Hello all. I have been a lurker on CR for some time now. Interests: bikes and coffee, Jethro Tull and beer. I joined the list because of my interest in the traditional lugged steel bicycle and pre-index components (love the Suntour power-ratchet). I am more interested in the craftsmanship than the vintage aspect so I have been content to listen. Great list guys.
I sold all my bikes and bought a 1973 Raleigh Super Course. Kind of a time machine. Had a 70's Raleigh Grand Prix in high school when I was really getting into cycling. Now I have the space and money to get another bike.
I used to subscribe to the magazines Road Bike Action and Bicycle Guide/Bicyclist. None of the "roadie" mags seem to last more than a few years. I have read articles, reviews and/or interviews on many custom framebuilders, some of which are listmembers.
What follows is an part of a review of the Bob Jackson Arrowhead by Mark Reidy from Bicycle Guide (June 1995).
In 1975, Bob Jackson decided to make his first showing at the once famed, now defunct New York Bike Show. Incredibly, all of the frames that Jackson had on display were purchased on the first day of the show by a single shop, and over the course of the exposition Jackson wrote enough orders to consume the next 14 months of production! As Jackson's production manager Donald Thomas related, "There were dealers placing orders for a dozen tandems at a time. Jackson went with order sheets for only 12 weeks and came back with over 10 times that amount!" Needless to say, the trip proved worthwhile for Jackson and the U.S. became one of the strongest markets for his creations. Eight years after his spendid introduciton to the U.S. market, Jackson, who was then nearing 75, decided to call it quits, opting to exchange his namesake company for the life of a retiree. In 1983 JRJ Cycles Limited was sold to a U.K.-based recording company, a firm that Thomas said, "knew a lot about making records and nothing about making bikes." Traditioinally, Jackson had taken an annual order from his U.S. importer, which was then Colorado Cyclist, with the understanding that all of the frames would be delivered over the course of the year. Desirous of immediate profit, Jackson's new owners decided that all of the frames would be delivered in a single shipment. To accomodate this massive increase in frame production, which until that time had been done entirely in-house, building was contracted out to an assortment of small framebuilders. Due to the lack of adequate quality control and other cost-cutting moves, many previously unseen defects in craftsmanship resulted and the reputation of Jackson frames slid into the gutter. Early in 1993, it looked as though it was all coming to an end when Bob Jackson's new owners declared their company bankrupt, shutting the doors and laying off the workers. The company Jackson had spent 50 years building had been run straight into the ground in less than a decade, losing what Jackson estimates as close to a thousand dollars a month in the process. In July '93, Jackson and business partner Donald Thomas repurchased the frame shop lock, stock and barrel from a bankruptcy holder. Thomas explained the buy-back in simple terms, saying, "The builders and other employees were not just Bob's workers, they were his friends. Danny Foster [Jackson's master builder] and the others had traveled all over the world with Bob and he couldn't stand to see them in the unemployment line." Today the 87-year-old Jackson is back at the helm of his company, intent on turning out the quality frames for which he is known. And again all production, including chroming and the famous Jackson three-color stove enameled finish, is being done in-house under the watchful eye of 45-year Jackson veteran Danny Foster. ##
I believe Bob Jackson passed away in 1998 (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong, I lost my source of that info) but Jackson frames continue to be produced.
Bob Jackson Cycles (1993) LTD
http://www.bobjacksoncycles.demon.co.uk/
US importer World Class Cycles
http://www.worldclasscycles.com/
William Epping