London store moving

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After 40 years of operating from 25 Tanners Hill we have found that recent demand for our bicycles has forced us to expand and move to a new purpose built factory.

Our new facility will be based in Wales and will enable us create more modern fiber based bicycle frames together with our handbuilt steel bicycle frames which we have made for over 60 years.

If you have a bicycle with us for restoration or you have ordered a new build don?t worry, we will be contacting you as soon as it is ready and will arrange collection from this store.

Our plans will bring to the UK the most advanced bicycle workshop in Europe which will be grounded in our handmade and traditional craftsmanship.

We last had a factory in th 1970s also based in Wales when WITCOMB was at the height of it?s fame, so we hope this change will be equally prosperous.

We?d like to thank all our shop customers for the last 30 years. It is with great sadness we make this move.

Our new signage

The new signage is going up at the workshop. Our last sign was starting to show its age, so we have looked over many old images of the shop, deciding to create a new sign which borrows elements of the 1950s original but layout elements from the 1970s version.

Here we have Terry putting up the new Ply-wood for the signage, before it is painted black and the signage stenciled on. We just need a few days of dry weather to finish it!

2009: focusing on frames

From the re-opening on the 10th January 2009, we will be making changes to how we work at Witcomb Cycles. Over the last two years we have seen a vast turnaround in our business, at present we have more new frame orders than we have had during the last decade combined.

Keeping our focus on quality and handcrafting we will be focusing on making our bicycle frames and other Witcomb products by reducing some of our other services. We will now only be offering servicing and repairs to Witcomb bicycles or those restored by us. We will still offer our frame and bicycle renovation and restoration services to any brand.

The most dramatic of these is a change in our opening hours. Our workshop will be open, Monday to Friday every week, but only open to the public on Saturdays. We will also be open on Sundays during the summer months.

During the week we will be open for new frame appointments only. At weekends we will be open to customers for sale of Witcomb products and for same day servicing and repairs to any brand of bicycle.

We now have approval to proceed with our heritage center and gallery space, this will be located on the first floor of the building, the 2nd floor will be restored during 2010 to 2011 as part of our ongoing restoration of the 361 year old building.

2009 will also see some exciting new products, some of these include a new range of frames which will be made here in deptford as "off the peg" frames, retailing at £750 and for a frame & fork set. More information about these will be released in the spring, these will be offered alongside our custom frames.

The Limited edition London Cycling Campaign bicycle is also still available for the 2008-2009 period, at only £1500 for an off the peg frame or £1900 for a bespoke bicycle. We will also be adding a second limited edition to this, a thoroughbred velodrome bicycle, which again is in collaboration with a charity, and limited to only 50 bicycles.

Our clothing and accessories will be extended with new cycling products throughout 2009, and we'll also be introducing our own brand range of energy drinks based on collaboration with infinite nutrition's laboratory.

Barry is going to be continuing to train up Terry, our new framebuilder some of you may have met, together with other young framebuilders who will be joining us throughout the year.

Tripping on a bicycle

Tripping on a bicycle is a new film, being released in 2009. It is a wonderful story of a monk who decides to return to cycling after twenty years to raise money for charity. Written by Savio Suneer Noronha and produced by Grey Films.


There is one particular character in the film we are very proud of, one of our Witcomb bicycles in our Lilac racing colours.

There will be a sneak preview of the film Tripping on a bicycle, together with short BBC feature, The Bespoke Bicycle from the 1970s and a recent film by a local film student, Proper Bicycles, on our stand at the Earls Court Cycle Show this year.

Made to measure

London Cyclist, October/November 2008

Readers of the London Cyclist, the magazine of the London Cycling Campaign will enjoy a four page article on the last framebuilders in London.

The article outlines brief histories and current information on Roberts Cycles and Witcomb Cycles, comparing the present day bicycle market to the times when most London bicycle shops had a frame-builder out the back.

There is also a competition to win one of the 100 limited edition bicycles that we are producing for our anniversary, details are on the LCC website.

It's been a busy week here at Witcomb Cycles, with preparations for the cycleshow, prototypes for our 2009 bicycle range being completed, a special one off frame for fashion brand Carhartt being finished, not to mention Lilly and Barry's birthdays!

Happy Birthday Barry

A photo of Barry before he discovered bicycles.

