Witcomb Cycles

http://www.witcomb.eu/blog/2009/04/london-store-moving.html

The website is not a decent explanation it's a load of tosh-it's like some dodgy political spin

Indeed. Does one detect the handiwork of one Tony Dafoney?

I am sad.

L

from the sound of it they just move to wales because it benefit them more.

why are people sad? it's not like they're moving to Russia because some Rich Russian Rudeboy brought the company.

Its a bit like Bob Jackson moving to a trading estate in Colchester

it no longer Witcomb, its now a no namer....

...so they're not even keeping the shop open in London? I think that's pretty sad.

What i don't really understand is how Barrie or Ernie Witcomb will be actually involved in some Welsh operation without the London shop-Witcomb's has basically been about Barrie's great steel frames custom built for customers who have come down the shop to talk to him about it.I reckon that Barrie's called it a day and want's to sell the Deptford shop, and Tony and his crew have bought the name - a bit like the Masi story in America-the brand has nothing to do with the originator anymore.

from the sound of it they just move to wales because it benefit them more.
why are people sad? it's not like they're moving to Russia because some Rich Russian Rudeboy brought the company.

Just sad because I always lived arround there, and I remember when it was still a real bike shop, and you could see things happening at the back of the shop, I had never seen anything like that... Saying that I lived in UK for only 4 years... But some people (from the forum) I spoke to were local for their whole life and used to go and get their bmx fixed there when they were kids... It is sad for Depford if you prefer to put it this way. Is there still anybody building frames in "London London" now?
The whole process was kind of predictible, which makes is even worst I feel...
Before when I saw a Witcomb bike on the road there was something special about it, because I knew were it was coming from, it won't feel the same now.
Also, not far from witcomb a new bike shop openned, don't remember their name (on creek road), I was there to check how it was the other day... Loosing what Witcomb was, to have instead a taiwanese made (mainly I guess) bikes and accessories dealer definitely make me feel sad... (They have the smallest workshop I've ever seen, but to be fair I have to say that the guy I talked to was nice, although he could not help)...

Szia

L

London Good
Wales Bad

I agree with Vello/Szia- sure some cheap 70's Witcomb's were made in Wales or America or whatever but in the last 10 years they have been handbuilt by Barrie on the forge in the back that came from an old bike shop on the old kent rd originally-pure south east london history.
When i talked to Tony his plan was always to keep the shop going for obvious reasons-that the the heritage aspect was so important- what i never understood is what Tony planned to do when Barrie retired-there was clearly no one to replace him and what he did -make and repair frames beautifully.

From their website, duplicitous or not, it appears that they are seeking to train up some frame builders in the Wales, presumably to some sort of skill level matching their name.
If that's the case, that may be one part of how they intend to keep the name going.

London Good
Wales Bad

easy now tiger ;)

London Good
Wales Bad

London bad for Whales
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4635874.stm

I reckon that Barrie's called it a day and want's to sell the Deptford shop, and Tony and his crew have bought the name.
sounds about right. i used to love going into that shop when i was a young lad. it was strange walking in there for the first time after they 'sorted it out' it was as though it had lost all its magic. oh well, i'm sure barry is sitting on a beach somewhere sipping a cocktail as we speak/type.

Does anyone have the inside story on why Witcomb's has shut and "moved to Wales"?.
Rather sad end to a great Deptford institition .

Maybe they were just breaking away?

But seriously, I think they're out of step with the trend here, where smaller neighbourhood-based shops are coming back. And why couldn't they get similar premises in London?

lots of fancy stories flying about.

i do think that this Tony malone cut a buy out deal.
After many years at the helm of any business, there comes a point where you don't care, you just want out.
Show me the money and i show you the business.

The Welsh Development Agency are probably giving them huge incentives to move. Sadly the London Mayor is not so inventive. I blame Boris Johnson and Michael Martin (well it seems that everyone blames Martin for anything these days; corrupt MPs even blame him for their own corruption)

I was told that they weren't making any money and Barry was thinking of retiring. TM gave them an offer on the 'brand' and the site. Barry took the offer - retirement sorted. TM sells Tanner's Hill for £££

I hope Barrie got a good price for the business to enjoy his retirement.

Be interesting to see if new Witcomb can justify their pricing without Barrie's involvment and with the business moved to Wales. I would imagine demand would be less.

I hope Barrie got a good price for the business to enjoy his retirement

I really hope that too!!

L

More details of the self serving little cunt that is Tony Malone [and yes, I know you google your name you selfserving twat]

http://www.tony-malone.com/2008/11/tony-malone.html

Yes Tony Dafoney, why don't you tell us more about those typeface you designed, you know the one that looked exactly the same as frutiger, yup, the ones that are the "international standard for accessible typeface design" but don't exist.

And why don't you tell us more about the groundbreaking bike design work you've done for Trek and Bianchi you lying, self aggrandising twat

And while you're at it why not threaten us with legal action like you did last time [before you got busted by the forum] for boasting about stealing on your blog

cunt. end of.

[feel sad that a bit of London cycling history has been mangled by a lying little fuckwit]

+1

Well said Wayne. He's the epitome of the phrase 'self aggrandising twat'.