The British Isles

English-made bikes have been perhaps the most prevalent and familiar fine bicycles in the USA. The shared English language has probably been the prime reason for this, from the earliest “Ordinary” bicycles through the lightweight “racers” of the 1980s. For example, in the post WWII years, Raleigh was second only to Schwinn in brand name recognition in the USA. There has been a prevalence of British bikes as compared to other nations…

The fortunes of many British concerns faded as the Japanese and Far Eastern sourced products increased in popularity in the late 1970’s. Nonetheless, the artisan tradition still thrives in the British Isles, albeit on a smaller scale. While many makers are gone, there are still fine examples of traditional and beautiful cycles available.