Ellis Briggs criticised in Guardian

[horizon]

I just wondered if this has been discussed already:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/ ... posit-lost

[reohn2]

EEK!
Not a good firm to do business with IMV.

[pete75]

Their website gives an impression they're an old, established and reliable frame builder. They certainly were but with the end of any business involvement by the Ellis or Briggs family this seems to have changed.

[foxychick]

Wow that is shocking to be honest you could not make it up if you tried.

[Noodle]

Avoid Ellis Briggs! I wish I had seen this before paying Ellis Briggs £1250 and an old Cannondale fully kitted out in 600) to adust the rear stays to accommodate modern gears and, and to rebuild the bike. When first returned to me my bike was a disaster (stays and paint job were ok) but the build was way below the agreed spec and there were awful component choices (eg 42cm bars to replace 36cm bars; 10 speed changer with 9 speed cassette). He had lost all my own components including my rack which fits my panniers... unlike the one he fitted. My bike shop said it would be £750 to make good, but Paul at Ellis Briggs sent a courier to pick it up so he could fix it - that was last June. Mistake..

It was already too late to get my credit card company involved. Every now and then I manage to contact Paul and he apologises and says he will do the build. Now I just want my beloved frame back. I think it's incompetence rather than anything else; I doubt it's more than 4 hours' work to do the build. I haven't been able to ride since November 2023.

The firm had a good _name_, but that's for a different firm.

[colin54]

You Tube video posted by Paul Gibson of Ellis Briggs a couple of weeks ago.
approx 14 minutes long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2fDoAkhFeQ&t=1s

[Noodle]

You Tube video posted by Paul Gibson of Ellis Briggs a couple of weeks ago.
approx 14 minutes long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2fDoAkhFeQ&t=1s

Flabberghasted to see how many people are in a similar position to mine.

[foxychick]

Quite frankly i would not believe a word that comes out of Paul,s mouth after watching this video and reading the comments.

[Paulatic]

I’ve just watched that video and I think he’s suffering from depression. I know I felt depressed listening to it.
My advice to him would be to clean up the mess he’s created before embarking on any new fanciful project. Are there really people out there who will hand over their money for Patreon status?

[foxychick]

Could not agree with you more the man is totally and utterly deluded on a grand scale. Someone on that youtube thread has been waiting 20 months for their bike back, he talks the talk but cannot walk the walk, he is a disgrace to the cycling industry.

[rareposter]

I’ve just watched that video and I think he’s suffering from depression. I know I felt depressed listening to it.

I think so too. I feel sorry for the guy but ultimately this mess has been going on for 6+ years - this thread and the Guardian link in the OP was started in 2019!

To then try and blame Bespoked and "new framebuilders with a social media following" is not really acceptable.

Things move on, new people (and new framebuilding options) come along and either you have an exceptional traditional system and a dedicated customer base or you adapt and move with the times and develop / evolve your own product. He's obviously not got the first part, he's burned half of his existing (and probably most of his possible future) customer base and he's not willing to do the second part.

Even Mercian found this out the hard way.