Not closing down anymore: Bob Jackson Cycles

[avecReynolds531]

From the website:
After 85 years of frame building & restorations Bob Jackson Cycles will be closing it’s doors for the very last time on the 18th December 2020, We are very much an ageing work force and over the years have not been able to find younger members of staff to train up and move forwards. After what has been a very crazy year for all of us we have decided it’s time to hang up our welding torches and spray guns for the last time and enjoy some retirement while we can.
All current orders and work with us will be finished as promised, Any customers who still need our services ( No Chrome Plating) will need to have their frames with us by the 7th November, Frames after this time will not be accepted .
On a personal note all at Bob Jackson Cycles now and in the past would like to thank all our customers for their business over the last 85 years, We are sorry it has come to this but nobody can stop the passing of time and everyone is entitled to enjoy a few years of retirement.
Thank You,
All At Bob Jackson Cycles

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Sad but hope they enjoy their retirements.

 

[iluvmybike]

Thats very sad to hear - a lot of skills in the work you do and sad that nobody wants top carry them on. Enjoy your retirement!

 

[MichaelW2]

My BJ was the first one thst BJ built when he took back control of the brand in 1995.

 

[iluvmybike]

Thank you for the wonderful job you did on the frame respray on this special needs bike

 

[Cycleops]

The end of an era. Shame they couldn't attract some new young blood into the business.

 

[roley poley]

no younger members of staff wanted to train up ...so sad

 

[Oldhippy]

Very sad to hear and more so that no young blood wanted to have a rewarding career.

 

[Illaveago]

It's sad to think that Monty Python's Bicycle Repairman sketch seems to be coming true .

 

[Grant Fondo]

True craftsmen in an era of Taiwanese cloning, will be missed.

 

[biggs682]

Such a shame

 

[Brads]

Discussed this on another forum. They can't have tried too hard to get someone in to train.
It's a shame as the name is a British cycling institution and given the plethora of UK framebuilder springing up I'm sure someone would have been willing to train to keep the name going.

As an aside. Most folk in the trade would say that Taiwan has the best high quality frame builders.

 

[cisamcgu]

Our tandem is a Bob Jackson frame, badged by Orbit.

Sad that they are closing, but I assume anyone they trained who was both talented and enthusiastic left to start their own workshop - so there may be a lot of Jackson trained frame builders out there

Anyway - happy retirement !

 

[rogerzilla]

That might explain why Argos are snowed under. They say it'll be Feb 2021 before they refinish the frame I took in two weeks ago.

 

[Johnsco]

That's really sad news.
To own a BJ frame was something that was always a goal for many.
I find it hard to understand why younger people would not want to acquire the skills involved in frame building.
I've done plenty of weld inspection in my work, but welding is one skill I leave to the experts .
Respect to them !!
Respect to the retiring staff at BJ.