What's happened to Charge Bikes?

Their website is still touting 2017 models, and not many online stores have any stock left. It would be a shame if they've got into trouble, always liked their stuff.

I was wondering this the other day. New steel 2018 range never appeared, and people seemed into the Cleaver when it was announced as well.

This article suggests they've become somehow combined with Cannondale....

Founder of Charge is now Cannondale's global Creative Director, while the head of suspension at Cannondale (and a director at CSG) is now heading up Charge and Fabric (the saddles).

https://www.bikebiz.com/community/larsen-takes-charge-at-cannondale

Expect lefty charge plug with innovative new bottom bracket standard to land sometime in 2020....

They are part of CSG and have been for a long time - it's possible that they have dropped the bikes in favour of concentrating on accessories, i.e. Fabric saddles.

Doesn't seem to be reported anywhere though.

Edit: link above is interesting. Not sure what Cannondale could do with a 'creative director', maybe his role is to help Cannondale get back to a place where they are setting trends rather than blindly following them, three years too late. I'm looking at you SystemSix, FatCAAD.

Looks like the poor sod who was in charge of Suspension at Cannondale has taken on responsibilities for what remains of Charge, i.e. saddles.

The Facebook and Twitter pages haven’t been updated in nearly a year. Also the Instagram page seems to be just used as the founders personal page with no recent Charge content.

It all sounds like it's slid under the radar. Weird that of their products to take with him, it's the saddles that were the best product (though nothing wrong them, loved my Spoon). RIP Charge Bikes.

PS Thanks for the link @Scrabble

It all sounds like it's slid under the radar

Yeah. A sad, quiet death. Bit like that of the Lefty. Ho hum.

I fear Singular may be doing similar.

i love the saddle so much i've been tempted to put it on my carbon racey thing

Perhaps. They had a decent "brand" in Charge bike. I wouldn't be surprised if they reappeared. They were ahead of the curve on cheaper simple bikes with big clearance.

I've still got a Charge Juicer in Tange Prestige. It's a lovely modern skinny steel road frame. Less than a 1/4 of the price of a SOMA Smoothy or All City Mr Pink, but not far removed in terms of quality. One day it might get a new paint job and do a better of job of pretending to be a bit posh.

They're coming back - Sam made some kind of deal a few years back that transferred distribution to a German partner but I think that's over now.

New Pegasus frame pics on Instagram.

Interesting. Early Charge bikes were good, the Plug was largely responsible for the rise in the SS bike, I reckon. Even tho the tubing was basic at best and they handled like the tubes were full of sand.

The Slate was innovative yet failed commercially. IMO due to mediocre execution more than anything else, but that not be the lesson they learned from it.

I emailed charge back in June regarding the new 2018 steel plug - I was told they had issues with their assembler (manufacturer?) but were back on track and were planning to release early in the new year. meanwhile they had been focusing their attention on the fabric brand.
hopefully they stick to this - the 2018 prototype bikes looked pretty nice.

They’ve been slim lining their range for s few years. I still miss my old charge stove. Loved that bike.

Charge's loss is Goku's gain.

http://www.cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk/my19-ddr/

There's a lack of details there about anything Charge there, also 50/01 crew have that grip with Fabric and Rat Boy is left Santa Cruz, and Cannondale's MTB range is a bit smaller this year, and certainly doesn't have any thing that's a bit out there , other than their SI gubbins... So maybe Charge will return in the new year with a long, low & slack hard tail, down hill bike, and a monster cross bike. My predictions.

Their Instagram account has come back to life lately with a series of posts of bikes in chronological ascending date order.
Build up to a comeback maybe??
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBxxnMQlraV/?igshid=lev30uq1m83b

Hope they go back to making steel bikes

https://www.chargebikes.com/
Looks like they didn't go back to making steel bikes, and maybe just sold the brand to some American company and put out a load of generic e-bikes? 🤷

Excellent value on that XC model!

Compared to the Cannondale tesoro neo x, yes.
https://www.cannondale.com/en-gb/bikes/electric/e-touring/tesoro-neo-x/tesoro-neo-x-2?sku=c66200m10sm

Still, a disappointing turn of events

hah well at least it's a good use of the name

maybe just sold the brand to some American company and put out a load of generic e-bikes?

Yeah, they're owned by Dorell who own Cannondale & GT, amongst all load of other non cycling related businesses.

uk company, only selling ebikes to america... oh.

Shame, charge were a cool small company