BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Skeppshult Bicycles is celebrating being the official bicycle supplier to the royal family – the Swedish one – for over a decade.
The luxury bicycle manufacturer has been in the business for over a century, but more recently is growing a UK following, according to the brand, seen in the likes of Windsor (naturally) and London.
Skeppshult is available in the UK through the Swedish Bicycle Company, which is, BikeBiz is told, looking to supply the bikes to interested retailers.
The brand started out in 1911 in southern Sweden, under the name Forest Star, though an early legal battle led to a name change to Småland Original. The handmade bikes grew in popularity, leading to a factory opening in the village of Skeppshult, from which the brand now takes its name (in 1945).
Skeppshult has stuck to manufacturing in its native territory and is the only company in Sweden with an unbroken history of manufacturing frames, building wheels and assembling cycles in its own factory. Today, electricity is generated from renewable sources, while excess heat from the paint coating ovens is used to keep the facility warm. Skeppshult is the official bicycle supplier to His Majesty, King Carl XIV Gustaf of Sweden and the Royal Family.
