cappa-mocha-latte-witcomb-chino

Just a note to say we've had our coffee machine fixed!

We always get people who just come to "be" at Witcomb cycles, look at our photographs, stroke our frames, chat about "the good ole days of cycling" and of course get into heated debates over tubulars or clinchers. So when we started the refurbishment last January, we added the sofas. This was good.

The sentiments of many of our visitors were summed up by one customer: "This is not a bike shop. It's a cycling happening".

In February we added the coffee machine. This was better. After two months it broke. This was not good.

But now it is all working again and cappa-mocha-latte-witcomb-chinos are available again for anyone who wants to "be" at Witcomb Cycles for some good chats about bicycles.

(PS. Tubulars are more fun. Tony.)

Witcomb Lilac

In 1952, while still trying to define the Witcomb brand, Ernie had a long chat with the current owner of Holdsworth cycles. "You need a colour" he suggested. -Holdsworth at the time had been using their shade of orange for 20 years. "But which colour?" Ernie replied. "Oh, You need a lady to choose that."

"I know just the lady" Ernie replied as clarity hit.

Lilly Witcomb arrived at our shade of Witcomb Lilac by spending a lot of time looking at other bicycles and also furnishings and house paints. Lilly arrived at Lilac by realising it was a much under-used colour, and also lent itself to fashion as well as bicycles. She had also just bought a pair of lilac curtains, which heavily influenced her choice. By the end of 1952 nearly a whole product line was designed by Ernie and Lilly featuring the newly registered colour, "Witcomb Lilac".

The colour has seen us well over the year, always keeping our bicycles looking stylish. So much so that at the 1967 London Cycle Show, Holdsworth sent Ernie a bunch of flowers with a note to see their stand as they had all of the bicycles on their stand in Lilac as a tip of the hat to the success of our Witcomb Lilac.

We keep our enamel mixture for Witcomb Lilac a bit of a secret, and still use it today on our frames. It has seen us well over the years, a testiment to Lilly's colour choice. (We're also glad she didn't buy brown curtains!)

Around the world on unicycle

Quite randomly in 1978 a Japanese gentlemen cycled into the shop, past the counter, into the workshop and handed Barry a flyer, then cycled our again on his unicycle. Quite surprised, and amused, Barry and the other framebuilders looked at the flyer to see he was cycling around the world on his unicycle.

We don't know if he ever made it, but we still have his flyer up in the workshop.

Clement Evolution - 13c 'Tubulars' sort of..

While clearing space in our archives up stairs we found lots of pairs of these odd tubular tyres / tube combination. Even Barry has no idea what size or shape rim they would fit on.

They have a sort of flat panel underneath which hooks like a modern Clincher tyre, but would require a specific rim to fit them.

So if anyone has been searching for these rare tubulars, please get in touch, we've got a lot.

Another new look

The current shop front, 2002 to 2008

The Witcomb workshop at Number 25, Tanners Hill has seen many different changes and alterations over the years. And as our last sign was looking a little tired and in need of an update we've decided to re-paint it over the winter. Keeping it in style with our Grade II surroundings and neighbouring businesses.

It also gives us a chance to boost our security system with new equipment as well as performing some repairs to both the timber framing on the building and the horsehair-plaster coating.

Don't worry we're still here and open as normal during both the re-building works to the street outside and while we carry out this face-lift.

Over the decades Ernie took great pride in re-inventing the front of the workshop, and below are some archive images of previous incarnations of Witcomb Cycles's home.

An early 1950s shop-front. Note the door on the opposite side. -It's original position.

Above and below, examples of our 1964-1970 Shop front.

The opening of the new extended workshop in the 1970s to include numbers 23 to 25 Tanners Hill.

Our first shop front further up the road in Tanners HIll, used alongside our unit in Woolwich, circa 1949.

Quick caption competition

We had this in our image archives and we know it is famous framebuilder Bill Hurlow. (Known for his curley rear stays on Hetchings bicycles.)

The best caption by 4pm on today -Saturday 18 Ocotber 2008 will win a Witcomb Workshop Apron worth £25

Our workshop assistants, Adam, Jack, Niamh, and Michael will choose the winner.

email to: office@witcombcycles.co.uk

Good luck.

We've all got headaches, but we don't mind.

On Monday work started on re-building the street outside of our collection of old buildings in Tanners Hill, new paving, trees and better accessibility and drainage will be the result of around 6 week of work undertook by Lewisham Council.

The site was designed by Shirley Broughton, who has spent many hours looking at the plans and discussing her ideas with all the residents and business of Tanners Hill. All of the shops are open as normal during the works, and if you need any help accessing or getting to our workshop or any of our neighbouring businesses the workmen are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you through the roadworks.

We are all looking forward to seeing the final result and welcoming you to the new look Tanners Hill this Christmas.

Keeping prices simple

As the website has been updated, we've also had another look at our price list. There are so many options when choosing a bespoke frame, we've tried to make our price lists simpler to use.

We've also changed our prices for the first time in five years (except, we added VAT to everything during 2007/08 for re-registering for VAT).

Thankfully, this time it is better news. We can now offer all our frames with a Witcomb Lilac colour finish included in the cost of a new frame. Our enameling costs have also come down further on new frame orders. We've achieved this by welcoming new suppliers to supplement our in-house enameling. All our enameling work is still carried out in the UK, and to our own strict standards on quality control and finish, with an even faster service.

You can view our new pricelist for custom built frames on our downloads page at:
www.witcombcycles.co.uk/downloads

Or ask in our workshop for more details.

New opening times

As from Tuesday the 14 October 2008, our opening hours are changing.

Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 6pm

Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm

Closed Sundays and Mondays.

We've made a slight alteration to our opening time, this allows more of our customers to visit the workshop after their work hours. -A much requested change.

We will continue to be closed on Mondays and Sundays.