breakingaway

Most recent activity

• Witcomb Cycles

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

  I think the bottom line is that Barrie was always prepared to do frames and frame repair work and never charged what his monopoly skills were worth because he was an understated kind of guy-Tony comes along and basically offers a lifeline to an aging business but at the same time is hopelessly out of step with the realities of a small cottage industry type operation-the result is what's happened-i think it was inevitable really because there was no one to replace what Barrie does-except in Tony's fevered grandiose brain.

• Witcomb Cycles

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

  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.

• Witcomb Cycles

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

  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.

• Witcomb Cycles

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

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

• Witcomb Cycles

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

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

• For Sale: Armstrong 60s Frame (Witcomb refurb)

  in Complete bikes and frame & forks • 15 years, 7 months

  

  good luck

• For Sale: £80 frame sale (fuji track and witcomb) + a free road frame

  in Complete bikes and frame & forks • 15 years, 7 months

  

  fuji are ok

• Witcomb project

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

  easy

• Witcomb Cycles

  in Bikes & Bits • 15 years, 7 months

  

  Well it's a south london institution and i'm gutted that it can suddenly just shut-
  also who's going to do the frame repairs -my understanding was that Barrie did most of London's work sent from other shops.

• Chain Issues Too tight or too loose

  in Mechanics & Fixin' • 15 years, 7 months

  

  Ignore