In our second Birthday of the week, we would like wish Barry a happy 65th Birthday.

Happy Birthday Lilly

Everyone at Witcomb Cycles would like to wish Lilly Witcomb a very happy 94th birthday! The photo above shows a very young Lilly and Barry Witcomb.

Changes are coming!

In August we not only launch a new look website but we'll also be showing you a whole new range of Witcomb components, clothing and accessories.

Watch this space!

Press Release: Witcomb Bicycle Auctioned at Christie's for Charity

A fully bespoke bicycle by Deptford framebuilders Witcomb Cycles went under the hammer for £2,500.00 on Monday night at the prestigious Great Rooms of Christie's in support of the Lighthouse Gala Auction and the Terrence Higgins Trust.

The bicycle, which will be handbuilt to the measurements of the lucky bidder, will feature a unique livery created by the new owner himself with the help of Witcomb Cycles' designer.

Other lots on the night included a shopping trip with Joan Collins, a walk-on part in 'Little Britain USA', a ballroom dancing lesson with Strictly Come Dancing?s Camilla Dallerup or Tony Blair's last conference speech as Prime Minister.

The auction was attended by high profile supporters of the Trust, including Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite, Claudia Winkleman, Brian Paddick, Tina Hobley and Gaby Roslin. Tracy Emin got on the phone from Australia to introduce the lot she had donated.

Barry Witcomb, director, who has been building frames for the past 50 years said: "It was a very interesting and entertaining night. We are proud to be able to support the important work of the Trust in fighting this global disease."

In total, over £200,000.00 were raised on the night.

Terrence Higgins Trust

Press release: Witcomb Cycles

Press release
For immeditate release

Witcomb Cycles will be present at this year's Cycle Show in Earls Court as part of ambitious plans to rejuvenate the business.

Witcomb Cycles is the only company in London (and one of the very few in the UK) retaining the skills and craftmanship to build steel bicycles by hand. Capitalising on 80 years of experience in frame-building, Witcomb is about to embark on a new exciting venture.

Barrie Witcomb, the master frame-builder, is joining forces with leading designer Tony Malone and his associates to create a new range of bespoke bicycles, bringing together the best of British craftsmanship and British design. This will allow customers to order bicycles hand-made in the great Witcomb tradition and have them personalised and made even more unique with an exclusive livery, designed according to their specifications.

Future plans include the creation of a cycling club and the resurrection the Witcomb Racing Team which served as a starting point for the likes of Phil Liggett, David Burwood, and Richard Williamson. An owners' club will be placed under the control of Ernie Witcomb, the founder of the company, who is still going strong at 89.

The stall at the Cycle Show will be an opportunity for the brand to unveil the new service and to renew contact with its many fans. Several of Witcomb's concept frames will be on display, including a revolutionary prototype white carbon bicycle.

Tony Malone said: "For me, designing bicycles presents an exciting challenge and many opportunity for good design. I am very honoured to be working with such renowned craftsmen as Witcomb Cycles and to present examples of our new designs to the public and the rest of the trade at the cycle show. I see my role as helping Witcomb develop to its full potential but retaining the existing values of the business."

Witcomb Cycles will be on stand i7 at the Earls Court Cycle Show.
www.cycleshow.co.uk

Notes to the Editor:

Witcomb Cycles is an old south London business. The company has been based in Tanners Hill, Deptford since its creation by Ernie Witcomb in 1949. Ernie's father, Tom, who was a steel worker in the local dockyards, started hand-making bicycles in 1928. A Witcomb bicycle was the last British machine to compete in the Tour de France in 1958.

Barrie Witcomb started his apprenticeship under the guidance of Malcolm Barker in 1958 at the age of 15. He has worked all is life with Witcomb Cycles developing his unique skills. He is also a former racing champion and a mechanic for British Cycling Federation's teams in many prestigious international races. Along with many others, Barry has trained renowned American master frame-builders Richard Sachs and Peter Weigle.

Tony Malone BA (Hons) MCSD MISTD FRSA (dip) is leading a graphic designer. Working closely with Barrie, Tony heads the design department, designing livery and working on
special projects. He is a very keen cyclist with a track record as a road safety campaigner. Tony is also creative director at Design for Diversity, the only creative agency in the UK to integrate creative design, marketing, equalities, diversity and accessibility.