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Famed Yorkshire frame-maker Ellis Briggs enters liquidation

Company’s frames were ridden to victory by likes of Brian Robinson and Beryl Burton

One of the British cycling industry’s most famous names, Ellis Briggs, whose frames were ridden to victory at races including the Tour of Britain and the Tour de France, has gone into liquidation.

Directors of the Shipley, West Yorkshire-based firm, which also operated a retail and repair business from its premises, voted to put it into creditors’ voluntary liquidation earlier this month after it proved unable to pay its debts.

Its assets are now being liquidated by Yorkshire insolvency practitioners and business recovery specialists, Walsh Taylor, which highlighted the struggle faced by bricks-and-mortar retailers against online competitors with lower overheads.

It added that industry insiders predict 1 million fewer bikes to be sold in the UK this year compared to 2017, and that one in 10 independent bike dealers have shut up shop in the past year.

Founded in 1936 by Leonard Ellis and his brother-in-law Thomas Briggs, the company was the UK’s oldest custom-built frame builder.

The company capitalised on the post-World War II boom in road racing in the UK, the company’s lightweight steel frames which proved hugely popular with riders both in the UK and North America.

Victories achieved on Ellis Briggs frames include Ken Russell’s 1952 Tour of Britain win, a race he rode as an independent, while Brian Robinson took two stages in the Tour de France in 1952 on one of the firm’s bikes, rebadged for sponsorship purposes as a Gemiani.

It was also the frame of choice – again, bearing another manufacturer’s name for commercial reasons – of Yorkshire’s Beryl Burton, arguably Britain’s greatest female cyclist.

The late Dave Rayner, whose memory survives in the fund established in his name that has helped many of the country’s leading pros get their start in the sport by enabling them to race on the continent, also rode an Ellis Briggs frame when he became junior national road champion in 1984.

The company, which in recent years had benefited from a resurgence in sales of custom frames, remained family-owned and was run by John and Paul Briggs, sons of the co-founder, until 2016 when they sold it to long-term employee, Paul Gibson.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
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For all the shouting about increases in cycling and the supposed legacy from Olympics etc it's not that much at all in terms of calculated distances travelled and much of that isn't down to huge swathes taking up cycling rather more miles by those that cycle already. Overall there is no significant increase in cycling for a while, it's just crept back up again after up and down years. 

The market is so tight but I don't think I've heard or seen much about EB for years, I didn't even know they were still a going concern in the market as it is competing with other well known frame makers as well as online sales makes it so damn difficult.

A very sad day indeed, maybe the name will be resurrected but likely it'll never be the same. Small concerns like this have been falling by the wayside in huge numbers particularly the old shops and the old boys who had a stash of old bits in the back that are now oft impossible to find or scouring ebay at ridiculous prices from some far away place.

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matthewn5 | 5 years ago
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+1 for their frame refurbishment service, they did a gorgeous job for me and were extremely courteous and kept me informed about the whole process. RIP guys, maybe the framebuilding side could be relaunched...

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fixation80 | 5 years ago
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They did a cracking respray for me, first class panelling and lug lining!

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A440 | 5 years ago
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Sad.

Guess steel "isn't real" enough to keep them afloat.

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Woldsman | 5 years ago
2 likes

This is really sad news.  I have never had one of their frames, but I took my own Reynolds 531ST bike in for a respray and they did a lovely job at a great price.  Well worth the two journeys over from East Yorkshire.  What a pity. 

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Dnnnnnn replied to Woldsman | 5 years ago
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Quote:

one in 10 independent bike dealers have shut up shop in the past year

I'd be interested to know how many opened...

Maybe it's a London thing - cycling seems to be doing well here - but not infrequently I stumble across new independents, usually more focused on repairs (and sometimes coffee) than selling bikes and parts (where it's hard to compete with the web).

In any year, there'll be a turnover of independent businesses in any sector. 10% may close - but how many open?

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