Ellis Briggs Cycles :: 01274 583221 :: sales@ellisbriggscycles.co.uk
"Est. 1936 Still Going Strong"
The Oldest Family Owned Bicycle Shop In The North
Meet The Staff
John
Director
Since the 60's John has been a familiar face in the shop. His cycling days are now over apart from when he occasionally borrows the shop Brompton.
Paul B
Director
Paul prefers the workshop to the shop. Road racing was his sport throughout the 70's although he didn't quite reach the heights of some of the riders we've sponsored.
Paul G
Sales
Mr Gibson is our technical guy, he has all the info thats just too boring for anybody else to remember. He says he commutes 120 miles a week, we think he just gets the train.
Simon
Mechanic
Simon also at home with the spanners, does the majority of repairs and servicing, having worked for us for nearly 20 years. He also commutes to work about 14 miles a day, always complaines there's a head wind.
Andrew
Frame Builder
A man of very few words, but he has an eye for detail and a level of perfectionism not matched by many. He's been building frames for us for over 35 years now.
About Us
Our family has been serving the cycling needs of Shipley and the surrounding area since 1936. We have the knowledge, skills and experience that only come with 70 years of selling, repairing and manufacturing bikes, not kitchens, furniture, sportswear or motor spares.
Unlike most bike shops we also manufacture our own bicycles, and that doesn't mean importing them from taiwan and sticking our transfers on them. From start to finish our bicycles are manufactured in our workshops.
On our website you wil find no mail-order and no online ordering because we beleive the only way we can maintain our excellent service is to provide it in person. Internet shops cannot provide the advice and knowledge of our staff, who have over 125 years of cycling experience (collectively of course).
Our busy workshops are staffed by highly skilled mechanics who have experience in machines both new and old. We look after our customers and this is reflected in our workshop pricing.
Most days you'll be greeted by our friendly shop dog Judy, who is always willing to help (providing you have something for her).
If you are looking for honest down to earth advice, please come and see us.
Our Products
We sell a vast range of bikes, clothing and accessories, which all share the same thing in common. Every item we have in stock is chosen because No.1 it meets our high quality standards, we only sell products that work, that we know you'll be happy with and No.2 it represents good value for money.
We will never sell you a bike which isn't correctly setup, safe and ready to ride. We think it is worth paying a little extra for piece of mind and hassle free ownership of your new bike. Unfortunately many people make the mistake of buying a bike online, which is one of the reasons our workshops are always busy.
Our History
Ellis Briggs Cycles was founded in 1936 by Mr Leonard Ellis and Mr Thomas Briggs hence the name Ellis-Briggs. When the shop opened in 1936 there were actually two bicycle shops in Shipley although that shop has disapeared now. Shipley's cycling heritage actually goes back over 100 years.
After Thomas Briggs passed away in 1953 his son Jack took over the business with his wife Nora. In 1965 the shop and factory moved out of the old premises and moved across the road into a brand new building. Jack and Nora Briggs retired in 1986. Their two sons John and Paul, had been working in the shop since the 60's, Paul as a mechanic and John as Salesman. John and Paul took the reigns and have run the business for over 20 years now. All this history makes Ellis Briggs the oldest family owned business in Shipley today and probably the oldest bike shop, still owned by the same family, in the north.
Over the years we have sponsored many international riders, such as Bernard Burns, Arthur Metcalf, Doug Petty, Danny Horton and Ken Russell but to name few.
Our biggest success was in the fifties when Ken Russell, riding for Ellis Briggs as an independent rider (semi professional), won the 1952 Tour of Britain despite not having any team support (a feat that will probably never be repeated).
Today we still sponsor the Ellis Briggs road team which is a continuation of the backing we have always given to the sport.
We have been manufacturing hand made cycle frames since the '40s. Our wealth of knowledge really is unsurpassed. Our frames have been exported all over the world, but in particular to the United States and Canada. Over the years 100s of our frames have found their way across the pond and we reguarly get emails off happy owners. Even today our frames and cycles are highly sought after, although fashions have changed and the majority we sell are for touring and audax rather than racing.
So what ever your reason from visiting Ellis Briggs, we'll be happy to help.