Around the world on unicycle

Quite randomly in 1978 a Japanese gentlemen cycled into the shop, past the counter, into the workshop and handed Barry a flyer, then cycled our again on his unicycle. Quite surprised, and amused, Barry and the other framebuilders looked at the flyer to see he was cycling around the world on his unicycle.

We don't know if he ever made it, but we still have his flyer up in the workshop.

A Visit to Reynolds

Yesterday Witcomb Cycles was closed. That's because most of the team was on a day-trip to Birmingham where it paid a visit to the legend of the cycling industry that is Reynolds.


The company has been making tubing for bicycles for over 100 years and although its recent history has been rather unsettled with several changes in ownership and an emergency move from their original premises, the company is still going strong.


We were treated to short history of the firm before being shown all the different machines present on the site and the various processes used to create the range of tubing they are famous for.


To find out more about the company, visit www.reynoldscycles.co.uk


We are hoping to soon have news about Witcomb Cycles and Reynolds.

You can view pictures of our visit here.

Merry Christmas From Niamh

Niamh, one of the young people coming to the shop for work experience, who we introduced on these pages before. As many of our customers know her wheel truing and spoke-lacing skills are becoming legendary.

She just sent us her wishes for the festive season via the image above which she adapted from our homepage. She has included the names of the team here at Witcomb Cycles. Not even Luca, Barry's (huge) dog, was forgotten.

Merry Christmas to you too Niamh.

Deptford, Properly

Deptford offers an interesting collection of original and sometimes quirky shops and businesses, from Manze's, the century old pie and mash shop, to the egg shop or our own workshop.

Tucked away in the alley on the side of our shop, is another addition to this wonderful collection. Deptford Properly, a new café which opened in August this year, is already drawing a crowd of regulars. And that includes some of our staff!


With its bohemian chic look of mismatched crockery and second hand furniture, the café , which is run by the Utrophia Arts Project, also has a gallery showing works by local artists. Crafts objects are also on display and for sale and special events take place on Sundays, such as a knitting circle (second and fourth Sundays of the month).

Most interesting of all is the delicious selection of vegetarian meals, home-made cakes, sponges and other muffins. So if you are visiting our workshop, do it Properly and go and say hello to our friends across the road.

Deptford Properly is open, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 10am till 7pm.
(We REALLY recommend the cheesecake.)

Deptford Properly

Mr Phoebus

Sir Edward Elgar started cycling in 1900 when living near Malvern, and his first bicycle were Royal Sunbeams. He purchased two of the machines with 28inch frames and three brakes and nicknamed them both Mr Phoebus. He was proudly pictured with it in an article appearing in The Sketch in 1903.

Elgar's most creative period, the first decade of the 20th century, were his cycling years. He would often cycle 50 miles in a day, and found inspiriation for his music when riding in the countryside of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and occasionally Shropshire. One of his cycling companions remembered: “As we rode, he would often become silent and I knew that some new melody or, more probably, some new piece of orchestral texture, had occurred to him”. In his birthplace museum there are maps of the area on display on which Elgar traced the routes of his rides.

Worcestershire County Council has installed cycle stands and a plaque celebrating Edward Elgar's status as a keen cyclist behind the Elgar Statue in the High Street, Worcester.

Five stands and a plaque have been installed at a cost of £2,000 following requests from the South Worcestershire Cycle Group.

The Malvern Hills Brewery have named one of their ales after Elgar's bikes.

Sculpting Elgar, Jemma Pearson talks about her creation of her cycling statue of Elgar - BBC Video Nation.