Nestled among a quaint parade of Georgian shop fronts on London's Amwell Street, Freddie Grubb is a new British bicycle brand hoping to shake up London's saturated bicycle market with its contemporary take on the traditional town bike.
'The London cycling market is getting pretty saturated with relatively cheap and cheerful bicycles in the mid price bracket (£300-£500),' explains Jack Pattison, Freddie Grubb founding director. 'We were keen to produce a product that wouldn't just look good in a showroom, something that would stand the test of time.'
Tailor-made for city cycling, the brand's debut range of four bicycles are inspired by British models from the 1930s and 50s with compact geometry, neat lug details, gently curved forks and Porteur or swept handlebars that allow for a more comfortable ride.
While the brand is affectionately named after Frederick H Grubb, the maverick pioneer of British cycling, the four models take their titles from London’s hidden rivers; the Ravensbourne, Effra, Fleet and Walbrook.
'We wanted to approach the design of our products with the same ethos that we would a piece of furniture,' says Pattison, while co-founder, Malcolm Harding adds, 'Our bicycles are all about detail. They are designed and built in London (in Deptford Creek to be specific) with handmade frames and quality components.'
As well as showcasing the brand's debut bicycle range in a variety of colours - which they plan to change seasonally -sizes and combinations, the newly opened Islington store offers London's style-conscious cyclists a wider lifestyle experience with a selection of furniture, lighting and accessories that chime with the bicycle's refined styling.
Goods on offer include speakers from Danish brand Vifa and minimalist lighting from Montreal-based Lambert & Fils. A special collaboration is on the cards for the upcoming London Design Festival and a range of Freddie Grubb bicycle accessories are also on the horizon.
'Cycling is huge at the moment and it certainly doesn't look as though it will slow down any time soon,' enthuses Pattison. 'Apart from a wonderful healthy way to scoot about town, in cities like London it's probably the quickest and easiest way to get from A to B. Our aim is introduce a bit of style into the equation.'
The brand's debut bicycle collection is a contemporary take on the traditional town bike
Named after London’s hidden rivers - the Ravensbourne, Effra, Fleet and Walbrook - the brand's debut range of four bicycles, each featuring distinctive slim profiles with Porteur or swept handlebars, are tailor-made for city cycling
Co-founder, Malcolm Harding explains, 'Our bicycles are all about detail. They are designed and built in London with handmade frames and quality components.'
Each of the Freddie Grubb bicycles is designed and made in London at the Freddie Grubb workshop in Deptford Creek, London SE8, where the Ravensbourne river joins the Thames
Providing a complete lifestyle offering, the brand's Islington shop also sells contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories from a variety of British and European brands
Jack Pattison, founding director explains: 'We wanted to approach the design of our products with the same ethos that we would a piece of furniture.'
Based on a classic British town bicycle, the design team at Freddie Grubb were inspired by bicycles from the 1930s and 50s with compact geometry, neat lug details and gently curved forks, which allow for a more comfortable ride on London's bumpy roads
The bicycles combine good quality components, attention to detail, and splashes of colour, while branding is kept to a minimum
The brand is named after Frederick H Grubb - a maverick pioneer of British cycling who set numerous early road race records, won a silver medal in the 1912 Olympic games and was the first Brit to enter the notorious Italian Giro. 'We were really keen for our British brand to have an association with British cycling history so we named it after him - we loved the name too,' says founding director Jack Pattison
Currently in talks with a number of companies, the brand are planning to collaborate on a range of bicycle accessories in the near future
Painted in the UK, the bicycles are available in a broad range of colours that will change seasonally. Bespoke colours can also be produced on request
ADDRESS
Freddie Grubb
63 Amwell Street
London, EC1 1UR
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