A rare bicycle which was bought from custom frame builders Ellis Briggs in the 1980s is to go on display at a museum as a tribute to its late owner.
The lightweight ‘Clubman’ bike belonged to Neil Crabtree, a lifelong cycling enthusiast from Halifax who purchased the bespoke bicycle from Ellis Briggs in Shipley in 1989 and used it to travel across the UK and abroad.
After he died last year, his children approached Bradford District Museums and Galleries as they wanted to donate his bike to help preserve their father’s story and the craftsmanship behind the 90-year-old brand.
The bicycle will go on display at The Made by Many Hands exhibition at Bradford Industrial Museum, where it will stay until 15 November.
It will then move to the museum’s Transport Gallery, taking its place alongside other bicycles that highlight Bradford’s rich history of cycling, engineering and skilled craftsmanship.
Ellis Briggs was founded in Bradford in 1936 and is recognised as the UK’s oldest custom steel bicycle frame builder.
The business builds bicycles to individual specifications of riders ranging from everyday cyclists to competitive racers.
It continues the specialist craft of bespoke frame building, helping to keep alive skills that are now considered endangered.
