Do Evans still make bikes?

[Andy in Sig]

In about 1993 I went to FW Evans at their shop in The Cut near Waterloo and got a touring bike. The frame was made by their own frame builder and I specced up the rest after a long chat with a very helpful member of staff. I was wondering now that they seem intent on conquering the world with their chain of shops, if they still offer that service. Anybody know?

 

[graham56]

if they do they must keep them well hidden, no sign of them in either their catalogue or stores.

 

[rich p]

They do a range called Pinnacle but I don't know if they own the brand

 

[mickle]

Evans stopped making their own frames prior to about 1983 when their last framebuilder passed. Their own brand frames were then farmed out to Orbit but quality control issues meant that they later transferred production to Nigel Dean. Orbit and Dean supplied own brand bikes for several London shops, it wasn't an unusual arrangement. Dave Yates made frames for Condor after Dean closed.
The demise of Evans framebuilder meant proper custom fitting stopped, Orbit and Nigel Dean frames were off-the-shelf sizes, but that didn't stop them pretending (for several years) that their frames were custom built. Nigel Dean went out of business in the early to mid nineties and as far as I know that was the end of Evans own brand bikes.

Pinnacle is Evans own brand, made in Taiwan, likely by Pacific.

 

[Andy in Sig]

When I got mine the guy explained to me that rather than tailor make bikes, they had a fixed touring bike geometry, a fixed racing geometry etc. but then they made the frame to the exact sizes e.g. 23 and 3/4 inches ir whatever was required. He said that this worked for anybody who didn't have a wildly unusually proportioned body e.g. arms like a gibbon. It certainly produced a lovely bike for me. I reckon it's a bit of a shame if they no longer offer that service.

 

[hubgearfreak]

When I got mine the guy explained to me that rather than tailor make bikes, they had a fixed touring bike geometry, a fixed racing geometry etc. but then they made the frame to the exact sizes e.g. 23 and 3/4 inches ir whatever was required.

bob jackson make off the peg frames, if that's what you want

 

[Andy in Sig]

I'm not after one. I was just thinking that maybe Evans in their bid for world domination have stopped offering a really good service. Sadly that appears to be the case.

 

[hubgearfreak]

i imagine that the profit from a UK handbuilt frame is slim, and not worth the investment to a large company. it'll be much more the preserve of people who love steel and cycling rather than those who wish to become large multinationals

 

[NickM]

Robin Mather, apparently, has stopped taking orders because he has enough work to last well into 2010

Even so, I doubt it's making him rich; I hope it's making him happy!

 

[redcogs]

That is a nice link Nick. The craftmanship looks absolutely top notch.

 

[Baggy]

Robin Mather's bikes make me drool...

Evans have definitely stopped making their own frames. I bought my Dawes from The Cut store 5 years ago, and they had a couple of F W Evans frames hanging up. I asked if they made their own and the answer was no, they just had a couple in odd sizes that had been hanging around for years.

Dave Yates used to make frames for Pearson own-brand cycles as well, but stopped just before I bought mine...

I think Mick? Cowen made the Pearson steel ones after that, mine is hand-built but I had an off the peg size.

 

[hubgearfreak]

mine is hand-built but I had an off the peg size.

nowt wrong with that, unless you're an odd shape

 

[mickle]

Aren't all frames hand built?

 

[Andy in Sig]

Eeeee, there's nowt like a Friday afternoon pedant.

 

[Baggy]

Aren't all frames hand built?

As I understand it the Taiwanese have developed automated processes for the assembly and welding of frames, though don't know if any steel bikes are made this way.

I suppose what I mean is hand built by a couple of people overseeing the whole process as opposed to mass production.