matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:02 PM |
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Bicycles made in Britain?
Hi there,
I need a new bike for commuting and I'd like to try to buy british but can't afford a properly expensive (i.e. 4 figures) bike.
Most of the components are made abroad (unavoidable), but there must be some opportunity for UK engineering effort.
In terms of spec, either fixed or alfine hub gear, and ideally disk brakes (cause I haven't had them before), straight handlebars and no
suspension. I don't want to get a Brompton because I want proper wheels. I accept I might get a slightly low spec for the money, but I can feel
supercilious which will make up for it.
Any thoughts on bikes that have a higher than average UK content or at least UK owned?
Closest I can get is Pace 4216 (which does look very pretty)
Matt
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daniel mason
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:20 PM |
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not overly good with bikes,but are the chris boardman range not uk made?
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tul214
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:26 PM |
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Cotic?
1.6 Raw Super6 sold
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
not overly good with bikes,but are the chris boardman range not uk made?
Manufactured in Taiwan
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gazza285
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:32 PM |
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Paul Milnes.
On-one.
Charge.
Dawes.
Claud Butler.
Ellis Briggs.
Pashley.
Ridgeback.
Amongst others, although as you say, not many do much in the way of UK production.
DO NOT PUT ON KNOB OR BOLLOCKS!
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tul214
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:33 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by gazza285
Paul Milnes.
On-one.
Charge.
Dawes.
Claud Butler.
Ellis Briggs.
Pashley.
Ridgeback.
Amongst others, although as you say, not many do much in the way of UK production.
Aren't Orange built somewhere near you too?
1.6 Raw Super6 sold
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jossey
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:38 PM |
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Pashley?
Woodrup cycles?
Thanks
David Johnson
Building my tiger avon slowly but surely.
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me!
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:44 PM |
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Best I could manage, I'm sure you could throw some flat bars on if you wanted to!
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/cross/day-one/day-one-disc
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:47 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by jossey
Pashley?
Woodrup cycles?
Pashley are a bit too "last of the summer wine"
Woodrup make lovely bikes and definitely make their own frames, but more than £2k for a bike is too much.
I think these are more british than many though.
Matt
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 09:56 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by gazza285
Paul Milnes.
On-one.
Charge.
Dawes.
Claud Butler.
Ellis Briggs.
Pashley.
Ridgeback.
Amongst others, although as you say, not many do much in the way of UK production.
good list, and Genesis and Orange look interesting too.
I will have to do some research. I guess the best I can aim for is UK made tubing (Reynolds) that is fixed together in the UK and then assembled here
too.
This does seem to come with a substantial premium, but much of that will be UK taxes paying for stuff I need so its just an investment of sorts.
Matt
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 10:05 PM |
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thanks for your help with this.
Matt
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morcus
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 10:22 PM |
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Easiest way would be to get an old bike.
Get yourself a Norman, They even named a street in honour of the Factory.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
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ianclark1275
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 10:45 PM |
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im sure claud butler are totally made in north linconshire
ive had them for years...
IC
measure twice, cut once, scrap it, start again.
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Andybarbet
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 11:02 PM |
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Interesting thread 
I've been cycling to work since October, im now thinking of getting a proper bike, mine is a cheap cheap piece of rubbish but hey, it was given
to me & has done ok so far but showing signs of imminent failure !
I will be selling my Vespa in the spring & putting some of the money towards a new commuter bike, I have been looking on pauls cycles website at
last years models but wouldnt have a clue what ones (if any ?) are made here on british soil ??
My budget is going to be around £450 so not in the big league this year but I too would like disc brakes because this winter, the old school rubber
brake pads have had me worried a couple of times 
Give a man a fish & it will feed him for a day, give him a fishing rod & you've saved a fish.
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 11:22 PM |
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Re: Norman. Can't be bothered with fixing a bike up as it is a commute bike so won't get any love.
Plan is to buy a new one, run it for about 15000miles which is 5 years (replacing tyres, brake pads, chains/rear-sprocket) after which time I can get
a new one again. Last time around it was a Specialized Langster (2007), but that is failing (knackered Bottom Bracket, grinding from rear wheel, and
I've neglected the tyres, brakes, drivetrain a bit too much) to that needs moving on.
Bikes are like cars, very expensive to build from bits. I save loads over driving to work, so don't mind buying new.
Matt
p.s. Cotic sounds promising, at least they design the frame and put the components together onto it.
p.p.s. From what I can gather Claud Bulter are owned by Falcon who in turn are part of the Tandem Group Plc. according to their investor presentation
they ceased production of bicycles in 2006 and manufacturer "Manufacturing outsourced to Far East and Europe".
