Antique bicycle and penny farthing restoration UK

With vast experience of reproducing parts for the manufacture of complete period bicycles we are also setup for full restoration work. When the information is available all missing components can be reproduced to appear as it would have left the factory while trying to maintain the patina that makes an antique bicycle attractive to own.

We can reproduce rims, spokes, hubs, bearings, cranks, pedals, saddles, brakes, handlebars, mudguards etc..

Full restoration including painting and lining, saddle re trims.

Any kind of spoking arrangement is no problem with experience in tangent, direct screw, adjuster and lock nut, tensioning arm such as on the Arial ordinary.

We specialise in Ordinary bicycles also known as penny farthings and early safety bicycles.

1876 Singer British Challenge

Looked quite complete and straight forward but required, full re spoking, new adjusters creating, frame straightening, new bars, reconstruction of worn areas, recreation of original lining, oilers, screws, bolts, nuts etc… The aim was to make the finished machine still look old and unrestored, I managed to maintain the original lining on the trailing brake for comparison of finish.

This Machine required: new rims, spokes, pedals, bearings, rear fork alignment, saddle re trim etc..

1880’s Swift Tricycle Restoration

This required all new rims, spoke extraction of the original hub, new rear hub, new brake roller, new wooden handle, new saddle, straightening and new spokes to create a true survivor.

Penny farthing and Safety Bike saddles

We hand make reproduction leather saddles with traditional techniques using vegetable tan leather. We make early steel saddle pans for the padded leather saddles, suspended saddle pans with the leather stretched between point’s, we have a number of patterns for various machines.

Most saddles can be restored, even if parts are missing or damaged it’s worth considering a retrim to keep the machine original.

Early Steel saddle pans for ordinary bicycles

We make them in various shapes and sizes to suit various machines, they’re not out of place on early velocipedes.

Richards of England Distance pan saddles

A comfortable saddle is an important part of any machine that is ridden any distance. The Richards of England reproduction saddle looks great on any machine and is much more comfortable than an early padded pan saddle.

Penny Farthing and Safety Bicycle Wheel Rims

Here at Richards of England we make handmade wheel rims in any size, any hole diameter angle etc.. We can work on various rim profiles for restorations, we mainly make a hollow crescent profile based on a period roadster shape. Customers have used our rims and complete wheel replicas on original penny farthings. Solid tyre rubber in stock to suit the standard rims.

Solid Rubber Tyre in stock

Various sizes available to fit most original ordinary bicycles.