One Eye Grey - Bank Holiday Weekend

Disappearing ladies, off licences on the sites of ancient temples, birds who charge tolls and one?s that stalk with the pigeon hordes. All this and a couple of nasty trips underground. What more could you want from a Bank Holiday Weekend?

The fifth volume of One Eye Grey, the penny dreadful for the 21st century, Bank Holiday Weekend is now available and can be bought from our shop. Witcomb Cycles is continuing to support this thrilling London publication by sponsoring the cover of this latest issue.

The booklet features modern stories based on traditional London tales of the uncanny, paranormal and supernatural. One Eye Grey is a collaborative effort bringing together people who fancied creating something chilling and pocket sized to read on the tube.

Previous issues are also available.

Find out more here.

Frame Repairs

The beauty of a steel frame (apart from its aesthetic one, of course) is that, with the right skills, it can be repaired and given a new lease of life if by any chance it gets damaged. We are lucky to be able to offer those skills to members of the public as well as other bicycle shops.


The fact that we are one of the few shops in the country able to offer this service means that we are given a wide variety of jobs and sometimes on some pretty special bicycles. We can undertake any type of restoration or modification, from adding braze-ons, to changing drop-outs to turn a road frame into a track frame, replacing a piece of corroded tubing or simply respraying a much-loved frame.

For more details about what we offer and to view our price list, please click here.

Co-founder Celebrates his Ninetieth Birthday

Ernie Witcomb who co-founded Witcomb Trading ltd in 1949 celebrated his ninetieth anniversary earlier this week. Today, he was at the shop as usual but to enjoy a rather unusual day.

Most of the morning was spent talking to a camera crew from the fashion company Carhartt, reminiscing about his life-long involvement with the Cycling industry. The afternoon took a more festive tone, with nibbles and drinks being shared with the team and a journalist from the South London Press.

Tomorrow will gather Ernie's friends and family in a celebratory meal.

Living South - Wheels of Fortune

Peter Vaughan pedals back in time to explore the long history of Deptford's Witcomb Cycles

When you think of custom tailored suits you think of Saville Row; when you think of handmade shirts you think of Jermyn Street. But when you think of a custom made bicycle, chances are that you wouldn't think of Tanner's Hill in Deptford. This, however, is where the last remaining shop in London specialising in building you a one-off bicycle to your measurements has its home.

[...]

The concept of taking time over things to get them just right - to enjoy the journey as much as the arrival - is gaining momentum again in our culture. Witcomb Cycles has always built bikes in this way, holistically taking the best ingredients, making sure that they suit the rider, planning the end product and then constructing it using other local suppliers for anything from the tubing to the hand-painted logo on the headtube. It is a slow process but the end result is like a meal from your own garden or a fine wine from a small chateau.

Read the full article in Living South here.

Easter opening hours

We are open over the Easter Holidays on the following days:

Tuesday 18 March to Thursday 20 March: 9am to 5pm
Good Friday: Closed
Saturday 22nd March: Open 9am to 12 noon.
Sunday and Easter Monday: Closed.
Open from Tuesday 25 March as normal: 9am to 5pm

We wish all our customers a very happy Easter and look forward to welcoming you to our workshop afterwards.

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

Undaunted, he plunged his savings, now obtains top orders

Reprinted from the South London Press, Friday, September 25, 1959.

In a small workshop tucked away in a Deptford side street six men are working on special lightweight cycles soon to be shipped to top road race cyclists in America.

Identical models are being shipped to New Zealand and enquiries are coming from other parts of the world.

The American deal marks another stop in the struggle of Ernest Witcomb (44), who three years ago plunged his life savings into making these machines. It has been a struggle.

Now he has a turnover nearing £30,000 a year at Tanners Hill, Deptford.

His father was a keen road racing cyclist and Ernie took over where he left off. His racing days are over now but he is road secretary of the South East London division of the British Cycling Federation.

In 1948 he was one of the officials at the Olympic Games. The following year he took a team of riders to Belgium to represent England.

"Cycling has been my whole life and I've no complaints. I even met my wife at a cycling club dance 22 years ago," he said.

To keep up with everyday events he sponsors his own semi-professional team using Witcomb cycles. One of the team is Bernard Pusey, well known British rider, who works for him.

"Last year I had Stan Brittain in the Tour de France under contract, using my cycles. It was one of the two British cycles to complete the race," he said.

"The official Army team also use my machines and with the markets opening up in America business should be even better next year."

When he first started he was supplying frames and accessories to Claude Butler. Then the Claude Butler firm went broke and Witcomb lost a third of his capital overnight. Undaunted, he carried on.

His wife, Lily, works as secretary of the firm and his son, Barry, aged 16 an up and coming youngster in the road racing has started to learn the trade.

Text from a promotional flyer,
Picture from the archives: the store room at No 32 Tanners Hill, circa 1958.