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Blackbird Rush
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| posted on 19/1/13 at 11:24 PM |
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Hi Matt
I have 2 uk built bikes, an orange mountain bike and a Dawes road bike an i'm very pleased with both.
Both were bought 2nd hand from eBay at good prices , the orange was just the frame (old o2 hardtail) and swapped over the running gear from my old
bike and the Dawes was a giro 500 complete bike (changed the bars to triathlon aeros now)
One thing we can still make in the uk is good bikes!
Ash
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Davey D
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| posted on 20/1/13 at 01:30 AM |
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I had a Dawes hard tail MTB for a few years, and it served me well. I only sold it because I bought a norco (canadian) full suspension bike.
As mentioned above, the Claud butler/falcon cycles factory is in Brigg, in North Lincs
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trextr7monkey
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| posted on 20/1/13 at 09:09 AM |
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Dave yates brilliant frame builder was involved with joe waugh years ago, now doing his own thoing. I'm no cycle buff but my lad poicked up a
waugh and it was a fantastic bike until he out grew it.
Hth
Mike
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016102@N00/ (cut and paste this dodgey link)
Our most recent pics are here:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/trextr7monkey/
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 20/1/13 at 10:08 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Davey D
I had a Dawes hard tail MTB for a few years, and it served me well. I only sold it because I bought a norco (canadian) full suspension bike.
As mentioned above, the Claud butler/falcon cycles factory is in Brigg, in North Lincs
Sadly, Claud Butler/Falcon/Dawes/elswich/British Eagle, are all owned by Tandem, and no longer produced in the UK. Details from their report indicate
that since 2006 all bikes have been imported complete (link above). There may be some design work in the UK, and other business activities, but not
really what I was hoping for.
I also found this on a forum:
"I did some work in the Falcoln cycles/claude butler factory in Brigg a couple of years ago. As far as I know both brands are still produced in
Cambodia and the factory in brigg is purely an import facility now."
Orange do have UK credentials, but I don't want a mountain bike.
Matt
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johnny chimpo
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| posted on 20/1/13 at 11:09 AM |
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Check out state bicycles.
A guy I work with bought a fiixie from them and its absolutely cracking! He's also said the customer service was one of the best companies
he's ever dealt with.
Here's a pic of the bike he bought....
[Edited on 20/1/13 by johnny chimpo]
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jossey
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| posted on 20/1/13 at 11:31 AM |
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I used to race bikes n kona n orange are my favourite orange for people shorter and kona do longer frames so better for me as I'm 6ft 3.
Shame they ain't British.
I would only now buy kona :-) long frame and I broke one and they took it away n built me a nee one with the old parts n up new parts on the bis they
couldn't re use :-)
Thanks
David Johnson
Building my tiger avon slowly but surely.
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 21/1/13 at 10:12 AM |
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Pashley are the closest to production in the UK, they make their frames and stuff.
Prices are high, but not mental like the custom built stuff. They are not a slave to fashion.
If you want a small wheel bike the Brompton and probably Moulton.
The test of whether its made here is that if it is then they will show a factory tour on their website. If they don't then most likely the
frames are made elsewhere, and maybe the whole bike is made elsewhere.
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adithorp
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| posted on 21/1/13 at 11:14 AM |
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Sadly, you're pretty much more likely to find a chocolate tea pot than a mass produced british bike.
There's stilla few frame builders (Bob Jackson-Leeds, ChasRoberts-London, BrianRourke-Stoke) that'll build you a bespoke frame but
that'll cost. Just about everything else come in from the far east.
For your spec (apart from the UK bit) THIS Kona looks OK.
Evans site is pretty good for browsing different models. The current Langster is in there long with other fixed bikes (but all drop bars and no disc
brakes apart from the very nice/expensive BMC).
Do the Uni'opereate the "Bike to Work" scheme? Worth looking into, as it basically gets the the bike tax free so saves about 25%
(payment made from salary before tax/NI)
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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iank
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| posted on 21/1/13 at 01:32 PM |
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Probably not what you want but British designed and made.
http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/
http://www.brompton.co.uk/
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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adithorp
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| posted on 21/1/13 at 01:47 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by iank
Probably not what you want but British designed and made.
http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/
http://www.brompton.co.uk/
"...I don't want to get a Brompton because I want proper wheels..." Matt
This in the first post kind of rules them out.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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