Bicycle industry in crisis: Out! Scor! Gone! - Swiss manufacturer is "paused"

Scor is the playful, creative sister label of BMC - born out of the desire to build mountain bikes that are not only efficient, but above all fun-orientated, uncompromising and stylish. The brand stands for progressive geometries, well thought-out detail solutions and a clear focus on trail and enduro bikes with maximum riding fun. Whether flowing single trail or technical downhill. In short: SCOR bikes were built for freeriders who want to play with their bikes.

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This was announced back in May 2025: BMC is currently under pressure, which is why the Swiss manufacturer is cutting 40 jobs worldwide. The reorganisation includes an increased focus on gravel and road bikes. According to media reports, the subsidiary brand Scor will no longer develop new models.

Interview with Thomas Knecht, Brand Manager at Scor

BIKE: Thomas, rumours are circulating that SCOR is on the brink of collapse.

Thomas Knecht: The SCOR brand is being paused. In concrete terms, this means that no new bikes will be launched in the next twelve months and we have reduced our team and marketing budget. We are focussing our resources on supporting existing SCOR customers and our specialist retail partners. Services such as spare parts availability, warranty and crash replacement remain unchanged and will continue.

Your bikes have received consistently good reviews in trade magazines, and the image is also hip. How do you explain that?

We got off to a very successful start with SCOR in 2021. Our bikes and brand positioning have been received with great enthusiasm by the mountain bike community, and our bikes have also won several awards. Unfortunately, the bike market is going through a crisis and the mountain bike categories have been hit particularly hard. This has also led to sales difficulties and strong price pressure for us. Despite praised products, enthusiasm for the brand and lean structures, we were unable to achieve our goals in this market environment.

The word "pause" seems to be used a lot in the industry at the moment. GT Bikes uses similar wording, even though the brand has been dissolved. What's it like for you?

For us, taking a break means keeping a close eye on the market situation and keeping all our options open. We launched SCOR out of enthusiasm and with a lot of passion, and we definitely want our story to continue. The decisive factor will be how the market develops in the near future.

So a sale is also a possibility?

This falls under "all options".

What does a break like this look like in everyday life?

As already mentioned, service for our customers and specialist retail partners will continue without restriction. Spare parts supply, crash replacement and warranty services will be handled quickly and in a customer-orientated manner. In terms of marketing, we are sticking to the basics: we remain in contact with our SCOR community on social media, continue to support a small team of ambassadors and our website will also continue to be maintained.

In 2023, you signed Josh Lewis, one of the most creative mountain bikers around. Many thought it was a perfect match: playful bikes and a rider who can handle them.

That's right, the collaboration with Josh was very good and he was a perfect fit for us. What he did with our bikes was incredible and we were able to realise some cool projects together. Unfortunately, we had to end the collaboration at the end of 2024 to save money.

What should SCOR clients consider now?

As already mentioned, the warranty and service will continue to apply. SCOR dealers are the first point of contact for customers, and spare parts can also be ordered online. Customers can also contact us via the contact form on our website. While we are practically sold out ourselves, some dealers still have SCOR bikes in stock - with a bit of luck, interested riders can still buy their dream SCOR bike now.

Which of your bikes was the best seller?

Our 4060 and the motorised version of it - the 4060 Z - were both similarly successful and our top sellers. My personal favourite is the 2030 - simply an incredibly fun bike that perfectly combines playfulness, dynamism, downhill potency and uphill efficiency.

What happens now?

I can't say more than "all options are open" at the moment.

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