Witcomb Cycles of Deptford moving to Wales
One for our cyclists, who have already started discussing this elsewhere - legendary bike shop Witcomb Cycles has closed its shop in Tanners Hill, Deptford, after 40 years of business, and have left a very positive note on the door saying that they are moving due to demand for their hand-built frames and the need for a proper factory facility.
Their blog explains all.
51 comments:
from the Roberts website:
Roberts Frames and Bicycles are "handmade to measure" for you, by us here in Croydon,uk.
Does Croydon count as London though?
no, it's outer Brockley actually
Gosh. That's great news for them that they're doing well, but it'll be a real loss to the local area.
Dare I ask for some advice on bike buying? I don't want anything fancy. Just to cycle round locally and to work on the odd occasion.
Don't spend *too* little, the components will be poor and they'll either not fit very well of wear out rapidly. That said, anything over £250 should be OK - you might even pick up a decent second-hand bike.
Make sure and have it serviced after a couple of months of use (if it's new), often things needs tightening up and adjusted after they've bedded down.
Think about whether you need things like mudguards, special clothing and bags etc etc
Personally I'd never wear a helmet but people tend to these days.
If you're buying new you tend to get what you pay for. Get the bike through Bike2Work and save the tax, meaning you can afford a more expensive model.
As Hugh said, if you are lucky enough to have the Bike2Work scheme then you can use that to save the tax.
Have a look on the Evans website (but don't buy the bike from them) for an idea of what Hybrid bikes are available as these are ideal for what you want. Then go to Edwardes in Camberwell and let them know what you want.
Decathalon have a good range of reasonable bikes at reasonable prices . . .
Cheers folks. I had a look and we don't have the bike2work scheme unfortunately.
Beware the dreaded Bike Shaped Objects
To be fair, Witcomb make naff old steel-frame bikes and have been saved by the vogue for fixed-wheel models among City types and couriers. Give me a Japanese-built carbon-framed baby with the latest groupset any day.
Japanese built? Do they build frames in Japan? I thought they were all from Taiwan.
Experience a higher price bracket, my friend.
chromed lugs Hugh?
Which bike have you got Hugh?
Even the pedals are carbon.
It really is a thing of beauty.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
good bikes are a pleasure and a joy, even better on a good flat road
I personally think you can't beat riding in the mountains. The feeling of elation you get when you reach the top is great.
I used to go on the track at Herne Hill, even behind the pacer bike (not the derny) on occasions - that's pretty good, although you find yourself (as I did years ago) keeping up with blokes twice your age. (I'm their age now...)
Feelings of elation tend to be great.
just as smartarses are liked by no-one...............
so you've never been on a track then Hugh?
Hugh, you're actually really very tedious.
I'm not at all surprised you've never turned up for a bike ride with the other cyclists from Brockley Central on the grounds that you are either a walter mitty character who has never done more than the basic cycle commute or you're such a gimp that you are unable to relate to people in the physical world and must only converse over the internet.
If the latter I can understand your frustration with other people's mistakes with the english language as you must only ever get to see it in a written format. Poor old Hugh.
I like Hugh, but I'm not going to have his babies...
I'm glad for their sakes that they're attempting to move (with the times). Whether it was Malone's business model that killed things or the fact that they seemingly failed to embrace any cycling developments since 1975 (including the newer martensitic, and air-hardening steels), is perhaps moot (that's a frame-builder joke..).
Titanium axles in your pedals I presume Hugh? Otherwise, hang your head in shame.
Anon of 12:17 You are Nobbly Brick aren't you..?!
Pete, do you ever provide grounds for your rambling assertions, or do you work in sales?
Hope the misery subsides.
Was, Graeme, was
If you see someone zipping around ladywell and up and down the Old Kent Road on a pale cream Youngs Grandini it's my son and heir.
Was the Nobbly Brick brand so tainted that you went back to being anon?
ha ha, you just love it welcome
Hugh, do you fink yu cud sort out my speeling ere?
"hugh is a cnut"
fanks
Give Hugh a break, it was a mild jest, in keeping with his style of posting about tautology.
My grammar is appalling a lot of the time, so I welcome any errors and blips being brought to my attention. It helps me to improve.
Hugh posted his email address on here a while ago. In an idle moment I googled it, you'll be AMAZED at what popped up....or perhaps not.
I always suspected he was MI6.
I've posted my real name here a couple of times by accident, no one seems to have noticed though. Monkeyboy did it on Twitter when he 1st signed up!
no one cares HH
I know anon.... :-(
HH, I'm sorry to have had to be the one who said that to you
I'm just a cyberspace reject...
never mind - a weekend of dogging awaits - you're always assured of a warm welcome
(cough)
I was thinking along the lines of a good bike ride through Kent, but I guess dogging would be a good source of exercise too.... See you on Hilly Fields?
yeah, OK, I'll be the one in a trilby hat furiously puffing on an old briar.
(aren't euphemisms fantastic!?)
What's the trilby for?
keeping my bald head warm, what else?
Nobbly Brick is bald?
who's nobbly brick?
never heard of him
He was a chap that used to post on here with an interest in dogging. He has since gone underground coz he kept having his posts deleted by the blog admin.
Nothing wrong with being bald BTW, or dogging.
bald dogs aren't very nice though
That doesn't stop Paris Hilton having one.
I think she has a bald dog too.
nah he uses too much hair gel
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