Nelson Cycles and Engineering was established in 1979 by David Evans to produce hand built cycle frames. Originally David, then a technician in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cardiff University, agreed to build some frames for Jack Hearne Cycles in Slough. This developed into building frames for sale under the Nelson brand and from this developed enamelling and frame repairs.
As time went by, demand for frames increased and also a demand for complete bikes developed. A search had to be made for a supply of quality frames. This proved difficult as, although frames were not hard to find, there was a great deal of rubbish on offer! The first consignment of frames from a "Well Known" builder required so much refinishing and rectification as to be uneconomic. Luckily a former Reynolds Tubing frame builder set up in business and was able to supply quality frames in suitable quantities.
During the 1990s frame manufacturing was changing and Mountain Bikes had become established. This led to the building of Nelson Mountain Bikes and to importing of frames from Europe and directly from Taiwan. Fortunately, frame building and engineering experience is of immense value here, in terms of frame design and it also ensures that frames can be independently evaluated, without reliance on costly marketing hype and reputations that have been bought rather than earned.
Although retired from day to day business activities, David is still able to provide customers with first class frames and bikes..
Servicing of Bikes & Associated Components.
The following details of our experiences with servicing over the many many years
we have been in the cycle trade. Because of these experiences, we do not offer
simple servicing, by which we mean squirting a little oil here and a little oil
there, adjusting a couple of things and presenting you with a bill for £30.00.
Most customers bring their bikes or components in for attention, when they are
broken, worn out, severely neglected or a combination of all three. Quite a
number of customers seem to view a visit to have repairs or servicing carried
out as some sort of inverted auction and waste their and our time trying to find
ways of making us charge less. Just remember that our component prices are
amongst the lowest in the country. All we need to know is whether you wish to
use the cheapest components, components of the same quality or upgrade the
quality of any replacements we use. The labour charge for any repair is going to
be the same, if we use the cheapest or the dearest components.
Before bringing anything in for repair, please decide how much or how little you
wish to spend. If it cannot be done within your budget, we will tell you and
avoid an "Auction".
We have been in the trade for a long time manufacturing and repairing frames,
enamelling frames, building complete bikes and wheels as well as servicing these
products. We do things professionally and assume that customers come to us to
benefit from our skills and experience. If you intend coming to disagree with
everything we say, either because you have been riding a bike for six months or
have read some of the currently available cycling comics, then perhaps we are
not the people for you. If you prefer to be guided by a friend, who professes to
being “Good with bikes” despite having no relevant and specific professional
experience, then perhaps he should be the man to do the work for you. “Barrack
room cycle mechanics” abound. We have heard and seen them all before and some of
the disasters they have created.
WE OFFER TWO SERVICES:
1. You identify the problem and, where possible, we fix that problem according
to your instructions. Nothing else will be done and no responsibility accepted
for anything we were not instructed to repair or check.
2. We carry out a full check - similar to an MOT Test on a car - and advise you
of what we find. An estimate, not a quotation, for the cost of the repairs and
servicing will be provided and a charge of £15.00 made. If we are instructed to
do the work, then the charge is waived. It will be necessary for you to tell us
what grade of components to use and how much you wish to spend. This may be
difficult for you, but remember it is impossible for us.
NB. Cycles & components should be brought in for repair or servicing in a
clean condition. Any items not in a fit condition will be cleaned to a standard
to allow work to be carried out & a charge made. This will vary between £10.00 &
£15.00. Please also note that once work is completed, we contact customers
as soon as possible. Customers who feel that by constantly seeking
progress reports, they are speeding things up, are in fact, causing delays!!
Please note that at present, we are too busy to take in
work on bikes and components that we have not supplied.
Copyright © 2004 Nelson Cycles and Engineering.