Not closing down anymore: Bob Jackson Cycles

[Ian H]

...I'm not aware of another builder offering a product fitting the same niche - a stock frame able to be finished to a customers own requirements, but costing far less than any custom built frame...

I don't know about cost, but Mercian do the 'semi-bespoke' service in similar fashion.

There are quite a few individuals building, presumably varying in quality of build & design. I'm waiting for a second Hallett to be finished (it's at the paint-shop).

 

[avecReynolds531]

Sad to see another British frame building business close & best wishes for happy retirements.
Hopefully there will always be enough support & work from the cycling community for frame makers. The Classic Lightweights Builders page shows the incredible depth of skill & history here through the years.
A custom frame is something magical:

LFGSS forum have a link to this useful list of UK builders - (I'm not sure how up to date or accurate it is):
View: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kvVzUBXPQj8NVX-6n6FaXlzw3lcDaLWdWbIU_7b6IyM/edit#gid=0

 

[Aravis]

I don't know about cost, but Mercian do the 'semi-bespoke' service in similar fashion.

Before their site disappeared, Bob Jackson's off-the-peg Audax frame was listed at £565, with 631 tubing and your own choice of finish. I thought that looked an extremely attractive deal, and the table @avecReynolds531 has posted above suggests they are leaving a big gap.

Which makes me wonder why they weren't receiving more than enough orders to continue flourishing.

 

[biggs682]

One from this morning's ride

 

[Gravity Aided]

I owned a Bob Jackson frame once, it was a work of art. A bit big for me, and someone bought it from me before I had a chance to build it up.

 

[matticus]

There are quite a few individuals building, presumably varying in quality of build & design. I'm waiting for a second Hallett to be finished (it's at the paint-shop).

What type of tubing does he use (and I assume the £1000 for a frameset quoted by LFGSS is about right?)

[I did ask him all these questions in mid-Wales last year, but there's been a lotta water under the bridge since ...
He seemed like the ideal person to make what I want, but I'm hugely put off by his remote - if scenic - location, so I'll probably stick to England. Maybe.]

 

[Ian H]

What type of tubing does he use (and I assume the £1000 for a frameset quoted by LFGSS is about right?)

[I did ask him all these questions in mid-Wales last year, but there's been a lotta water under the bridge since ...
He seemed like the ideal person to make what I want, but I'm hugely put off by his remote - if scenic - location, so I'll probably stick to England. Maybe.]

You have a discussion with him and he recommends kinds of tubing to suit. My current Hallett is Columbus Life main tubes and KVA stainless forks & stays. The new one will be Columbus & KVA stainless throughout. Prior to that he measured my bikes, watched me ride and let me test ride a couple of his bikes. Then there are the detailed discussions about braze-ons, finishing, etc. He's built with Reynolds and other tubing as well.

 

[wacky7791]

One possible reason for lack of interest is people not wanting to get their hands dirty, but another possibility is how much they would earn. I don't know if BJ's pay good money or not, but that would certainly be a factor in being a company people want to work for.
Getting decent trainee staff in any hands-on job seems to be very hit and miss these days. I've personally encountered some real dross over the last few years, either lazy and unreliable or totally cack-handed - or worse still, both. It's so bad now that when you do come across the odd decent trainee who doesn't mind grafting, it really stands out.

I was a frame builder at Bob Jacksons in the late 90's /early 2000's in my late teens and early 20's, thoroughly enjoyed the job but unfortunately the pay wasn't great. I got offered an unskilled job at near double the pay so couldn't really justify staying just cos I enjoyed it, buying a house with the then girlfriend meant I had to chase the cash. Shame really.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I was a frame builder at Bob Jacksons in the late 90's /early 2000's in my late teens and early 20's, thoroughly enjoyed the job but unfortunately the pay wasn't great. I got offered an unskilled job at near double the pay so couldn't really justify staying just cos I enjoyed it, buying a house with the then girlfriend meant I had to chase the cash. Shame really.

Sadly that's the reality of many small businesses who do skilled but labour intensive work. The business and it's market is only viable all the time people will work for it at a lower pay rate than their abilities are worth on the wider labour market. If your staff comprise mainly semi-retired people with other sources of income who have no need to maximise their earnings and enjoy the work, it may sustain itself, but if you have younger staff with bills to pay who can't afford to work for love they need to make a living.
The fact there are already millions of existing quality frames out there means the market for new ones that will sell at premium prices is very very small in comparison to the overall cycling market. The bread & butter stuff is all imported, the "value 531" market for customers like me is entirely secondhand, and what demand remains for new bespoke stuff is very niche and very small.

 

[bagpuss]

Oh no it isn't .

http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/

 

[carpenter]

Panto season is upon us

 

[Milkfloat]

I wonder if their new investment will take them down the route of the likes of Condor trading on their name. It is probably the best way to survive. Certainly their would be a market for them to modernise a few of the offerings with options such as disc brakes.

 

[Venod]

Oh no it isn't .

http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/

Well that was unexpected, especially in these difficult times, but good news.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I wonder if their new investment will take them down the route of the likes of Condor trading on their name. It is probably the best way to survive. Certainly their would be a market for them to modernise a few of the offerings with options such as disc brakes.

Hell yes - range unchanged for donkeys.

 

[matticus]

I wonder if their new investment will take them down the route of the likes of Condor trading on their name. It is probably the best way to survive. Certainly their would be a market for them to modernise a few of the offerings with options such as disc brakes.

I just had a quick flick thru the off-the-peg pages; they all came with options for disk mounts.

I don't think they will modernise much further; there are already plenty of blingy places making modern-looking stuff with hidden cables, semi-weird-integrated headset and press-fit BBs.

Their USP is good quality steel tubes assembled well; it would be risky to mess with that identity. IMO!