Inside the bespoke Yorkshire bike shop still in gear after 84 years

The epic climbs and descents of the region’s Tour de Yorkshire bike race could be a perfect analogy for the cycling industry. Currently enjoying a renaissance, thanks largely to reduced traffic levels during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, nobody is sure whether this is the start of a healthy transportation revolution or a passing fad bolstered by gym closures (now reopened) and furloughed workers with time on their hands.

Paul Gibson, as the current proprietor of Ellis Briggs Cycles, a business based in the West Yorkshire town of Shipley since 1936 and famed as the oldest custom steel framebuilders in the UK, has an insight into the ups and downs of the bike business.

According to Gibson, Ellis Briggs’s longevity can be attributed to the business adapting to consumer trends throughout the decades. During the war years, the fledgling business fought for survival selling children’s clothes and enamel paints alongside their bikes.

Later, the company was able to capitalise on an interest in road racing while serving in Italy and France. During the 50s, Ellis Briggs’s reputation was bolstered by the cycling success of employees including Ken Russell who won the 1952 Tour of Britain race.

In the 60s, when car sales soared, Ellis Briggs turned its attention to serving the American market which increasingly looked to Europe for high-quality bikes. Then throughout the Eighties and Nineties, both the BMX and mountain bike trends kept the store busy.

Into the new millennium, with increased competition from mail order and online retailers, Ellis Briggs turned its back on traditional bike sales and focused on building bespoke steel frames.

“Our customers are typically forty years-plus, sometimes they are into their sixties and even seventies,” says Gibson.

“They tend to be people who’ve been cycling a long time and never stopped, or sometimes they can be people who cycled a lot in their youth and then restarted and wanted a bike similar to one they perhaps couldn’t afford when they were younger.”

While racers will typically look to carbon frames, Gibson suggests that his customers are more focused on “café rides” and touring and value the comfort of a steel frame.

“A lot of carbon frames, especially at the more entry-level end, tend to be a bit overbuilt and give a rather harsh ride,” says Gibson.

“A steel frame tends to take a bit of the sting out of riding on our roads, taking a bit of the buzz out of the vibration and the potholes.

“Steel is generally a good material to make a bike out of it. It does everything, it’s lightweight, it’s strong, it’s durable, and it lasts a long, long time if you look after it.

“It’s easier to repair, easier to make alterations to. When you do buy a steel frame, you basically keep it, so it is a good investment.”

It typically takes Gibson between one and three weeks to build a frame. The painting, which he outsources, can take up to six weeks and then another couple of days to build up the bike.

While the bike industry has seen many changes since Ellis Briggs first opened in the 30s, the way it builds frames has remained largely the same.

“The frame itself, the geometries and things have changed but it’s basically the same process,” says Gibson.

He learned his craft from Andrew Poudziunas, a man who he describes as both an inspiration and the true definition of a master craftsman. It took quite a bit of persuasion on Gibson’s behalf before Poudziunas was ready to pass on his skills.

“I left school and got a job at Ellis Briggs initially as a bike mechanic,” says Gibson. “I became interested in framebuilding and so just ‘nattered’ to Andrew until he finally gave in and started teaching me. Most frame builders today are self-taught and don’t have the experience of being trained by a master frame builder like I was.”

Gibson is more than happy to pass on his knowledge and offers framebuilding courses throughout the year. “I do about six a year,” he says. “They’re about a week-long and I fit them in when I can. While a novice cannot learn all the skills required to build a frame in a week, the courses give people a taste of what goes into building a bike frame.

“I basically guide them through the process and anytime that they are not quite up to the standard, I help them. By the end of the week they come out with a good frame that they can build up into a decent bike.

“It’s just a really good experience. They really end up appreciating everything, how much work has gone into the frame, the finish and everything else, plus you end up talking about bikes for a week.”

Talking about bikes is something Gibson never tires of. “They say if you manage to find a job that you enjoy, you’ll never work a day in your life,” says Gibson. “It’s just something I enjoy.”

A hand-built bike frame from Ellis Briggs is certainly a considered purchase. However, potential customers might be surprised at just how affordable a bespoke bike frame from Ellis Briggs can be.

“Depending on what level of components the customer would want to put on, builds start from £2,500 to £3,000 and upwards,” says Gibson.

However, if you think you might like to see an Ellis Briggs bespoke bike frame under your Christmas tree, you might have to be just a little bit more patient because there’s a waiting list. “We’re on about eight months at the moment,” says Gibson. “Next season is what you are looking at if you ordered one now.”

While committed to the traditional side of the business, Gibson also has his eye on new trends, including the growing popularity of eBikes.

“The electric bike is something that I would like to get into at some point,” says Gibson. “They open up a lot of opportunities. Say you’ve got a husband and wife and they want to go out on rides together but one of them is a stronger rider, sometimes the electric bike can be a bit of a leveller and allow people to go out together. It’s a bit like people used to do with the tandem but not everyone would want to ride a tandem. I haven’t figured out how I can do it on a classic looking bike yet without it detracting too much from the aesthetics but it’s something I keep looking at.”

Gibson truly believes in the power of the bike to transform lives. “I really think that bikes can change the world,” says Gibson. “I think it’s one of the most wonderful inventions of the last couple of hundred years really. It’s something that can change the world in so many ways when we get hold of it and use it. It’s hard to think of any downside to cycling to be honest.”

When Gibson isn’t building bike frames, he can often be found riding bikes and feels blessed to live in a region so suited to his passion.

“The great thing about living in Yorkshire is that you can go out your front door and just go a few miles down the road and suddenly be in beautiful countryside with hardly any cars around,” says Gibson. “I’ll ride into the Yorkshire Dales, sometimes I’ll go up to Skipton and even into Lancashire…”

For more details call 01274 583221 or visit www.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk

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James Mitchinson