Witcomb Cycles on the web

Almost two weeks after the end of the London Cycle Show, search engines are starting to yield their crop of reviews from various cycling sites. And it seems that Witcomb Cycles' return to the public gaze has indeed been noticed. Below are a few extracts:

Zeitgeist and Me
There was one exhibitor who did delight my tweedy old-fashioned tastes in all things cycling and that was Witcomb Cycles. Ernie Witcomb and his son Barry have been hand-building lugged steel frames in south London for over 50 years. Nothing has changed in the styling, the odd concession to modernity aside, they are pretty much indistinguishable from a road bike of the 1940s. They are beautiful works of craftsmanship, each frame individually tailored to the height, weight and riding style of the customer. Of course such attention to detail and bespoke design does not come cheap (upward of £1500 for a frame alone) but it is a pleasing sight to see someone making things on a small scale, with care and tremendous skill rather than shipping the whole operation off to a sweat shop overseas with an "it'll do" attitude. The Renaissance Monkey

Handmade in London
The well respected Witcomb Cycles were at the show celebrating nearly 80 years of producing handmade bicycles. Ernie Witcomb, founder of the Witcomb brand back in 1949, was present to enthuse about his bicycles, even at the ripe old age of 89. Witcomb Cycles' range has undergone changes in recent years, and the beautiful white carbon frame, carefully colour-coordinated to match the company's distinctive colour scheme, naturally drew crowds. But the real crowd pleaser at the stand was the selection of intricately designed classic framesets on display. The attention to detail and expert craftsmanship on the frames is exactly why Witcomb have earned so much respect, and the models on display were breathtaking. However, the recent transformation of the Witcomb brand, which now commands a £1,350 base price tag on its steel frames, may prove to be a controversial move. A position as one of cycling's prestige brands is no less than Witcomb deserves, although whether this will isolate the mainstay of the company's urban-cool admirers or drive people towards less distinctive imported carbon-fibre frames remains to be seen. Cycling.tv

Harold's top picks...
Witcomb Cycles: There were a lot of high-end, computer-designed aerodynamic slabs of carbon on show, but I've got to admit that I'm a sucker for a hand built bike, especially one with such a classic look and proven heritage. The custom design and finish I had my eye on at the show would be a little tough on my own wallet, all polished chrome and carefully sprayed tubes, but I can at least daydream. Cycling.tv

The TredzTalk reviewer simply "had a massive soft spot for the Witcomb frames" while Domestique on Another Cycling Forum thought that our "Barbers pole" designs were "pretty tasty". Road Cycling UK are happy to proclaim "Witcomb Cycles back in business". Others, on London Cycle Sport thought that images speak louder than words: here and here. Local bloggers have nice things to say about us too:

Absent Moments
Firstly news of great things afoot over at the south end of Deptford High Street. Our very own local bike makers Witcombs are having a big revamp. Far from planning to move out of the city, as was gloomily predicted in the Deptford Lives film I saw at the festival earlier this year, they have launched a new line of frames (customise the look as well as the technical details, courtesy of local lad and leading designer Tony), cleared out the shop, and there are even rumours of a cafe! Meanwhile, Barry and Ernie have now got a blog, so check it out and see what's happening over that neck of the woods. Deptford Dame (thank you for the link, your Ladyship)

Lewisham Council have also produced a few articles about us in their various publications which are still available online (as pdf files) if somewhat older and not completely accurate:
The Frame Game - Business Life, Feb/Mar 2006
Made to Measure - Lewisham Life, Jul 2007

Finally, Witcomb Cycles now has its own Wikipedia entry.