British framebuilder launches national mission to save traditional craft

Following framebuilder Ricky Feather’s announcement that he is stepping away from full-time framebuilding, British builder Paul Gibson is calling for a national effort to preserve and sustain traditional UK framebuilding before it disappears for good.

Gibson, the owner of Ellis Briggs Cycles in Shipley—a workshop that has been building and restoring steel bicycle frames since 1936—has today launched a public mission to document endangered techniques, mentor new builders, and build infrastructure to support the next generation of British framebuilders.

“Ricky’s announcement hit hard,” says Gibson. “He’s one of the best, and if someone like him can’t make it viable, what does that say about the rest of us still trying? But I’m not giving up. I’m building a way forward.”

The move comes after a wave of closures and near losses in the British framebuilding scene, including the shutdown of Bob Jackson at the start of the pandemic and the near-demise of Mercian Cycles. While the demand for high-quality steel bikes remains strong, the traditional model of a one-person workshop has become increasingly unsustainable.

Most British framebuilders from the classic era are now in their 60s or older. They hold a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be lost if nothing is done. “I’m 43, and even I’m considered one of the younger ones,” says Gibson. “If we don’t act now, in ten years’ time there may be no one left who can properly restore a classic steel frame.”

To support this shift, Gibson has launched a Patreon-based preservation initiative where supporters can access behind-the-scenes material, frame building tutorials, and draft chapters of his forthcoming book. Funds raised will support efforts to document the craft, offer mentoring, and ensure that traditional techniques are passed on before they are lost.
Gibson is calling on cycling enthusiasts, historians, fellow framebuilders, and the wider public to support this mission.

To learn more or join the preservation effort, visit: www.patreon.com/EllisBriggs

The framebuilder community has been attempting to galvanise amid challenges of recent years,

Small and solo UK bicycle framebuilders and enterprises are facing difficult trading conditions, despite operating somewhat independently from the mainstream bicycle industry and its overstock problems.

Recognising the need for solidarity and collective action, a pivotal meeting is set to take place with the goal of assessing the current standing of businesses in the industry. It is being pitched as an opportunity for the industry to come together, offer mutual support and shape a collective response to the uncertainties faced by UK frame builders.