canning – 12 May 2015 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-wcrc-company-ending-2_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-wcrc-company-ending-2_3-1) Will Jones (21 February 2024). ["'Once the warehouse is clear, it's game over' – WiggleCRC lays off almost entire workforce"](https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/once-the-warehouse-is-clear-its-game-over-wigglecrc-lays-off-almost-every-staff-member/). *[Cyclingnews.com](/source/Cyclingnews.com)*. Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 20 April 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Nicholls Fuel Oils highest ranked family business in Belfast Telegraph's Top 100"](http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/nicholls-fuel-oils-highest-ranked-family-business-in-belfast-telegraphs-top-100-31212003.html). *Belfast Telegraph*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["25 years of Chain Reaction Cycles"](https://www.moredirt.com/print_friendly.php?id=1311). *www.moredirt.com*. Retrieved 8 May 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Retail Week - Chain Reaction: 10 things you didn't know about the cycles etailer"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160822065117/https://www.retail-week.com/multichannel/chain-reaction-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-cycles-etailer/5041548.article?blocktitle=Retail-sector-in-the-news:-Cycle-retailing&contentID=7892). Archived from [the original](http://www.retail-week.com/multichannel/chain-reaction-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-cycles-etailer/5041548.article?blocktitle=Retail-sector-in-the-news:-Cycle-retailing&contentID=7892) on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-irish_7-0)** [Irish Times - Pretax profit of €170m at world's largest online bike shop](http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/pretax-profit-of-170m-at-world-s-largest-online-bike-shop-1.548517). *Irish Times* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Ballyclare-based Chain Reaction Cycles sees its profits rise"](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-29606471) By Symon Ross *BBC News NI* 14 October 2014 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [BBC News - Online-bike shop Chain Reaction makes £13m profit](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15005951) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [[https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/irish-road-championships-2015/time-trial/results/](https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/irish-road-championships-2015/time-trial/results/) Cyclingnews.com - Irish Championships 2015 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Cunningham, Simon. ["Sales at Chain Reaction Cycles down after currency moves"](http://www.irishnews.com/business/2016/10/19/news/sales-at-chain-reaction-cycles-down-after-currency-moves-746844/). *The Irish News*. Retrieved 9 April 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Merger of Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles approved - MBR"](http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/wiggle-crc-merger-343812). *MBR*. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Brand-X Road Bike review"](https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/brand-x-road-bike-review/). *BikeRadar*. Retrieved 1 August 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Daly, Gavin (23 October 2016). ["CRC riding high at €82m"](https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/crc-riding-high-at-82m-wnscxrdm6). *The Sunday Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0956-1382](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0956-1382). Retrieved 9 April 2018. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_15-1) ["Local bike shops look away now - reports of worsening losses at Wiggle are exaggerated | road.cc"](http://road.cc/content/news/230058-local-bike-shops-look-away-now-reports-worsening-losses-wiggle-are-exaggerated). *road.cc*. Retrieved 9 April 2018. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_16-1) ["WiggleCRC confirms it has bought German e-commerce site Bike24 | road.cc"](http://road.cc/content/news/231147-wigglecrc-confirms-it-has-bought-german-e-commerce-site-bike24). *road.cc*. Retrieved 9 April 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Mark Sutton (27 October 2023). ["Wiggle Limited appoints administrator"](https://www.cyclingelectric.com/news/wiggle-appoints-administrator). *Cycling Electric*. cyclingelectric.com. Retrieved 20 April 2024. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chain Reaction Cycles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_Reaction_Cycles) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_Reaction_Cycles?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.