OUR GOAL

Our aim is to build your perfect bicycle: a bicycle that's unique, superbly efficient, fits you precisely and is a delight to ride. Every Roberts is custom-fitted and made by hand to increase your comfort, boost your performance and take you closer to achieving your cycling ambitions. Whether you're striving to get fit, get to work, get onto the podium or get out and see the world, we can build the ideal bike for you. Two professional World Championships have been won on Roberts-built frames, and our bikes regularly receive praise in the cycling press. Nevertheless, our reputation rests largely with the many thousands of satisfied amateur cyclists, weekend riders, off-road enthusiasts and randonneurs around the world who have chosen a Roberts over the years. Even though we're committed to exacting engineering standards and impeccable craftsmanship, we like to think that we're not just about the science of building bicycles; we're creating unique works of art, combining our expertise with input from each individual customer. Each bike reflects its owner's personality, needs and desires as well as our skills.

HISTORY

The Roberts family has been building top-quality made-to-measure bicycles and frames for more than 50 years and has established an enviable reputation across three continents. Beginning soon after WWII, Charlie Roberts started working as a frame-builder for some of the great names in British bicycles - Holdsworth, Claude Butler and Freddie Grubb. Among many outstanding achievements, his track frames were particularly highly regarded by the cognoscenti - professionals and Olympians alike. In the early 1960s, Charlie finally branched out on his own and started up Roberts Cycles in Croydon, not far from our present location. Not long after, Charlie was joined in the workshop by his then teenage son Chas, who runs the business today. Chas started part-time at 14, brazing together carriers. At 17 he joined the business full-time, but it took a further seven years as a hard working apprentice before he was allowed to start building frames with the Roberts name. In the 35 years since, Roberts Cycles consolidated its position as one of the finest bespoke bicycle producers in Britain. Chas's younger brother Geoff also joined the company for a time, but in 1979, Charlie, the founder of the business, sadly passed away and Chas took over at the helm. Since then, the company has embraced innovation, building some of the very first British mountain bikes back in the early 1980s and setting the pace with low-profile time-trial and triathlon bikes. Throughout its history, Roberts Cycles has maintained the exacting engineering standards that Charlie Roberts first set and combined them with new technology and a passion for beautiful design. WHO WE ARE Alongside Chas, the other framebuilders are Winston and Adrian, each with more than 15 years' experience, much of it at Roberts. In the workshop, Brian, sometimes XC racer, has spent just as many years building and tweaking bikes and wheels to perfection. Out front, in the showroom and completing the team is Andrew, our salesperson, technical enthusiast and former Ironman triathlete (and still occasional time-triallist and long distance tourist). Carry on and read about the basics or go straight to see the bikes.