Three bike manufacturers in London?

On Andrew Marr on Sunday, Boris Johnson said that there were three bike manufacturers in London. Who are they?

Brompton, Witcomb Cycles, and Chas Roberts?

Think there’s more than 3, though.

Whitcomb Cycles in Deptford is one 🙂

EDIT: Beaten to it.

Condor Cycles?

Roberts cycles in Croydon, Witcomb cycles in Deptford but im not sure about the 3rd.

WINNER!

(Does Lap Of Honour of flat, bangs knee on coffee table, falls over, cries)

oh yes Brompton in Brentford

Chas Roberts is in Croydon – that’s not London.

15 mins on a train from Croydon to London so i reckon it’s pretty close.

Have you been there?

** winces **

yep to visit roberts cycles

Croydon is in London. If Croydon was a separate city however it would be the eighth largest city in the UK.

Condor bikes are not made in London.

Of course, there used to be TJ Quick down in Catford, until they were taken over by numpties who ran it into the ground, Condor used to have a workshop in London (maybe they still do?), and a few other little places, sadly all gone, now. FW Evans used to do their own bikes too.

Croydon is within the M25, so I spose it’s considered within the economic area of London. And C Roberts used to be in Bromley too, no?

Condor used to make their own bikes as did places like Evans.

Condor now have their frames made in Italy and very nice they are too.

Oh and you’d need a mortgage if you wanted a Witcomb. Nice bikes though.

What about Pearson cycles?
Are they London?

I know they have their own band of bikes and stuff

Condor state on their website:

“We are proud to build frames in the UK”. Now they are based in WC1 but I appreciate that the frames may be built elsewhere. So where? The website goes on to explain that this is only a small number of their frames, but it’s all in Flash so I can’t cut and paste.

Pearson are in Sutton, which is Surrey not London I think.

There used to be dozens of makers. According to Mario Vaz there was a huge consolidation in the 70s with Holdsworth buying a lot of London makers out. A lot more (including Evans) outsourced to Bob Jackson.

Based on the Croydon rule – Sutton is London as well.

Cheam.

Croyden is Surrey – amazingly. Used to live there. Unfortunately.

Is that like “Penge, I’ve heard its nice, but I’ve never been there”

Does any one still argue against the m25 rule ?
I’ve lived in London for 3 years now and it seems perfectly reasonable.

I still have to tell people im originally from Birmingham when I’m from Lichfield staffs which is outside the toll road. So its not like it doesnt apply to other places.

M25 rule doesn’t apply. Otherwise Epsom would be considered London. Which it isn’t.

M25 rule doesn’t apply

Yes it does. Companies within the M25 like to consider themselves as ‘London Based’. Good for business. Epsom may be just outside the Greater London Boundary, but it is as close as makes no bloody difference.

And Croydon is a London Borough.

RudeBoy – Member

Companies within the M25 like to consider themselves as ‘London Based’.

You probably like to consider yourself good in bed, but it doesn’t necessarily make it so. 😉

I don’t know anyone who lives or works in Epsom who considers it to be a part of London.

FFS…

OK, I’m wrong. Mind, Epsom is less than 2 miles outside the boundary. See those ‘peninsular’ bits of Sutton and Kingston, well, if they were joined across, Epsom would be within the boundary.

Companies within the M25, EXCEPT THOSE BASED IN EPSOM, quite often like to consider themselves London-Based. Good for business.

Happy now?

And anyway, anyone who lives in Epsom has probably paid sh1tloads of money so they can say they live ‘outside London’… 😉

Its kind of like London except for the fact that we think that not calling it London makes our property prices higher.
Actually somewhat like New Addington, except for certain differences.

aP; Exactly. And for the purposes of business, speshly if doing trade abroad, it can be beneficial to say you’re ‘London-based’. I know of a firm in Southend that do this, FFS!

Glad someone understood what I meant!

aP – I’m from Penge originally. Its not that nice a place but better than Beckenham.

S&J (not the original S&J?) – its a quote from one of the Brentford trilogy books.

RudeBoy – Member
FFS…

OK, I’m wrong.

Told you so 😉

Not trying to split hairs, but I just find it odd that someone is telling me that because I live inside the M25 I live in London. I’ve never considered Epsom part of London nor do my colleagues or neighbours.

aP – Member
Its kind of like London except for the fact that we think that not calling it London makes our property prices higher.

How does that work then as London property prices tend to be higher than Epsom prices?

Dear Sir / Madame,

Being some what hacked off with doing sportives on my Brompton folder have any of you any advice re sensible coversions to cope with hardcore xc, downhill etc.

Yours in expectation,

saltee softee

I’ve never considered Epsom part of London nor do my colleagues or neighbours.

I went to Epsom to look at cars yesterday. They were a bit, err, knackered. Looked like they’d been driven round London a lot!

😉