Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Jules59
Posts: 420
Joined: 16 Jan 2019, 2:34pm

Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by Jules59 »

I've been thinking for some time about replacing my 2013 Boardman Team Carbon, which Ive had from new, with an new "endurance" bike with "relaxed" geometry (though it varies a lot across the endurance range), disk brakes and full mudguards and maybe a pannier).
I'm looking at the £2k to £3.5K range.
I'd like to buy "British" if possible.
I quite fancy a Ti bike as my carbon has lots of chips after 8 years - most from stones, which is annoying, but the roads around my home are awful.
I've looked on-line at lot of manufacturers inc Boardman, Ribble, Dolan, Sonder and Wessex but I wonder if there are others that I've missed that others would happily recommend ?
Any advice gratefully received.
Jamesh
Posts: 2963
Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by Jamesh »

Spa Elan??

Cheers James
fastpedaller
Posts: 3435
Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by fastpedaller »

It depends what you mean by manufacturers. There are very few manufacturers.... Brompton, Mouton?. If you mean British assembled, then there are many more, but the frame (other than the previous mentioned) won't be made in Britain unless you get a handmade frame.
Cyclingtimmy
Posts: 4
Joined: 30 Jul 2019, 2:47pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by Cyclingtimmy »

Fairlight cycles. The Strael 3. Reynolds 853 Lightweight, air hardened custom formed Tubing. Fantastic bike. 5 star reviews
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by simonhill »

Aren't even Brompton frames imported nowadays?

Somebody please tell me I am wrong.
Jdsk
Posts: 24635
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by Jdsk »

simonhill wrote: 2 Oct 2021, 6:00pm Aren't even Brompton frames imported nowadays?

Somebody please tell me I am wrong.
"Each bike is hand brazed by a skilled craftsman at our London factory."
https://www.brompton.com/bikes/build-quality

Jonathan
Last edited by Jdsk on 2 Oct 2021, 6:27pm, edited 1 time in total.
David2504
Posts: 131
Joined: 11 Mar 2021, 5:29pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by David2504 »

Sabbath?
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by pwa »

Jamesh wrote: 2 Oct 2021, 4:18pm Spa Elan??

Cheers James
+1
keyboardmonkey
Posts: 1120
Joined: 1 Dec 2009, 5:05pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by keyboardmonkey »

Cyclingtimmy wrote: 2 Oct 2021, 5:52pm Fairlight cycles. The Strael 3. Reynolds 853 Lightweight, air hardened custom formed Tubing. Fantastic bike. 5 star reviews
Yes. Although neither this bike - nor the Ti Spa Elan - is the one for me, if I was in the market for a top end bike disc brake bike I wouldn’t look much further. A Reynolds 853 bike under 9 kilos in my size might draw me away from Ti. Decisions, decisions...

https://road.cc/content/review/fairligh ... 021-284101
PH
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Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by PH »

I'm not too fussed where a bike is welded, but if you are then there's not a lot of choice in British built Ti frames. Enigma make a few of their high end models in house, but I think all but the custom stuff is built elsewhere, at least that used to be the case. Then there's... nope that's the only one I can think of, there's a couple of others who might give the impression their British made, but it isn't the case. I think it's a fair bet, if they're not shouting about it being British made, it probably isn't.
scottg
Posts: 1218
Joined: 10 Jan 2008, 8:44pm
Location: Highland Heights Kentucky,, USA

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by scottg »

Ellis Briggs.

https://www.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/

Lots of Ti bikes made in the North American colonies. :)

https://22bicycles.com/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
gxaustin
Posts: 890
Joined: 23 Sep 2015, 12:07pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by gxaustin »

David2504 wrote: 2 Oct 2021, 6:23pmSabbath?
I don't think Sabbath frames, now marketed by Spa, are made in the UK
audaxjk
Posts: 155
Joined: 2 Mar 2020, 4:45pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by audaxjk »

Kinesis UK are probably as “British” as the manufacturers mentioned in the OP in the sense that they have a UK design base & assembly for parts basically made abroad.

It’s a very understated brand. They make superb aluminium frames. I have 2 (Racelight TK2 & Crosslight Pro 6) and love them. I don’t have experience of their titanium frames, but wouldn’t doubt the quality.
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by pwa »

audaxjk wrote: 2 Oct 2021, 9:31pm Kinesis UK are probably as “British” as the manufacturers mentioned in the OP in the sense that they have a UK design base & assembly for parts basically made abroad.

It’s a very understated brand. They make superb aluminium frames. I have 2 (Racelight TK2 & Crosslight Pro 6) and love them. I don’t have experience of their titanium frames, but wouldn’t doubt the quality.
Are they still doing titanium?
Bonzo Banana
Posts: 416
Joined: 5 Feb 2017, 11:58am

Re: Endurance bikes - British manufacturers ?

Post by Bonzo Banana »

I don't think Planet X have been mentioned but they are also a UK assembler of bikes with titanium models. It should be pointed out 99.9% of US and European brands are also basically importing either complete bikes from Asia or pretty much all components from Asia and assembling bikes mainly the former.

If you are buying British for the sake of economy then secondhand is a good option as you are buying an existing asset already imported anyway or go for a cheaper model so less added to our huge trade deficit and debt pile.

Planet X do some amazing value bikes but customer service is basic they are pretty much a box shifter in my opinion. Take the order, get it out the door as quickly as possible and try to ignore the customer if they can. I've bought loads of bits from them and its been a great experience but a bike is a bit more complicated. It's minimal warranty too, I think 2 years including the frame unless that's changed. The bare minimum warranty really in frame and fork terms. Still amazing value and if you know your way around a bike anyway a very good option.

Also it should be pointed out that titanium has a reputation of lasting a lifetime but modern titanium frames can fail like any other material they are much lighter with thinner tubing and milled out sections in order to be competitive in weight and are typically not the straight gauge tubes of the past that earnt them that reputation. Of course some frames are still using straight gauge tubes but I'd say more are towards being lightweight. Personally I'd want straight gauge tubes but then I'm not a competitive cyclist in anyway and would also want to tour with the bike as an option.
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