List of British name manufacturers bicycles

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
FV43576
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List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by FV43576 »

I was curious about the history of British cycles that were made in UK so I went search it seems not a much of info, I was wonder how many British bicycles name have made in the UK (include Ireland) since 1900s, and the one that is still production at the present. I can think of is Raleigh, RSW, BSA. Anyone can think of more names?
tatanab
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by tatanab »

RSW = Raleigh Small Wheel

Do you want to include the thousands of back room and custom frame builders? An absolutely monumental task. Perhaps assign one letter of the alphabet per month and see how many you get.
FV43576
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by FV43576 »

It can't be that much?
halfpenny
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by halfpenny »

How about one letter a week, to keep the topic active. Don't know any As myself.
tatanab
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by tatanab »

The issue is that there are 2 topics
I was wonder how many British bicycles name have made in the UK (include Ireland) since 1900s

the one that is still production at the present.

Thousands since 1900. Those still in production (or using the name) - only a few.

A few shown here http://classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/British.htm
JakobW
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by JakobW »

Possible places that might already have (partial) lists:

National Cycle Museum, Llandrindod Wells
Coventry Transport Museum
National Cycle Archive, University of Warwick (see e.g. https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/NCA/4/4/1 )
scottg
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by scottg »

New model web site, sponsored by Chater Lea.


https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/
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Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
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drossall
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by drossall »

FV43576 wrote:It can't be that much?

Yes it can. Time was, loads of towns had specialist builders, and many had several. I started riding in Cheshire in the late 70s. We could choose from Harry Hall and others in Manchester, Riva Sport in Prestbury (Macclesfield), one or two I've forgotten in Stockport, Harry Quinn, RJ Quinn and others in Liverpool, Mercian in Derby, Brian Rourke in Stoke, Longstaff in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Aende in north Nottinghamshire, and so on and so on. Many I've forgotten. And loads in other areas, obviously.
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cyclemad
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by cyclemad »

Woodrups of Leeds....still going strong.
thirdcrank
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by thirdcrank »

Do lightweight frame builders count as manufacturers?
tatanab
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by tatanab »

thirdcrank wrote:Do lightweight frame builders count as manufacturers?

I vote yes because all those I know will assemble complete machines if requested, and these days that is all large manufacturers do - assemble machines although to a stock specification. The days when a manufacturer could make all the parts is long gone - I believe it was Raleigh who many decades ago had the facility to make just about every part.
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TrevA
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by TrevA »

Starting with A.

Aende - frames made by Alan “Pongo” Braithwaite in the front room of his house in Nottingham in the 70’s and 80’s. He eventually emigrated to the Philippines, so I understand.

https://the5thfloor.cc/aende-bikes/

Argos of Bristol.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
drossall
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by drossall »

thirdcrank wrote:Do lightweight frame builders count as manufacturers?

Good question actually. The etymology of the word "manufacture" is pretty obvious, and simply means "making by hand". But most dictionaries seem to agree that, these days, it tends to mean making in bulk, often (and somewhat contradictorily) with mechanisation and/or division of labour.

Given that there's scope for it to include traditional manual methods, in this case it's pretty clear that the OP gets to tell us what the question means :D

Since TrevA has put Aende as the alphabetically-first UK frame brand, and before someone comes along with a better claim (which won't be long), here's mine. It has an extra claim to alphabetical precedence, as the respray is by TrevA's second firm, Argos :)
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amediasatex
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by amediasatex »

drossall wrote:
FV43576 wrote:It can't be that much?

Yes it can. Time was, loads of towns had specialist builders, and many had several. I started riding in Cheshire in the late 70s. We could choose from Harry Hall and others in Manchester, Riva Sport in Prestbury (Macclesfield), one or two I've forgotten in Stockport, Harry Quinn, RJ Quinn and others in Liverpool, Mercian in Derby, Brian Rourke in Stoke, Longstaff in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Aende in north Nottinghamshire, and so on and so on. Many I've forgotten. And loads in other areas, obviously.


And to muddy the waters even more... there were many more shops who sold frames and bikes under their own name, but who actually contracted out the frame builds to nearby, and not so nearby, builders. Holdsworthy is the oft quoted example, although there were many more, workshop output would be sold under a plethora of different names, some as standard models, some as fully custom, and some as short-run batches.

Couple that to frame builders who moved between business, and also sold frames under their own name before, during, and after which means there could be several brands who were the output from the same builder(s) over a number of years. I can think of a dozen examples of this right now without even putting much thought in.
drossall
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Re: List of British name manufacturers bicycles

Post by drossall »

I think only late Holdsworth(y) frames were farmed out. They started as "real" builders. Some quite nice frames. By chance, I also have one of those - this is a 1982 Mistral. Now, of course, PlanetX own the brand.
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