An amazing visit to see a Framebuilder ...

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biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
Ever since I started Cycling again a few years ago I have wanted a Coventry built bike as I am a Coventry kid , my first attempt at getting one turned up about 4" too small, so ever since then have been on the look out for one that fits me .

The second one I managed to find turned up as an L A Cycles frameset, the @colly of this parish now owns and rides, at the time of me selling it to him I was unaware of the true connection between L A Cycles and Coventry frame maker Lee Cooper. After the deal was done I learned of the connection .

So, ever since then, the search intensified and about 18 months ago I uncovered a Pollard Specialite complete bike and almost ever since then this has been my main commuting and leisure bike .
Earlier this week I arranged to go and meet Lee Cooper who is a Coventry frame builder and has been since 1984 , I was left opened mouth from the moment I entered his premises to the moment I left . I stood and watched as he finished soldering the main triangle to a few frames he was making for a customer , the man was surrounded by a small production run of 5 other main triangles whilst on a bench there were a bunch of fork crowns and steerer tubes awaiting their blades to to be inserted and soldered .

Around the man stood the tools of his trade, a frame jig imported from the states , various bits of welding equipment , vices , small sanding machines and loads of tubes awaiting construction .

He showed me some frames he was making for some big names in British Cycling which amazed me as I always believed these people made their own frames , but at least they out source from a true British frame builder. He also showed me some older frames that were made for a n other British company till they outsourced their supply to the far east . He also showed a rather nice Blue frameset with trackends that bore the name of an ex Coventry frame builder , whilst he was talking me around this frame he explained his frame numbering technique , ie 040614 and lc which means 04 th bike in 6 month of year 2014 and Lee Cooper .

Lee rounded up my visit by showing me a rather lovely complete bike that he made for the Bespoke show a couple of years ago , normal reaction was for me to lift the bike up and was totally gobsmacked just how light it was for a steel machine .

All in all it was a great meeting and I had some a very interesting time with Lee, I went in with so many questions and came home with even more, his knowledge was and is amazing , I am now focused on trying to source one of his bikes ... so the search continues
 

hoopdriver

Guru
Location
East Sussex
Frame-building is a real art. I watched and photographed Mark Reilly build the frame on my lugged steel bespoke tourer and it was amazing - beautiful to watch; it's a very photogenic art.
 
OP
OP
biggs682

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
No not yet. I've texted him asking for the rest of the photos. When I get them I'll stick them up. I wish I had time and space, I would take it off his hands because I would enjoy getting a bike like that back up and running and looking good.
ok keep me in mind please
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Ever since I started Cycling again a few years ago I have wanted a Coventry built bike as I am a Coventry kid , my first attempt at getting one turned up about 4" too small, so ever since then have been on the look out for one that fits me .

The second one I managed to find turned up as an L A Cycles frameset, the @colly of this parish now owns and rides, at the time of me selling it to him I was unaware of the true connection between L A Cycles and Coventry frame maker Lee Cooper. After the deal was done I learned of the connection .

So, ever since then, the search intensified and about 18 months ago I uncovered a Pollard Specialite complete bike and almost ever since then this has been my main commuting and leisure bike .
Earlier this week I arranged to go and meet Lee Cooper who is a Coventry frame builder and has been since 1984 , I was left opened mouth from the moment I entered his premises to the moment I left . I stood and watched as he finished soldering the main triangle to a few frames he was making for a customer , the man was surrounded by a small production run of 5 other main triangles whilst on a bench there were a bunch of fork crowns and steerer tubes awaiting their blades to to be inserted and soldered .

Around the man stood the tools of his trade, a frame jig imported from the states , various bits of welding equipment , vices , small sanding machines and loads of tubes awaiting construction .

He showed me some frames he was making for some big names in British Cycling which amazed me as I always believed these people made their own frames , but at least they out source from a true British frame builder. He also showed me some older frames that were made for a n other British company till they outsourced their supply to the far east . He also showed a rather nice Blue frameset with trackends that bore the name of an ex Coventry frame builder , whilst he was talking me around this frame he explained his frame numbering technique , ie 040614 and lc which means 04 th bike in 6 month of year 2014 and Lee Cooper .

Lee rounded up my visit by showing me a rather lovely complete bike that he made for the Bespoke show a couple of years ago , normal reaction was for me to lift the bike up and was totally gobsmacked just how light it was for a steel machine .

All in all it was a great meeting and I had some a very interesting time with Lee, I went in with so many questions and came home with even more, his knowledge was and is amazing , I am now focused on trying to source one of his bikes ... so the search continues

Many years ago I was given a similar such tour of Witcombe Cycles. Not sure if they are still going although Ernie Witcombe must be long passed. It was fascinating.

http://bikebrothers.co.uk/witcombvisit.htm
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
My first visit to a frame builder's workshop set me on the slippery slope to becoming the owner of a Woodrup Chimera. Just over three years ago, Steve Woodrup, the owner of Woodrup Cycles invited me to follow him upstairs in his shop as he had something that I might be interested in. I thought it might be a selection of touring bikes but I was led up a second set of stairs into a workshop where, in a work stand was the frame of the very first Woodrup Chimera in bare metal.

It was glorious. I knew there and then that I was going to become an owner. Steve used to build frames but was too busy running his shop to devote much time to it and now has Kevin Sayles who used to build frames for him before going on to build frames at Thorn before returning to Leeds and working for Steve again.

The smell of hot metal and flux is intoxicating and a range of frames lugged and/or fillet brazed demonstrated the Kevin's mastery of the craft. Woodrup Cycles have supplied frames to the Bantel team in the eighties and at least one world championship title was won on a Woodrup framed bike. Watching Kevin at work was mesmerising and seeing the custom jigs and fixtures and listening to the history of their acquisition or creation was something that I could have continued for hours.

Several months after the visit I was loaned the prototype Chimera for the weekend for a test ride.

The rest is history.
 
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